A climate action evanston program
Plants native to Evanston
speaker series
@ Chanchal Cabrera

The Foraged Pharmacy

Wednesday
May 20, 2026
6:30 pm
-
8:00 pm
Zoom
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(No in-person option)

About our topic

Wild Weeds in the Apothecary and the Kitchen - from chickweed pesto to chickweed ointment, explore nature's abundant harvest for food and medicine. 


So many of the plants you pull out as weeds, maybe throw in the compost or feed to the chickens, can actually be delicious foods or powerful medicines. Stinging nettle, chickweed, cleavers, burdock, lambs quarters, horsetail are familiar garden pests that you can learn to love and appreciate. Working with weeds means following the seasons, getting to know the local flora, being able to harvest your own food and medicine, and weaving them together so that you can eat your medicine. 

In this illustrated talk we will join a medical herbalist to explore the wild weeds beneath our feet, and to learn to use them safely for sustenance and healing.

About the speaker

Chanchal Cabrera MSc,FNIMH, RH is a medical herbalist in clinical practice for over 40 years with a specialty in holistic oncology. She is the author of Fibromyalgia: A Journey towards Healing and her latest book Holistic Cancer Care: An Herbal Approach to Preventing Cancer, Helping Patients Thrive during Treatment, and Minimizing the Risk of Recurrence, was published in April 2023. She held the faculty chair in Botanical Medicine at the Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine in New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada 2004-2016, and she publishes widely in professional journals and lectures internationally on medical herbalism, nutrition and health.

Chanchal is also a certified Shinrin Yoku (forest bathing) practitioner, a certified Master Gardener and a certified Horticulture Therapist. Chanchal lives on Vancouver Island, British Columbia where she and her husband manage Innisfree Farm and Botanic Garden, a 7 acre internationally registered botanic garden specializing in food and medicine plants, and where they host apprenticeships in sustainable food production and herbal medicine. The farm also hosts Gardens without Borders, a federally registered not-for-profit society established to run the botanic garden and provide horticulture therapy. www.chanchalcabrera.com

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Sponsored by Natural Habitat Evanston

We are an all-volunteer community group of about 1,500 members, spreading the word on creating habitat for insects, birds, and other wildlife. We aim to change the culture of lawns: leaving your leaves is the simplest first step; the second step is adding a native shrub or tree to shrink your lawn. We show how to transition from turf with low-cost cardboard methods, which keystone native plants to choose, that insects chewing on leaves is a ‘win’ (don't reach for pesticide), how turning off unnecessary lights saves insects and birds (and human health), and how to make your windows bird-friendly (because if you are going to invite birds to your yard, give them safe passage). We plant a lot of native trees and shrubs, especially at schools, parks and in the 2nd and 5th Wards. We encourage people to think outside the lawn with No Mow May. Our Pollinator Pledge is a central focus of all our outreach and education, and a great way to spread the word to your neighbors.
Natural Habitat Evanston is a program of Climate Action Evanston.

Co-sponsored by Edible Evanston

Edible Evanston’s mission is to increase local food growing and sharing throughout Evanston and build a culture of community where this is a shared value. Our focus is on a regenerative agricultural approach, prioritizing the connections in nature and soil health while feeding our community of people. Edible Evanston helps people in the community gain experience and knowledge about food gardening of all types and share what they grow with those in need. We have a permaculture-based food forest in Eggleston Park. We collect produce from community gardeners, home gardeners and our own food forest and donate it to food pantries. We do education, programs and outreach about critical issues like soil health, organic growing techniques, agroforestry, etc. Edible Evanston is a program of Climate Action Evanston.
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