ABC Celebrates HerbDay with Garden Tours

AUSTIN, TexasIn honor of the seventh Annual HerbDay on May 5, 2012, the American Botanical Council (ABC), will host presentations, garden tours and children's activities at its headquarters in Austin, TX.

William Will" Morris, Ph.D., president of the Academy of Oriental Medicine of Austin (AOMA) Graduate School of Integrative Medicine, will give a presentation on the Asian Daoist Three Treasures model of herbalism, exploring spirit, essence, and vitality through the eyes, ears, and face. Morris holds a number of degrees in alternative medicine and specializes in pulse diagnosis and three lineages of traditional Chinese medicine.

ABCs founder and executive director Mark Blumenthal will engage HerbDay guests with a discussion of the growing popularity of herbs in self-care and health care in the United States, and the increasing number of published clinical trials that support their benefits.

Additionally, tours of ABCs expansive 20-plus medicinal and culinary themed gardens will be led by local herbalists Ellen Zimmermann and Carlos Hernandez. Zimmermann is a licensed counselor as well as an herbalist; she studied under the renowned herbalist Rosemary Gladstar and, in 1995, founded the Austin School of Herbal Studies. Hernandez is the founder of Austin Health Associates, an herbalist, and a massage therapist whose first brushes with herbal healing came alongside his grandfather, a Rio Grande Valley pharmacist.

Childrens activities will take place throughout the day, including a maypole dance. Kids can also plant an herb an herb to take home.

Refreshments, books, and membership information will be available in addition to free sample issues of ABCs HerbalGram, and other educational literature.

ABC's HerbDay celebration occurs on Saturday, May 5, 2012, from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. at ABCs historic headquarters at 6200 Manor Rd. in Austin, and is free to the public. 

HerbDay is a coordinated series of independently produced public educational events celebrating the importance of herbs and herbalism. HerbDay was initiated by the HerbDay Coalition,  five nonprofit organizations with interests in herbs and herbalism, to raise public awareness about the significance of herbs. The HerbDay Coalition includes ABC, the American Herbalists Guild, the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia, the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA), and the United Plant Savers.

Hear more about using botanicals in personal care, dietary supplements or foods by attending the Inaugural AHPA Botanical Congress at SupplySide MarketPlace on Tuesday, May 8, at Javits Center in New York. This full-day, executive-level educational symposium focuses on the business of herbs and botanicals from plant to consumer. Or hear Blumenthal speak at the SupplySide MarketPlace education session, "Best Practices in Quality Assurance and Control: Monitoring Supply and Detecting Adulteration" on Thursday, May 10.