Botanical organizations and herb enthusiasts across the country celebrated HerbDay on May 1, 2010, through diverse demonstrations and events—and the American Botanical Council (ABC) was certainly no exception.

A group of over 50 attendees, mostly consisting of Central Texas herbalists, gathered at the ABC headquarters in Austin, Texas to learn from renowned herbalist, teacher, and author Christopher Hobbs. Hobbs led an extensive herb walk through ABC’s medicinal gardens and later held a lecture on herbal formulas. His participation was sponsored by Rainbow Light Nutritional System, a company with which he has been associated for over 20 years.

In the afternoon, ABC’s new Ayurvedic garden—sponsored by Nature’s Formulary, Organix-South, and Professor Ikhlas Khan, PhD, of the University of Mississippi—was dedicated by Mark Blumenthal, ABC founder and executive director. Representatives of Nature’s Formulary and Organix-South attended the dedication.

Refreshing herbal teas were supplied to all attendees by Zhi Tea and Pukka Tea. 

“This was my first HerbDay to plan and put together,” said Rebecca Petee, ABC’s new education coordinator. “I was very pleased with the turnout from our community and the support of the local herbalists. I look forward to next year’s HerbDay celebration, as well as offering the local Central Texas regional community more educational events throughout the seasons.”

“HerbDay is an opportunity for people to celebrate the regeneration of plants—both medicinal and ornamental—in the spring, as well as to appreciate the many varied benefits that they have provided to humans for millennia,” said ABC’s Blumenthal.

“We have inherited an abundance of wisdom and lore from our ancestors on the ways that plants can contribute to our lives,” he continued. “The traditional and scientifically documented uses of herbs are part of the collective birthright we’ve inherited from our ancestors, and HerbDay is an opportunity to stop and pay homage to the plants which have nurtured and healed us.”

Although past HerbDays have been celebrated in October, the event was moved this year to May 1. The move was in recognition that in many parts of the country, a larger variety of herbs grows in the spring than in the fall.

HerbDay is a national event that was initiated in 2006. HerbDay was started and is coordinated by the HerbDay Coalition, a group of 5 herb organizations in the United States: ABC, the American Herbalists Guild, American Herbal Pharmacopoeia, the American Herbal Products Association, and United Plant Savers. More information is available at www.herbday.org.