Producer
Leaning Tree Tales LLC
Address: PO Box 776293 Steamboat Springs, Co, 80477
Phone: 970-846-5483
About Us
Mary and Karen:
Mary O’Brien has been working with plants in some form for most of her adult life. Studying and practicing herbal medicine since 1987, she has studied with many renowned teachers like Rosemary Gladstar, Brigitte Mars and Michael Moore in addition to completing the Chartered Herbalist program with Dominion Herbal College. For over 20 years she has lived in Steamboat Springs, where she teaches herbal medicine, leads medicinal herb walks, makes herbal products for local distribution through her business Black Bear Botanicals and maintains a medicinal garden for Yampa River Botanic Park. She is certified in advanced permaculture design and teaches throughout Colorado. Her emphasis is on using native, locally-grown plants and weeds for medicine and creating personal healing gardens.
Karen Vail, a Steamboat Springs native is the “go to” local resource for information on the area’s native plants. She holds a B.S. in Horticulture with a concentration in Botany from Colorado State University as well as a Master’s Degree in Gardening from the Royal Horticultural Society in England and a Master’s in Environmental Education from Antioch New England University. She has taught Botany at the local college and published two books, For the Joy of Wildflowers: Colorado Creations, and Yampa Valley Visions: Photography and Writing of a Yampa Valley Naturalist. Karen also co-published a video/DVD “A season of Wildflowers; The Rocky Mountains”. Vail owns and runs Karen’s Growing Ideas, a landscaping business, leads local wildflower walks, and teaches through local environmental education organization, Yampatika as well as a variety of other local venues.
Mary O’Brien has been working with plants in some form for most of her adult life. Studying and practicing herbal medicine since 1987, she has studied with many renowned teachers like Rosemary Gladstar, Brigitte Mars and Michael Moore in addition to completing the Chartered Herbalist program with Dominion Herbal College. For over 20 years she has lived in Steamboat Springs, where she teaches herbal medicine, leads medicinal herb walks, makes herbal products for local distribution through her business Black Bear Botanicals and maintains a medicinal garden for Yampa River Botanic Park. She is certified in advanced permaculture design and teaches throughout Colorado. Her emphasis is on using native, locally-grown plants and weeds for medicine and creating personal healing gardens.
Karen Vail, a Steamboat Springs native is the “go to” local resource for information on the area’s native plants. She holds a B.S. in Horticulture with a concentration in Botany from Colorado State University as well as a Master’s Degree in Gardening from the Royal Horticultural Society in England and a Master’s in Environmental Education from Antioch New England University. She has taught Botany at the local college and published two books, For the Joy of Wildflowers: Colorado Creations, and Yampa Valley Visions: Photography and Writing of a Yampa Valley Naturalist. Karen also co-published a video/DVD “A season of Wildflowers; The Rocky Mountains”. Vail owns and runs Karen’s Growing Ideas, a landscaping business, leads local wildflower walks, and teaches through local environmental education organization, Yampatika as well as a variety of other local venues.