Inspired North

Class & Event Schedule

See the latest information on upcoming classes and community events where I will be teaching.

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Connect with Crystal

Learn more about Inspired North and Crystal Brown, and find out more ways to connect.

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Email List Sign Up

Sign up for the Inspired North email list to stay up to date on class schedules, products, and receive access to stories and educational posts.

Store

Purchase intentionally crafted products from Inspired North. This selection is carefully currated with organic and wildcrafted ingredients to support your health and wellness.

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Intuitea Sessions

Schedule a private, online session with Crystal to identify plants and mushrooms that my help support you with a specific concern or promote overall health. This session includes an intentionally blended tea or salve that will be mailed to your home, along with follow up.

• Intuitea

NORTHERN WISCONSIN | MAY 16-18, 2025

SPRING FORAGING & WILD HERBAL MEDICINE INTENSIVE & RETREAT

• Learn More & Register

Overcome fears and build confidence in exploring wild food foraging through identification and ethical harvesting and preparation.Connect with your body and health through introductory herbal medicine skills and intentional wildcrafting.Delight yourself in the opportunity to enjoy nourishing meals inspired by the land and water, and prepared by Crystal.It’s time to remember and reconnect with those wild and wholesome parts of yourself.

Apprentice 2023 Application

APPLICATION OPENS:Friday, December 23, 2022APPLICATION DEADLINE:Saturday, January 21, 2023 at 3:00PM CST

Do you want to be involved in one of the most interesting and growing areas of expertise in 2023?Do want to be a leader in a new area of research and outreach?I invite you to the adventure of a lifetime with Bio-Regional Herbalist and Ethnobotanist Crystal Brown.During your apprenticeship in 2023, I will mentor you as you engage with the natural world across the seasons. There will be a focus on integrating herbalism and wild food foraging into your life and community. This apprenticeship spans March 7, 2023, until December 26, 2023.To learn more and complete an application, click the "Apprenticeship" button.

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CLASS OFFERINGS

CLASSES & EVENTS

June 2025

Crystal will be representing Clean Water Action Council at this event, along with other Northeast WI nonprofits and affiliates for a morning of roundtable discussions around food, climate, and policy change followed by an optional lunch. Discuss solutions to make a difference in our community!Go to NEW Leaf Foods
website for more details.

July 2025

Crystal will lead you through a herbal harvesting work session in the food forest! This project is in collaboration with NEW Leaf Foods and is sponsored by a grant from Cellcom.Go to NEW Leaf Foods
website for more details on the program and to register!

Crystal will be teaching wild food and herbal education on Wednesdays throughout the farm camp series. This program offers a full week of amazing experiences for youth, connecting them to food, the environment, and sustainable community.Go to Valentine Gardens
website for more details on this exciting program and to register!

August 2025

Go to Ukwakhwa: Our Foods
website for more details on the wonderful work they are doing in their community.*

Join Crystal Brown to harvest herbs and learn different ways you can use them, including medicinally! This project is in collaboration with NEW Leaf Foods and is sponsored by a grant from Cellcom.Go to NEW Leaf Foods
website for more details on the program and to register!

Crystal will be teaching wild food and herbal education on Wednesdays throughout the farm camp series. This program offers a full week of amazing experiences for youth, connecting them to food, the environment, and sustainable community.Go to Valentine Gardens
website for more details on this exciting program and to register!

Overcome fears and build confidence in using wild and culinary herbs in your daily life. Learn how to identify, use and preserve herbs with Crystal Brown, wild food and herbal educator of Inspired North. Crystal will share herbal products, provide recipes, and lead hands-on wildcrafting.Go to Valentine Gardens
website for more details on this exciting program and to register!

More details coming soon.Go to Protect the Porkies website to learn more about their efforts to protect the Porcupine Mountains from the threat of a Copper Sulfide mine in this pristine area.

September 2025

Go to Ukwakhwa: Our Foods
website for more details on the wonderful work they are doing in their community.*

For registration notifications,
please sign up for their newsletter
at  www.wildharvestfestival.org

October 2025

This is a Baird Creek Foundation sponsored event. For registration notifications, please sign up for their newsletter at www.bairdcreek.org

