We serve to empower people to take charge of their own health! About Us
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Mission
The Dandelion Seed Collective is a community-based organization in Olympia, WA. Our mission is to encourage holistic health on a personal, ecological, and community level.
We aim to do this by:
- Offering resources and support for people to make informed, individual health choices;
- Strengthening the relationship between people and plants;
- Working to reinstate herbal knowledge as common public knowledge.
We encourage people to take charge of their own health through individual health consultations, herbal education, and facilitating access to community health resources.
We aim to foster and strengthen the connection between people and local plants for individual and ecological health and resilience. Through community garden projects, plant walks and other educational endeavors we help create a symbiotic partnership between people and nature and cultivate a strong connection to place.
Through creative and comprehensive community education, we aim to make herbal knowledge practical, accessible and available as common public knowledge. Ultimately, we envision a culture that values health and empowerment through safe and effective use of herbal medicine on an individual, family, and community level.
Our Projects
Olympia Free Herbal Clinic
We Offer:
- personalized health consultations
- natural remedies
- educational workshops
- in-house reference library
- resources and referrals to other low/no-cost health services
- no-cost or sliding scale appointments with practitioners of alternative medicine
We do not discriminate based upon age, citizenship status, physical or mental ability, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, income level, housing status, substance use, religion, marital status, race, national origin, language, clothing, criminal history, education, medical history, parental status, or lifestyle choices.
Other Important Information
Herbal medicine can be extremely beneficial in acute situations, but it is especially suited to chronic conditions and supporting body systems rather than simply alleviating symptoms.
We are not doctors. We are not licensed to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. While we are stocked with basic first aid and do have some training, we are not an emergency room. We will do everything within our ability to provide support during urgent situations, but your medical needs may at times be beyond the scope of our capabilities.
Community Education Program
Over the years, we have taught in a number of community venues, including:
- CIELO (a Latino Community and education center in Olympia)
- Gig Harbor Women’s Prison
- Stonewall Youth (an organization of youth, activists, and allies that empowers lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, questioning, intersex, and asexual youth)
- Safeplace (the only advocacy agency and confidential shelter for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in Thurston County)
- The Evergreen State College
The subjects taught are usually basic herbal medicine and self-care. We estimate that we have served about 500 people through our education efforts. As a non-profit, we hope to expand this portion of the project, as we are not currently able to keep up with the demand for classes.
Medicine Garden
In cooperation and collaboration with an herb farming collective in Northwest Olympia, we maintain a medicinal herb garden, which has been run by collective members and other volunteers. The garden is intended as a teaching tool for the general community to learn about growing, harvesting, and preparing herbal medicine. We would like to provide workshops in the garden, as well as offer volunteer and internship opportunities. The garden currently contains over 100 species of medicinal plants, including many varieties native to this bioregion.
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