About

What Wildwood Spirit is all about

Passion for plants was the seed, and the wish to share my love for plants made the seed sprout and grow into Wildwood Spirit…

Plants are everywhere around us, they feed us, clothe us, house us, warm us, provide us with clean water and air, and they heal us with their medicine and the joy their beauty brings us. The reasons to love these beautiful beings seem countless to me and I believe that anyone can benefit from having a stronger connection to plants. Be it by going on walks in nature, drinking herbal teas, cooking with herbs, or adding some leafy roommates in their homes. The plants are everywhere around us, waiting for us to notice them and invite them into our lives.

Herbal medicine has been practiced by humans since… well, ever since humans existed! It used to be part of everyday life and everyone practiced it (just using real spices in your kitchen is herbal medicine!). And there is no reason we can’t get back to it. I am hoping that Wildwood Spirit will help people see that the medicine of herbs is within everyone’s reach and inspire them to make it part of their everyday life again.

Much is to be gained from a stronger connection with plants, both for humans and for the plants themselves. So restock your spice rack, soak in a bath with flowers from the garden, go for a walk in the woods, plant some seeds, and bring some healing to yourself, your loved ones, and your community (human and non-human). It is that simple and feels good too!

In keeping with the Spirit of the Wildwood

All the herbs used in Wildwood Spirit creations are herbs that I enjoy using myself and know well. Some of them are grown following organic and biodynamic gardening practices, some are ethically wildcrafted in the woods and meadows near me, and others are purchased from trustworthy suppliers and certified organic. Fresh herbs are gathered by hand, with respect and gratitude, and are air dried, without the use of any machines. All the products are handcrafted in small batches, made with intention and in tune with the moon phases.

It is my goal to keep the impact of running a business as low as possible. The products are all handmade and the website hosting service creates 300% renewable energy for the energy the Wildwood Spirit website uses. The brown tea bags are biodegradable, labels are removable or biodegradable, and empty bottles can be returned for a refund. To reduce waste even more, there also is the possibility to have your own container filled for some of the products (contact me for details).

Of the Wildwood witch and her domain

My name is Sylvie and I am the lucky human being who gets to look after the 12 acres of boreal forest that is the Wildwood Medicinal Herb Farm, found just on the outskirts of the community of Haines Junction in the Yukon Territory. This land still is what many would call “wild”, a haven for plants and animals of the boreal forest, and the place I call home. The herbs grow wild in the forest and the meadows, while the ones that are less comfortable with the harsh Yukon climate, are grown in the garden or the greenhouse.

I grew up in France and Germany, picking lily of the valley bouquets in the spring, enjoying fresh stone fruit off the orchard trees, and harvesting mushrooms and chestnuts in the fall. Plants and all things nature fascinated me from an early age. I started on the herbalism path at the age of 13 reading books, and gathering and trying all the herbs I could find in the countryside. 

I went on to university to complete a bachelor’s degree in physiology and cellular biology in France, before moving to Canada, where I spent the next few years studying and roaming the woods of northern Québec. After completing my master’s degree in forest ecology, my wandering feet took me across the country all the way to the Yukon. A variety of jobs taught me many life skills, but my heart always wanted to go back to the plants, and I never stopped practicing herbalism. After settling down in Haines Junction, I learned to be a gardener too and started growing more and more of the herbs I use. 

In 2020 I became a student at the Gaia School of Healing & Earth Education and completed my first two years of apprenticeship in traditional herbalism, holistic healing, and sacred plant medicine. This brought my personal herbalism studies and my formal university training full circle. Carrying on with the learning, I also completed the Community Herbalist Certificate with the Pacific Rim College Online and am now enrolled various additional herbalism and holistic healing courses. When it comes to herbalism, one never stops learning!