January 2025

FEBRUARY 2025

May 2025

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Connect With Crystal

Crystal BrownCrystal Brown, of Inspired North, is an ethnobotanist, bio-regional herbalist, and writer/creative, focusing on wild edible food and medicinal plants and fungi. She assists students in developing connection to nature, self, and community through creative outdoor experiences that incorporate an integrative approach to health, wellness, and personal growth. She has a background working as a psychiatric mental health nurse with children, adolescents, and adults. She holds a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of Wisconsin Green Bay.Crystal teaches wild food and herbalism classes and workshops in Eastern and Northwestern Wisconsin, for the public, private, and non-profit groups and schools, as well as programming to experiential educators throughout the Midwest working with youth and adults, including connecting nature/adventure experiences with mental health and trauma-informed education.Crystal is also the Executive Director of Clean Water Action Council of Northeast Wisconsin, a non-profit with a mission of protecting human health and the environment. Learn more at their website. She is also Chair of the Community Waters Coalition, a Citizen Advisory Committee to the Wisconsin DNR, focusing on the Fox and Wolf Rivers and Green Bay Watershed.Inspired NorthInspired North provides ethnobotanical, integrative wellness, and outdoor experiential education focusing on wild foraged food and medicinal herbal plants.Inspired North - Intention:To cultivate an intimate, intentional, healing, and reciprocal relationship with the plants, fungi and creatures around us in order to build and restore a relationship with the self and community, through reclaiming our knowledge of wild food and medicine. To create safe spaces for vulnerability that allow us to creatively cultivate growth, love, beauty, and sovereignty.ConnectEmail: inspirednorth@posteo.net

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Spring Foraging and
Wild Herbal Medicine
Weekend Intensive

Friday, May 16 to Sunday, May 18, 2025
Northern Wisconsin - Iron County
Early Bird Pricing | Starting at $655
Limited to 10 Participants

Join Crystal Brown of Inspired North for a weekend Spring Foraging and Wild Herbal Medicine Intensive, where you will experience the beautiful forests, trails, and waterfalls of Northern Wisconsin (Iron County). This weekend will be a wonderful time to learn about the abundance of spring edibles emerging after the winter months. We will focus on plant identification, safe/ethical foraging techniques, building relationships with plant and fungi relatives, protecting water, and working with the plants and mushrooms to make food and medicine. Participants will also get hands-on instruction in making herbal teas, tinctures, and salves, and process spring edible plants depending on their availability. Participants will be able to take home medicines made. We will also be offering somatic movement and sound workshops and integrate health and wellness activities throughout our weekend.

Itinerary

Arrival Thursday Evening or Friday Morning: You may arrive on Thursday, May 15 (encouraged) any time after 4:00 PM CST to set up your tent and settle into camp. Join us for an informal, nourishing meal and meet other participants. Enjoy Weber Lake and surrounding area on your own.Friday morning coffee/tea will be available by 7:00 AM; breakfast starts at 8:00 AM. Our morning circle and start to the weekend begins at 9:00 AM. For those choosing to arrive on Friday morning, please be ready to join us by 9:00 AM. After our morning circle and lessons, we will pack a sack lunch and head out for our adventure. Participants will have the option to either drive or carpool to site locations. We will return to camp at 5:00 PM and have dinner around 6:00 PM. Evening campfire and activities available, or participants may choose to have quiet time to themselves.Saturday morning we begin again with coffee/tea available by 7:00 AM; breakfast starts at 8:00 AM. We will start a morning with a somatic movement workshop at 9:00 AM and afterwards continue on more outings in the area. Dinner will be around 6:00 PM. Evening sunset hike to nearby Corrigan’s Lookout available, as well as campfire and activities.Sunday morning coffee and light breakfast available by 7:00 AM. On this day we will be having an early morning hike at 8:00 AM on nearby trails. We will return to camp for medicine making workshops. We will end our time together at 12:00-1:00 PM to allow attendees to travel.Activities will take place with potential for rain. Please pack clothes accordingly. Inclement weather itinerary adjustments may be made.Attendees have the option to camp additional nights at our location for an additional fee to explore on their own after class. Contact for more information.

Weekend Intensive Rates

Early Bird Base Pricing Until March 20, 2025 | $655
Base Pricing After March 20, 2025 | $760
Registration closes on May 4, 2025Pricing Includes: instruction and handouts, materials/supplies for activities, shared tent/site (bring your own tent or use group tent), meals/snacks for Thursday evening, Friday and Saturday all day, and Sunday breakfast and lunch.Additional Add-On Options:
Private Camp Sites and/or Tents | Contact for Pricing
Options to Purchase Supplementary Reference Books | Contact for Pricing

Registration

Email intention to register to: inspirednorth@posteo.netRegistration information will be sent, including contact information, emergency contact, dietary needs, and final quote of price with any add-on options.

Payment Options

Submit a $155 non-refundable deposit to secure your spot. The remaining fee is due by May 4, 2024, prior to the event. This will be non-refundable or may be transferred to another person for this event only.Pay Pal: inspirednorth@gmail.comCredit Card/Stripe Payment: Contact Crystal at Inspired North for a secure credit card payment link: inspirednorth@posteo.netChecks: Contact for mailing information for payment by check.

