About Me

I’m Salena Walker, a Welsh herbalist, naturopath, nutritionist and teacher, and the founder of Wild Welsh Herbalism®.

At the heart of my work is a passion for keeping herbal knowledge alive, not simply by learning about plants, but by growing them, foraging them, making medicine with them and passing that knowledge on.

I have been teaching for more than twenty years and have spent around forty years growing medicinal plants. Today, my work focuses primarily on herbal education, teaching people both in Wales and around the world.

Wild Welsh Herbalism®

I created Wild Welsh Herbalism® to explore herbal medicine through the plants, language, culture and traditions of Wales. My teaching combines practical herbal medicine with growing and foraging, medicine making, anatomy and physiology, Welsh plant names, historical sources, folklore and mythology.

An important part of my approach is encouraging people to look at the medicine growing around them. We live in a world where herbs and supplements can travel thousands of miles before reaching us, despite having extraordinary medicinal plants growing in our gardens, hedgerows and wild spaces. I want people to know those plants!

Not just what they are “good for”, but how to recognise them, grow them, harvest them, prepare them safely and understand the traditions and stories surrounding them.

Teaching

Teaching has always been at the centre of my work. I run Wild Welsh Herbalism® courses in person and online, from foundational herbal learning through to advanced study.

My in-person courses are taught at Ysbryd y Coed, my off-grid woodland home and teaching space in West Wales, where students are able to learn surrounded by many of the medicinal plants we study.

I am currently developing the next stage of my teaching: a professional herbal practitioner training pathway based in Wales. My aim is to create an opportunity for people to undertake substantial professional herbal training here in Wales while learning within the landscape and cultural context in which they will practise.

Writing, Speaking & Professional Work

Alongside teaching, I write and speak about herbal medicine, Welsh herbal traditions, medicinal plants and our relationship with the natural world. I am an Ambassador for The Herb Society and a member of the Unified Register of Herbal Practitioners (URHP). My writing has appeared in herbal and professional publications, and I regularly give talks and workshops to both public and professional audiences.

Earlier in my career, I also worked with New York Times bestselling wellness author Kris Carr, giving me experience of working with a large international audience.

I am currently taking a sabbatical from clinical practice while I write my first book and develop the professional Wild Welsh Herbalism practitioner training.

Work With Me

If you are interested in inviting me to speak at an event, teach a workshop, contribute to a publication, appear on radio or other media, or collaborate on a project, please get in touch through my Contact page. If you’d like to know more about the journey that brought me here, you can also read My Story.

Qualifications and Professional Bodies:

  • Advanced Diploma in Herbalism
  • Advanced Diploma in Naturopathic Nutrition
  • Practitioner Diploma in Naturopathic Nutrition
  • Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE)
  • Qualified Teacher Status
  • Member of the Unified Register of Herbal Practitioners (URHP)
  • Ambassador for The Herb Society