Meet Your Instructors
Candice has been traveling the plant path since 2004, beginning formal training in 2008 alongside founder Kris Vaughan, and stepping into roles as clinical herbalist and educator in 2009. With clients she works to support emotional, cognitive, and spiritual health through her practice Psyche and Soul.
Throughout her time as a clinician, medicine maker, and educator, she has drawn people from all walks of life who are seeking transformation and renewal through a deeper connection to plants. Often, her clients and students find themselves in pursuit of knowledge through formal training so that they too can become herbalists, healers, and knowers of plant wisdom.
She is thrilled to take these next steps on her own journey as the program director and owner of Wild Lily School (formerly Herbal Wisdom Institute), and can’t wait to be there as you begin or continue your own adventure with us.
Candice is a member of United Plant Savers and The American Herbalist's Guild.
Kris Vaughan has been practicing as an herbalist since 2008. She is a
certified Clinical Herbalist and worked in clinical practice for 10
years alongside various naturopathic physicians in order to provide a
holistic and eclectic approach to health. As a clinician, her
specialties were digestive health, women's health, and complicated
chronic illness.
Kris began teaching classes in herbal medicine
in 2011 and officially founded Herbal Wisdom Institute in 2016. Kris has
taught herbal medicine and trained herbalists and physicians from
around the country. She has also taught for various professional
organizations in order to raise awareness of the philosophies and skills
of nature cure as a medicine system.
Kris resides in Arizona and
has a deep love for the diversity of medicine in the Arizona desert.
She is dedicated to the values and mission of Herbal Wisdom Institute
and the opportunities to bring herbal education to all who seek it.
Kris
is the owner of Vaya Botanicals, a botanical product company offering
prescriptive botanical solutions for healthcare practitioners working in
women's health.
A dreamer and adventurer with an insatiable curiosity, Rachel Alm has dedicated much of her life to the study of botanical medicine. From peace and comfort to a rich array of food and medicine, not to mention the endless awe and wonder of it all, nature has been a constant provider in Rachel's life. With the wild and rugged Sacramento mountains as her backdrop, Rae is gathering, growing, making, and teaching all things herbalism.
As the Lead Instructor for Wild Lily School (formerly Herbal Wisdom Institute), Rachel combines her Masters degrees in Medical Herbalism and Education to proudly offer herbal education for plant lovers of all kinds. Follow her @openroadbotanicals
Dr. Nishek is a North Dakota native. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree from UND in 2006, a
Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine degree from Southwest College of
Naturopathic Medicine & Health Sciences in 2010 and her CLEC
Certification from the University of San Diego Extension in 2015. Dr.
Nishek offers naturopathic consultations to all ages and genders.
Her passions are helping couples overcome infertility, managing PCOS and other hormonal/menstrual cycle irregularities, from
puberty through menopause. She also provides acupuncture treatments and a
number of functional laboratory testing options to help navigate
hormone issues, digestive dysfunction, mood disorders, sleep disorders
and more.
Dr. Nishek is the mother of two wild and free children. Follow her at holisticndlife.com
Jennifer is a clinical and bioregional herbalist, educator, and founder
of Desert Moon Botanicals, a small-batch herbal apothecary and education
practice rooted in the Sonoran Desert. Her work is shaped by clinical
training, field study, ethical wild harvesting, and many years spent
learning from the plants and landscapes of Arizona.
Before
turning her focus to herbal medicine, she spent 30 years in corporate
Information Technology and served in the U.S. Army. Those experiences
continue to shape the practical, organized, and systems-minded way she
teaches. She completed her Western Herbalism training at the Southwest
Institute of Healing Arts under JoAnn Sanchez, RH, AHG, and continues
her education through mentorship, travel, fieldwork, and direct
observation of plants where they grow.
With home bases in the
Phoenix area and Northern Arizona, she works closely with native plants
of the Sonoran Desert and Arizona’s mountain regions while also studying
traditional and medicinal plants in other parts of the world, including
Hawaii and Australia. Whether teaching herbal medicine, leading plant
walks, or making small-batch remedies, she helps students build a more
grounded, hands-on relationship with plants and the natural world.
She
is an associate member of the American Herbalists Guild, a member of
the American Botanical Council and United Plant Savers. Follow her work @desertmoonbotanicals.