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Apprentice 2023 opportunity

Thank you for your interest in this the 2023 Inspired North Apprentice Opportunity. Through this experience, I will be mentoring you as you engage with the natural world across the seasons. There will be a focus on integrating herbalism and wild food foraging into your life and community with hands on experience, product making, research, and teaching. You will have exposure to self-growth, community engagement, and entrepreneurial experiences. This position is intended to support the mission, work, and growth of Inspired North.This initial application process allows me to get to know you and your intent a little bit better, and open up a dialogue if this is the right fit for you.
You do not need to have prior herbal or wild food training/experiences to apply, but rather a desire to grow on that journey. There needs to be a sincere interest and willingness to put in the “dirt time” to build the relationships and experience. I offer up this opportunity to support you in your journey, as so many have supported that along my path. Your ability to assist in this apprenticeship will help support my ability to expand the beauty I seek to nourish in this world.Please see details about the apprenticeship below. When you are ready, click the button “Apply for Apprenticeship” to complete your application. If you have questions, please email me at: inspirednorth@posteo.net.

• Apply for Apprenticeship

Apprenticeship DETAILS

APPLICATION OPENS:
Friday, December 23, 2022

APPLICATION DEADLINE:
Saturday, January 21, 2023 at 3:00PM CST

INTERVIEW PERIOD:
Interviews expected to occur starting January 6, 2023 until February 19, 2023, and require a phone/Zoom call and field component.

TIME/ENERGY COMMITMENT:
This apprenticeship is expected to take place from March 7, 2023, until December 26, 2023.Please anticipate to engage with this apprenticeship for a few hours weekly, with more or less time/opportunities depending on season and availability of fungi, plants, and experiences. The apprentice will be expected to assist with classes, workshops, and events; as well as harvesting and preparation in the field and lab. There may be opportunities to assist with field research.There is flexibility in meeting requirements of the position, to be discussed in an interview; however, at least 50% of classes/workshops/events/preparation needs to be attended/supported.There will be a requirement to provide a community outreach experience/class in the fall, which Crystal will mentor you through that process. This is to help support Inspired North’s commitment to providing accessible community outreach.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
This position requires the ability to go off trail into rugged conditions, with variable elevations and occasional adverse weather conditions. Participation is at-will and at your own risk. There is not the ability to provide physical accommodations for this opportunity. Risks of participation to be discussed during the interview process.

EXCHANGE/PAY:
This opportunity is for an educational exchange and does not offer monetary pay. The apprentice will receive one-on-one and group instruction, mentorship, and occasional products, herbs, and wild foods to take home based on involvement/availability. There will be invitations to join Crystal and her community on life changing learning experiences not usually offered in her typical class content (maple sugar, wild ricing, whitefish netting, etc). Crystal also is an avid baker, chef, creative, and Cancerian… there will be occasions to be fed beautiful things.

SUPPLIES/MATERIALS:
The apprentice will be responsible for purchasing any books or personal equipment/supplies that they may feel necessary for the apprenticeship and to continue their individual practice. They will be responsible for their own transportation, license/fees, insurance, and any equipment to participate in invitational experiences (ex. camping equipment to go to wild rice camp, fishing/wild rice harvest permit, etc). There may be opportunities to carpool/borrow equipment when available.


For more information, contact Crystal at: inspirednorth@posteo.net

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Inspired North's purpose
and intention

Inspired North provides ethnobotanical, integrative wellness, and outdoor experiential education focusing on wild foraged food and medicinal herbal plants by cultivating an intimate, intentional, healing, and reciprocal relationship with the plants, fungi and creatures around us in order to build and restore a relationship with the self and community, through reclaiming our knowledge of wild food and medicine. Inspired North intends to create safe spaces for vulnerability that allow us to creatively cultivate growth, love, beauty, and sovereignty.

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STORE

Intentionally crafted using organic and wildcrafted ingredients.

SALVES

Currently available salves include:- Osha Chest Rub
- Breaks and Strains Support
- Nourishing Dandelion
- Soothing Beauty
- Poison Ivy Soothing
- Chaparral Sunburn

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TINCTURES

Selection coming soon.

SKIN CARE

Selection coming soon.

CUSTOM ORDERS

Are you looking for a specific salve, tincture, or preparation not listed on the website, contact Crystal at inspirednorth@posteo.net for custom preparations and quotation.

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Intuitea session

45 MINUTES  |  $88

This private exploratory session includes a Zoom call to gain insight into a situation that may be supported with plant and mushroom preparations. The session includes a custom Intuitea tea or salve blending*, and email correspondence for questions or support on tea or salve and its use. A follow up hand out/PDF will be provided about the herbs/fungi used in the tea blend for educational purposes. Participants may ask to have the tea or salve blended for another person (partner, family member, friend, etc). Examples of situations that individuals have benefited from this offering: concerns with sleep, stress, immune support, grief, etc. In our call we may also discuss further ways to connect with nature to further support your journey.*Shipping is included for the contiguous US; shipping available to AK, HI, and international for additional fee (customs rules may apply).

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