How to make an herbal first aid kit

Peak Northwest

Making a first aid kit doesn’t have to mean buying tubes of pre-made ointments and salves, it can be as easy as harvesting plants from your own garden or from nature.

On this week’s episode of Peak Northwest, we talk to herbalists Madrone McCarthy and Tessa McKee, who teach people about the practices of healing wounds with plants.

Whether you have a cut, a burn or have wandered into a patch of poison oak, there’s a plant that can help you. Some are commonly found alongside the trail, making them very useful in a pinch, though most are easily grown in a backyard garden, and can be powdered or turned into salves and tinctures.

Here are some highlights from this week’s show:

• What exactly is herbal first aid?
• Yarrow is especially good at stopping bleeding, among other things.
• St. Johns Wort has many uses, including healing deep puncture wounds.
• Plantain is abundant in forests, and very useful for healing.
• How to turn plants into salves and tinctures.

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