Stacy is an herbalist and grower with a degree in Sustainable
Agriculture devoted to the practice of growing medicine from the ground
up. Her work centers on the relationship between plant, soil, and
steward, guiding students through the full cycle of cultivation,
harvest, and preparation.
Based in the Arizona desert, she
specializes in growing in challenging climates, seed saving, and
transforming plants into meaningful, usable medicine, blending practical
skill with a deep respect for the land.
Natalija is a Holistic Healthcare Practitioner, Clinical Herbalist, and
Herbal Medicine Educator with over 20 years of experience in natural
healing and integrative wellness. She holds a degree in Holistic
HealthCare, completed in 2011, which included a Western Herbalism
certification under the mentorship of JoAnn Sanchez. Her formal training
also includes yoga teacher training, nutritional coaching, and Reiki
Master/Teacher certification.
Natalija’s professional modalities
include clinical herbalism, herbal medicine education and formulation,
yoga and meditation instruction, Reiki Master/Teacher training,
nutritional support, and facilitation of private ceremonies and guided
journeys. She brings extensive experience in both clinical practice and
teaching, with a strong emphasis on plant medicine, embodied healing,
and whole-person care.
Rebecca is the founder of Descendant Botanicals where she runs a small
herbal nursery, makes herbal tea blends, & teaches about herbal
gardening & sustainable living practices. She offers holistic
consultations and provides herbal seedlings to her local community.
With
a background in sustainability and agriculture, she is focused on
creating a platform that encourages more herb farmers and growers,
protects native and endemic plant species, and teaches about the deep
connection and relationships possible when growing and preparing herbal
plants.
While Bailey is from the Pacific Northwest & has always had a close
connection with the natural world, she officially started her plant
journey in 2018 when she moved to Arizona to attend Southwest Institute
of Healing Arts where she received an associate's degree in holistic
health with a focus in herbalism.
She believes this innate wisdom of
working with plants resides within all of us and it's just a matter of
finding our ways back to it.
Simply put she is just another individual
observing, learning, & following her passions to influence change
through being a vessel for these plants.
Bailey loves every aspect of herbalism but specially creating kitchen
medicine and finding fun ways to add plants to our everyday lives
through food and drinks, growing herbs, and working with clients 1 on 1.
You can follow along her journey on her Instagram @rootedremembrance
Juli Burdette is a song leader, seasoned yoga teacher, community herbalist and sound artist who is passionate about creating spirit-led, nature- inspired musical experiences with community.
She is the creator of VOCA, a devotional exploration that supports womyn in deepening their relationship with their voices. She believes life is a school for the soul and authentic expression helps every being remember the Love that they are.
Although she pursued civil engineering as her first career, the plants continued to call to her. Unhappy as an engineer, she changed career paths to become a docent at the Desert Botanical Gardens in Phoenix.
Falling in love with the desert landscape sent her on a path of pursuing a graduate degree in Landscape Architecture at the University of Arizona in Tucson. After graduating with an MLA in 2009, Kimberly moved to build a life and a family with her husband on 4 acres in the high desert near Bisbee, AZ.
While living here and starting a small homestead garden, she tumbled even deeper in love with herbs. She started to explore making teas, tinctures, skincare and more with the herbs she was growing and wildcrafting.
Kimberly created her botanical wellness business, Joyful Roots, in 2010 which began by serving her local community and beyond with herbal products and education. Tending to the plants in this way called her deeper into herbalism. She began her clinical herbalism path with the School of Evolutionary Herbalism’s Vitalist Practitioner Program, which she completed in 2022. She has continued her education and mentorship by learning from many skilled herbalists.
Kimberly is a member of United Plant Savers and The American Herbalist's Guild.
Since about 2020, I have studied herbs, flowers, and trees; plant energetics; ethical wildcrafting; and creating herbal remedies. I feel that I have a very special connection and communication with plants – sometimes they'll call me off the trail – they are my true teachers.
As a shamanic practitioner, I am walking the “beauty path,” building my studies, holding ceremonial space, and working with powerful plant allies. Additionally, I actively and passionately teach and practice embodied yoga, breathwork, and meditation with a beautiful community.
