Carla Madden · Bay Area, CA
Explorer of inner and outer landscapes.
Areas of Practice
Field Work
Training across alpine, desert, bog and riparian ecosystems. Fieldwork spanning California's bioregions, Western North America, and beyond. Hands-on identification, ethical harvesting, sustainable regenerative practices and wilderness medicine. Grounded knowledge taught by elders and experts.
Botanical Identification · Wilderness Medicine · Ecological Research · Conservation · Restoration
Product Formulation
Small-batch formulation of teas, body care, medicinal, and culinary products. Knowing what a formula needs and what is missing. Custom collaborations with cafes, natural medicine/food producers, and chefs. Available to develop something unique or troubleshoot what isn't working.
Herbal Medicine Formulation · Tea Blending · Product Development · Culinary Partnerships
Clinic + Community
Health consultations, education, and ethical counsel. Informing individuals and groups about local, medicinal, edible, and culturally significant plants. Workshops and seminars about growing and sustaining the health of ecosystems.
Herbal Consultations · Community Health · Plant Education · Ethnobotany · Ethics
Writing + Research
Twenty years of professional writing and research, now focused on the living world. Article commissions, ethnobotanical research, and collaborations with ethical organizations who communicate with depth.
Nature Writing · Ethnobotany · Brand Stories · Research · Field Documentation
Land + Garden
Medicinal garden planning, urban farming, forest stewardship and habitat restoration. Can assess existing land and advise on plant and fungi identification, sustainable harvesting and maintenance.
Land Analysis · Forest Restoration · Sustainable Harvesting · Medicinal Gardens
One-on-one herbal medicine consultations focused on nervous system support and mental health. Workshops on foraging, propagation, plant identification, and native plant ethnobotany. Maintain an apothecary of 100+ dried herbs, tinctures, and oils. Formulate and produce teas, body care, medicines, culinary products for cafes and collaborations.
Senior Spice Associate
Culinary sales for high-volume spice supplier. Advised on organoleptics, flavor pairings, sourcing, and history of international ingredients. Maintained store inventory of 300+ SKUs.
Volunteer Gardener
Maintained a living collection of toxic plant species for public education and agricultural safety. Identification, proper handling and maintenance of noxious species in various stages of growth.
Wilderness Herbal Medic
Co-worked in a group medical tent with volunteer physicians and herbalists at a backcountry gathering of 20,000+ attendees. Provided wound and psychological care, herbal formulations, and acute health incident management in a remote, off-grid setting.
Botanical Identifier & Harvester
Hands-on apprenticeship in sustainable harvesting, regenerative herb farming, and plant identification. Engaged with herb buyers and growers, and conducted quality inspections for correct species identification, medicinal content, and drying techniques.
Twenty years of creative direction for global brands and agencies. Full resume available on request.
Available for consultations, collaborations, commissions, and speaking. Based in the Bay Area, open to remote projects.
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