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, 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 plants both organically/regeneratively grown and sustainably wildcrafted here in WA & OR. 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

Hi! I’m Marika.

While the definition of bioregional herbalist means something different for everyone, to me it means that my practice as an herbalist is inseparable from the Pacific Northwest through generational ties, my relationships with farmers, and most importantly, my personal relationship to this land through farming, foraging, stewardship, and so much more.

I’ve lived in Washington State my entire life. As a child, I followed the paths my dad and our dogs made through the brush as we hunted for pheasant, and most days after school spent hours along the banks of the Skykomish River. My dad didn’t teach me much about plants (well, except maybe that one time he fell in a patch of nettles and was very upset about it), but he gave me something even more precious - an unconditional devotion to the natural world.

As I grew up, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. I started college in Ellensburg, then dropped out and started farming. There, I worked on farms, started a small farm with a few of my friends, and even opened & managed a farm-to-table cafe. In 2014 I began my herbal journey, which started with long walks in the foothills learning about medicinal plants with my son Ozzy (who was at that time 2 years old).

After some big shifts that took me out of Ellensburg and back into the city, I decided to go back to school and finish my degree. In 2018, I graduated from the University of Washington with an interdisciplinary degree in Environmental Studies & Sciences. I focused on a few areas of study, including Pacific Northwest ecology, sustainability practices, and local food systems.

I tried for a number of years to get a “job in my field”, all the while continuing to work on farms throughout the Snoqualmie River Valley, Skagit River Valley, and outside of Bellingham, WA. My experiences ranged from working on small farms and big farms, mushroom farms and vegetable farms, LOTS of farmers markets, and even plowing fields with oxen.

In 2020, I started my business (then called Energetic Ecology) and created a framework for healing that drew from my ancestral lines in Japan and my ties with nature here in Washington State - I called it “ecological embodiment”. This allowed me to deepen my herbal studies as well, and in 2021 I completed the Vitalist Herbal Practitioner Program from the Evolutionary School of Herbalism with Sajah Popham. Other educational influences on my herbal practice include Michael Moore, Matthew Wood, and Paul Bergner. In 2025 I began formally selling my herbal goods at the Ballard Farmers Market.

Education & Academics

In 2018, Marika graduated from the University of Washington with a Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies in Environmental Science & Studies.

  • 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

Other Fun Stuff

  • 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