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Classes & Events
2026 Medicinal Herb Garden Walks
Avena Botanicals' Gardens
Led by herbalist and Biodynamic gardener Deb Soule
Join herbalist and gardener Deb Soule in exploring the lush beauty of the medicinal herb gardens at Avena Botanicals in Rockport, Maine -- just a ten minute drive from the beautiful ocean coast. Deb is the author of the book The Healing Garden, an inspiring guide to herb gardening and crafting herbal remedies. She is the founder of Avena Botanicals, an herbal apothecary that grows ingredients for its artisanal herbal products in the gardens she began creating there decades ago.
In this delightful hour-long tour, Deb will invite you into the pollinator Sanctuary Garden, where you will learn about a variety of medicinal plants that you can add to your own garden for your own beneficial use. Many of these herbs are also of benefit to hummingbirds, bees, butterflies, and other pollinators.
We are offering only a few limited attendance herb walks in the summer of 2026. Please join us! Children ages four and under may attend the event for free. Adults and children ages 5 and older may buy a general admission ticket. No tickets will be sold at the gate on the day of the event.
Please limit your attendance to one garden walk per summer, to give others who are interested an opportunity to attend. Spaces are limited and tickets sell out each year.
If you appreciate our work, please also consider donating to support the pollinator Sanctuary Garden.
Event Dates:
- June 17 from 3-4 pm
- June 24 from 3-4 pm
- July 8 from 3-4 pm
- July 22 from 3-4 pm
- August 5 from 3-4 pm
- August 12 from 3-4 pm
** Advance tickets are required. **
A Journey Creating Sanctuary Gardens for Plants, Pollinators, and People
April 22, 6:45 - 8:00 pm
College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, Maine at CHE-202
Through a colorful slide show presentation, Deb will share who inspired her to begin gardening and studying medicinal plants while growing up in rural western Maine, how she came to be a student at College of the Atlantic, cross-cultural experiences with herbalists, and how in the late 1980s hummingbirds got her attention and have guided her gardening and medicine work for over 36 years. She will briefly talk about the trip poet Laura Brown-Lavoie took with her in the fall of 2022, following the migration of the Ruby-throated hummingbirds down the eastern seaboard to the Alabama coast, which included observing federally licensed bird banders for a day at the Gulf of Mexico. Deb will conclude with talking about the creation of Sanctuary gardens for pollinators and people on college campuses, libraries, public spaces, faith-based communities, and community gardens and farms; sharing a few easy to grow flowers which especially attract Ruby-throated hummingbirds, and why these sanctuary garden networks are needed more than ever. Her book Notes from the Hummingbird Corridor will be available for purchase.
Hummingbird Homecoming
May 8th, 2026 from 6:30 - 8:00 pm
Willow House, Avena Botanicals
Join herbalist Deb Soule at Avena Botanicals in the Willow House classroom for an informative and beautiful slideshow about growing flowers that attract hummingbirds. We will gather in celebration of these beloved pollinators as they return to our area, early to mid May.
Advance tickets required ($10). All proceeds from this event will be donated to the Northeast Hummingbird Sanctuary Gardens Network, an initiative led by the Herbal Hummingbird Hub.
Bird Walks
Avena Botanicals' Gardens
Join us for an immersive walk through Avena Botanicals' network of trails as we sharpen our observational skills to uncover the numerous species of birds that call midcoast Maine home and use it as a stopover during spring migration. All experience levels welcome. Advance tickets required. Two sessions are available:
Birding for Adults
May 9th, 2026 from 7:30 - 9:00 am
On this bird walk, we will discover what birds are dwelling within or migrating through Avena Botanicals' farm. We will also examine the vital ecological links between bird life and the local flora, illustrating how specific plant communities provide the essential fuel and shelter necessary for birds throughout the year. This walk is suitable for any level of experience -- if you are a new birder, you will be joyfully welcomed. Bring binoculars, a notebook, and a bird book if you want; wear good sturdy walking shoes; we will provide herbal bug repellant (for a general audience who are able to walk on uneven woodland paths). Ticket price is $20/person.
Birding with Children and their Families
May 9th, 2026 from 10:00 - 11:00 am
Become a nature detective on this fun-filled stroll as we learn to spot colorful birds, listen to their songs, and explore their habitats: discovering the secret "bird-supermarkets" (native plants and insects) they depend on for food. We'll discover how every tree and flower plays a part in a bird's life, helping kids connect with the amazing outdoor world right in their backyard. (Family friendly). Ticket price is $5/young person up to age 14; Anyone over age 14: $15.
These bird walks will be led by Will Broussard, a lifelong birder, amateur mushroom hunter, and native plant enthusiast. He joined the Herbal Hummingbird Hub board in 2025 to help strengthen native plant corridors and hummingbird conservation in Maine and beyond. Will works at North Spore LLC, an urban mushroom farm, and sits on the board of Mid-Coast Audubon as well as the New Hampshire Rare Birds Committee.
Grow A Row of Calendula
May 9th, 2026 from 2:00 - 4:00 pm
Avena Botanicals
Come learn how to grow, harvest, and dry Calendula blossoms and make Calendula healing salves that will be donated to a few local non-profit projects serving immigrant farm workers and adults and children who have experienced domestic violence. Free. Advance registration is required and spaces are limited.
Weekly Morning Meditation
Fridays, May 22nd - September 18th, 2026 from 7:45 - 8:30 am
Avena Botanicals
Join us for a quiet meditation in Avena Botanicals' Sanctuary garden weekly on Fridays. Attend when you can. Come and leave quietly. For seasoned or new meditators. If the weather is cold or rainy. we will meet inside the Willow House classroom. Free. Donations to the garden welcome.
Summer Solstice Sacred Plant Initiation
June 20th, 2026 from 9:30 am - 7:00 pm
Avena Botanicals' Gardens
Join Lauren Valle and Deb Soule for an immersive full-day sacred plant initiation with the herb Lady's Mantle. This day is offered in Avena Botanicals' sanctuary garden as a retreat. It will end with a delicious and nourishing vegetarian meal.
Compassion in Crisis
June 29, 6:00 - 8:00 pm
Avena Botanicals' Gardens
Welcome authors of the newly released book, Compassion in Crisis, in Avena Botanicals' garden on June 29, 6:00 - 8:00 pm as they complete their cross-country book journey. They will share stories, answer questions, and engage with participants in an herbal mutual aid project. Hello Hello Books will be on-site to sell the book. Suggested donation $5.
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