First Year Program
An Introduction to The Art and Science of Herbal Medicine.


Year One Overview
ArborVitae offers a comprehensive professional foundational first year that runs from September to May. Students who complete their first year of study can expect to gain a basic understanding of herbal medicine with applications for friends and family.
Instruction includes a variety of traditional approaches to healing with a focus on western herbalism based on energetics, Vitalism, and the tissue state model to make up 394 classroom hours learning:
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Basic Herbalism
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Materia Medica
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Holistic Anatomy & Physiology
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Botany & Plant Identification
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Medicine Making
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Traditional Nutrition
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Wild Food
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First Aid
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Herbal Applications through Life-Cycles
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Energetic Assessment
Now accepting applications for the 2023-2024 school year
We are excited to announce that we will keep a portion of our classes online in order to accommodate varying needs. No more than half of the program will be online. In-person classes will meet in our New Paltz space as well as botany field trips in various locations.
Student Resources
YEAR ONE

Year One Schedule
2023-2024
(dates & times subject to change)
Weekdays: Online
Wednesdays 9a – 5p
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Sep 6, 20, 27
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Oct 4, 11, 18
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Nov 1, 8, 29 *Harvest break 11/13-11/27
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Dec 13 *Winter break 12/14-1/15
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Jan 17, 31
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Feb 7, 21, 28
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Mar 6, 13, 27
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Apr - TBD
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May - TBD
Weekends: 1 per month, in-person
Fridays 10:30a-6:30p, Saturdays 9a-5p, & Sundays 9a – 5p
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Sept 8-10
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Oct 20-22
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Nov 10-12
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Dec 1-3
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Jan 19-21
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Feb 9-11
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Mar 15-17
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Apr - TBD
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May - TBD
*April & May class dates to be determined once area school calendars are released