Meet Marika

Hi! My name is Marika Clymer and I am a bioregional herbalist who resides in Snohomish County, Washington. I am a fifth-generation Pacific Northwesterner, daughter of a woodsman, farmer, and perpetual student of our region’s ecology, its plants, and inhabitants. If you’d like to learn more about what being a “bioregional herbalist” means to me, my business name “The Woodsman’s Daughter”, and my experience as an herbalist and more, I have so much to share with you below!

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About Bioregional Herbalism

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What sets “bioregional herbalism” apart from other herbal practices?

Ecological Embodiment

Society may have removed itself from the land, but the land is still within all of us. Ecological embodiment is about nurturing these relationships with the ecology around us. I believe that most of our physical/emotional/spiritual imbalances can be remedied with the plants that nurture a vibrant ecosystem here in the Pacific Northwest. Plants for people who share the same land. Instead of sourcing herbs from all around the world, I primarily work with wild-harvested plants in WA & OR and plants from local, organic and/or regenerative certified farms. On a more emotional/spiritual level, I have developed the framework of “ecological embodiment” as a way of describing a process of somatic/energetic resonance between our bodies and the land through intentional, mindful practices.

Land Stewardship

While I may not be as experienced & knowledgeable as the Indigenous communities that have managed our abundant Northwest ecosystem for thousands of years, I am just as invested in the health of this land, for myself, my community, and our future generations. Working with regenerative wild-harvesting practices, we can not only replenish what we harvest, but make the land more abundant than before. With many years experience in organic farming, a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Science, over a decade of wild-harvesting experience, and a father who taught me about our responsibility to take care of public lands, I do my best to foster a relationship of reciprocity with the land through wild-harvesting and growing on my property in Snohomish County, as well as working with farms that do an incredible job of land stewardship themselves.

Harnessing the Essence of Seasonality, Time, and Place

As my homepage’s headline states - “It’s not just the plants that heal us, it’s the land”. For me, being a bioregional herbalist means capturing moments in time that are held in place. Each plant, from each specific harvest area, in each particular season, holds an energetic imprint of that place that is reflected in the plant itself. As particular plants become available throughout the year, they reflect the continuing cycles of the Earth, and the energetics of place & time. For example, yarrow harvested in the Central Cascades in early summer at the perfect moment, just after blooming, has distinct chemical constituents/arrangement of medicinal compounds, tastes, and energetic qualities opposed to yarrow grown commercially, or even yarrow growing west of the Cascades. This more ineffable, unmeasurable quality of “the medicine of time & place” is held in reverence at every stage of medicine-making.

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About Your
Herbalist

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Marika Clymer

Education & Academics

In 2018, Marika graduated from the University of Washington with a Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies in Environmental Science & Studies, focusing on restoration ecology, ecology, and sustainable agriculture/local food systems.

  • Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences | Environmental Science & Studies | University of Washington | 2018

  • Community-Based Practice in Sustainable Agriculture at 21 Acres Farms and Marra Farm | University of Washington | 2017-2018

  • Environmental Justice and Sustainable Development | University of Washington | 2016

  • Pollinator Diversity and Conservation | University of Washington | 2018

  • Conservation and Sustainable Development | University of Washington | 2018

  • Restoration Ecology | University of Washington | 2017

  • Biodiversity Conservation | University of Washington | 2017

Herbal Studies

Agriculture & Outdoor Recreation

  • Raft & Hiking Guide | Outdoor Pursuits & Rentals, Ellensburg WA | 2011-2013

  • Farmhand | Riverfarm Organic Produce, Ellensburg WA | 2013

  • Cafe Manager & Farmhand | Robinson Canyon Farm & Cafe, Ellensburg WA | 2014-2016

  • Agricultural Mycologist/Production Crew | SnoValley Mushrooms, Duvall WA | Cascadia Mushrooms, Bellingham WA | 2018-2020

  • Farmer’s Market Lead | Nature’s Last Stand Farm, Fall City WA | 2017-2021, 2023-Present