Who We Are:
Our members include herbal practitioners, growers, retailers, students, artists, crafters, writers, producers, educators and more. Most are located within the Northeast but some reside on the West Coast, Canada and even Europe! The only requirement for membership is the love of plants and a desire to learn more.
Current NEHA Council:
 President: Chris Marano – Chris Marano is a clinical herbalist with a health-care practice in the Pioneer Valley of Massachusetts. His health care practice and teachings take him throughout the United States, Canada and the British Isles. He is founder of Clearpath School of Herbal Medicine, dedicated to the teaching of holistic health, herbalism, and Earth-based wisdom; and Clearpath Herbals, offering health consultations and high-quality, custom-blended herbal preparations. His experience draws upon Chinese, Native American and Western healing traditions. He is a registered herbalist in the American Herbalist Guild (AHG), a council member of the Northeast Herbal Association (NEHA), veteran teacher, author, meditation instructor, and has degrees in pre-medicine, Chinese philosophy and science education from Columbia University, a graduate degree from The Herbal Therapeutics School of Botanic Medicine, Zen and Chinese philosophy training from the Institute of Chung-hwa Chinese and Buddhist Culture, and years of training with medicine elders of the Cherokee and Annishnabe tradition. In addition to teaching workshops, courses and apprenticeship programs through Clearpath Herbals in both Western Massachusetts and Coastal Maine, Chris also teaches Clinical Herbalism at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. |
 Lesley Wooler B.Sc., RA, CYT earned her degree in Horticulture at URI. She is a Registered Aromatherapist through the Aromatherapy Registration council and a Regional Director for NAHA (National Assoc. of Holistic Aromatherapy). She is also a member of the AIA (Alliance of International Aromatherapists). She received over 230 hours of training at The Center for Holistic Botanical Studies where she was also on staff. She studied with Valerie Ann Worwood for 4 years and is a Level IV Aroma Genera Practitioner She has been teaching Aromatherapy classes throughout New England for the past nine years. Lesley completed her herbal apprenticeship and advanced herbal programs in the 1990′s and is the owner of The Herb Wyfe ( www.theherbwyfe.com ) in Wickford, RI. Lesley is a member of the American Herbalists Guild, The American Botanical Council, the New England Unit of the Herb Society of American and the American Horticultural Society. She is the owner of The Studio@Wickford Cove, a Yoga and workshop studio and is a Certified Yoga teacher. Lesley has maintained her own landscape/gardening business, “Gardening with Finesse” for the past 12 years. |
 Matthias Reisen Matthias Reisen has been a community herbalist for over 20 years. He co-founded Healing Spirits Herb Farm and Education Center with his wife Andrea in 1991. Healing Spirits Herb Farm is located in western New York and has been producing high quality certified organic medicinal herbs both fresh and dry for shipment throughout the United States and some foreign countries. Together they have created their own line of valued added products under the Healing Spirits label and also produce Rosemary Gladstar’s line of quality valued added products on the farm. He is a former Peace Corp volunteers in the Philippines and has consulted overseas in Belarus, Nepal and Jamaica regarding medicinal and aromatic plants. |
 Thomas Becker |
 Vice President: Laurie Tucker - Laurie resides in Central New York. She currently is a practicing Dental Hygienist and Esthetician. Laurie has been working with and studying all facets of our plant allies for many years and is a lifelong learner of all that inhabits our beautiful planet, seen and unseen.
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 Treasurer: Carol Simon Carol Simon currently holds the position of Treasurer of NEHA and also manages their membership database. She recently completed her herbal studies with Jeanne Rose’s Institute of Aromatic Studies and is now working on finishing The Aromatherapy Studies Course. Carol studied horticulture at the Barnes Foundation in Merion, PA and Longwood Gardens in Chadds Ford, PA and is certified in several holistic healing modalities. In the past few years she has been honored to study Animal Aromatherapy and Bach Flower Essences with Kelly Holland Azzaro; Homestead Herbalism with Sue Hess; and Five Element Aromatherapy and Reflexology with Shanti Dechen. Carol is a Member of NAHA (National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy), The American Botanical Council, and IHA (International Herb Association). She is passionate about sharing her knowledge and love of plants with family, friends and community and spends much of her time wildcrafting, making herbal & aromatic products, and assisting with designing, implementing and maintaining herb gardens. Carol is the mother of two wonderful adult children and lives with her husband in Berks County, PA.
Emily French Emily holds a degree in Clinical Herbalism from the Clearpath School of Herbal Medicine and a degree in Holistic Medicine & Sustainable Agriculture from the University of Massachusetts. Her passions are local food and local medicine. She is the founder of Sweetgrass Herbals, and lives on her family’s apple orchard and medicinal herb farm in central Massachusetts, where she works to create a sanctuary for as many medicines as care to join her there, and for people to come learn about and partake of the Green World’s healing abundance. Emily joins the NEHA Council as a voice for the next generation of herbalists and plant lovers, and shares with the other council members a vision of NEHA as a vibrant, multigenerational hub of networking, resource sharing and activism.
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