Zoe Hawes is a Medical Herbalist who studied a Diploma at the School of Phytotherapy in Sussex. She came to Herbal Medicine from a long career in Nursing and now happily combines both in her practices in Frome and in a Monastery boarding school in Somerset. She is passionate about Herbal Medicine and encouraging people to listen to the wisdom of their bodies and nature again. She is also author of Foragers Guide to Medicinal Plants. www.zoehawes.co.uk

Rachel Singleton is a flower essence practitioner and founder of LightBringer Essences. She has worked with essences for over a decade. Living in the Lake District, England, Rachel journeys far and wide throughout the British Isles and Europe to work with wild flowers and learn of their subtle healing properties. She is also an accredited tutor with the British Flower and Vibrational Association and runs Practitioner Trainings in flower and vibrational essences. admin@lightbe.co.uk  www.lightbe.co.uk

Anna Parkinson is a writer and healer who was inspired to deepen her knowledge of plants by her ancestor, royal herbalist John Parkinson. Her book about this remarkable man was published by Frances Lincoln last year.‘Nature’s Alchemist, John Parkinson Herblist to Charles I’ got excellent reviews and was described by the Telegraph as one of the top ten books of the year. Anna also writes a regular column for Organic Gardening Magazine. She collects information about family recipes and uses for plants. If you have any to share with her contact her at anna.parkinson@homecall.co.uk or see her website at www.parkinsonplants.com

Nicoletta Chirigu is Sardinian and lives in Sant Anna Arresi, in the South East of the Italian island. She has been studying medicinal plants in the local Sulcis area for the last six years and is currently writing a thesis on the subject at the University of Calgari. During her research she has interviewed many locals about traditional remedies and uses of local plants, heard their wonderful stories and compiled a list of plants that can still be found growing locally (and some that can’t). nicoletta.chirigu@gmail.com

Charlotte Bouchier moved to Sardinia a few years ago with her family and together they are building a house in the village of Sant'Anna Arresi and working towards producing their own food, herbal remedies, wine, olive oil and mirto. They have also set up a travel service to Sardinia at www.localsardinia.com offering advice on where to go and what to do charlotte@livingvalues.co.uk

Vik martin runs Heyokah Photography from the middle of a field, producing colourful portraits and promo images and covering live events, parties and performances. She supplies Alamy and Apl photo libraries, and creates random machines out of old junk whenever she can find a power socket for the welder. http://www.heyokah.co.uk  info@heyokah.co.uk

Spencer Hawes is a freelance Web and Graphic Designer, Illustrator and Mac wiz. He has 13 years experience in the design and publishing industry. The remainder of his time is spent being a musician, playing electric and double bass. He is always ready to play some foot tapping rhythms and get a crowd on their feet and dancing. www.bluebuoydesign.co.uk

Lesley Eyles  is the proud mum of Zoe Hawes. Likes to paint in watercolour and inks for unexpected and pleasing results. Recently retired to Dorset. Intends to spend more time exploring the beautiful countryside in the UK - preferably by foot  lesleyeyles@tiscali.co.uk

Sylvie Ball Studied art and dress design at Walthamstow Art School in the 1960's but didn't follow a career in art. During a period of unemployment in her early forties, she took classes in calligraphy and later in flower painting, awakening a passion that now takes up most of her time.doublegrippo@yahoo.co.uk

Herbal Journal 2010 Contributors Listing

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Sylvia Balch lives on the Somerset Wiltshire border. She completed two courses in Botanical painting at Chelsea Physic Garden in London but is largely self-taught. She was awarded a Royal Horticultural Society Silver Medal in February 2007 for eight paintings of “Rhododendrons of Stourhead.” She taught in Adult Education in Somerset for four years and now teaches privately including Frome Botanical Artists Group. She is currently an Associate Member of the London Society of Botanical Art. sylviabalch@hotmail.com

Myra Hares was a largely self taught painter until she discovered botanical art and joined Frome Botanical Artisits after retiring from teaching. She enjoys the challenge of representing plant life in fine detail.jemh@ic24.net

Elisabeth Allan has had a love for wild flowers since childhood. She studied Botanical Art for four years and is currently involved in botanical studies of the local flora. (contact via Sylvia Balch)

Angela Andrews lives in Somerset. After she retired she studied a B.Tech in Art and Design at Strode College in Street. She had always been drawn to a Botanical art since childhood but only can to it in her sixties. She is a member of Frome Botanical Artists. Contact via Sylvia Balch.

Henriette Kress started to learn about herbs when she was knee-high; from then on she had herbs as a hobby while pursuing her career in logistics and finance, and finally said "this is boring", and went off to herbalist school (the SWSBM, in Arizona). After she got her pretty herbalists' diploma she hasn't done a day's worth of honest work, or at least, that's what it feels like. She runs the largest non-commercial herbal site on the web (henriettesherbal.com), sees clients, does lectures, writes books and articles (in Finnish and Swedish, mainly), and generally enjoys her life while pottering about in the meadows and woods and in her garden and kitchen. She's based in Helsinki, Finland.

Felix Dennis is one of Britain's best known entrepreneurs. He was born in Kingston-upon-Thames in 1947.After leaving Harrow College of Art, Dennis wasted a great deal of his youth playing in R&B bands. In 1971 he was imprisoned by the British govenment as a co-editor of OZ magazine at the culmination of the longest conspiracy trial in English history. He then went on to be one of Britains richest and best known magazine publishers. He has written many books and inspiring poetry. He started the charity Forest of Dennis, that aims to plant the biggest continuous forest in Britain and leave the public with a growing legacy that will continue to grow long after he has gone. www.felixdennis.com

Maria Muscarella is a Nurse-Herbalist who has pursued her passion studying, teaching, and consulting on herbal medicine and medicine-making.  Growing up in the South-Eastern United States, she has found her home in the lush, wooded mountains of North Carolina, where the wild plants grow tall and the herbal life is plentiful.  Maria is strong believer in sustainable living and community healing, and has 'weeds' growing all over the living-roof of her home.  maria@viriditashealing.com www.viriditashealing.com

Shirley O ‘Leary is a retired deputy Head Teacher of a large Primary School although she trained originally for secondary teaching and gained an Art Teachers Diploma. Original media were mainly oil and pastel but for the last seven years has enjoyed painting in watercolour, especially botanical subjects. She lives in Frome.

Contact via Sylvia Balch.

Anne Bethell collected wild flowers when she was a small child, she has always loved them. She enjoys painting them best! rkbethell@aol.com