This interview with Gerda Holzmann is part of a series of interviews with women who feel as connected to nature as I do. Here, I speak with different women about their approach to nature and life.

Live your wild nature & strengthen your wild nature!

Please introduce yourself and tell us a bit about yourself and your background?

I grew up on a farm at over 900 meters above sea level in the Waldviertel (Lower Austria) on the border with the Mühlviertel (Upper Austria). I have 4 sisters and, in the sibling order, hold the position of the middle child. Our lives were strongly shaped by the cycle of nature, which we experienced firsthand as children while helping out in the fields and meadows. I developed a strong bond with our animals, I loved climbing trees, and I always especially looked forward to the Midsummer bonfire in the village. I am very grateful to have grown up so connected to nature and down-to-earth.

However, herbal knowledge was not part of my childhood and youth. My grandma's "cure-alls" were limited to calendula ointment, arnica tincture, and lemon balm spirit. (Sometimes that's all you need ;) There was no one else in my family who was familiar with traditional herbal healing knowledge. As a middle child, I enjoy filling gaps. And this gap later magically attracted me. I bought my first herbal book after careful financial consideration during my studies. It was an eye-opener for me and like a bible. Soon after, I pursued further training as a certified energetic practitioner and later as a certified wild herb guide.

Where are you from?

The Waldviertler Hochland is my birthplace and chosen home. I spent my teenage years at a secondary school in Krems/Donau. In my early twenties, I studied in Vienna. 

At 25, I moved back to the Waldviertel. I realized early on that my soul needs nature. Every day.

What is your profession?

I have a bachelor's degree in anthropology. Before herbs captivated me, I devoted my attention entirely to humans and their nature. During my studies, I was particularly fascinated by bodily functions and everything related to human history and our roots. The scientific approach to nature is an important foundation for me. I supplement this foundation in my knowledge transfer with traditional lore and intuition :) 

Have you always been interested in nature and herbs?

In nature in general, yes, but in herbs only a bit later. 

You work with herbs and wild herbs - why do you do that?

I was always a sickly child. That's why I came into contact with alternative medicine and energetic methods early on. Even as a teenager, it was clear to me that I wanted to get training in that area someday. I wanted to take charge of my health care myself and understand what I needed to feel healthy. Frankly, herbs were love at second sight for me. During my biology studies, I began training as a holistic kinesiologist. As energetic remedies, we often used nutritional supplements. I felt the need to connect energetics with something that felt more alive to me. When I stumbled across Dr. Dieter Schaufler's herbal course online, I knew immediately - that's it! On the first day of the course, I entered the room and immediately felt like I was in the right place.

How did you decide to share your knowledge?

It is very important to me to highlight the value and properties of local wild herbs at every available opportunity. We have very powerful plants on our doorsteps. In my opinion, they deserve more attention and space in gardens again. Common plants like nettles, dandelions, or yarrow can easily compete with imported and typified superfoods and medicinal plants in some properties. To draw attention to the treasures that grow right under our noses, which are so important to us, I gladly share my knowledge and experience. I like to quote Walther Rathenau:

"The most beautiful and wonderful thing is the simplest."

What do you like about giving workshops on the topic of nature?

When I notice that the spark of enthusiasm has jumped over. And when I manage to get ground elder skeptics to taste the plant after my love song :)

I offer wild herb walks in the Waldviertel region. I create online courses and live webinars. My favorite topics are traditional herbal knowledge, smudging, and the annual cycle festivals. I often hear that my knowledge transfer is perceived as very down-to-earth, with a dose of humor, garnished with a pinch of nature spirituality.

What does a "normal" day look like for you?

By no means as romantic as one might imagine for a herbalist. I juggle my position as head of quality management at SONNENTOR, my events and individual energetic sessions at GrünKraft, and my work as a lecturer at the Mauritiushof Naturakademie. I am also section head of the Wild Herb Guide and Nature Energetics sections of the Austrian Society for Animal-Assisted and Nature-Assisted Therapy and voluntarily organize a monthly regional market in Arbesbach (my home community). Together with my husband and in-laws, I care for 4 cats, 7 chickens, and 4 beehives, a garden, and a field.

That sounds like a lot, and yes, it is :). Nevertheless, everything comes together under the umbrella of a nature-oriented and down-to-earth lifestyle. That is my motivation. And the fruits that emerge from my many activities.

Do you enjoy being in nature?

I feel truly at home in nature. I can switch off and quickly get back to the essentials in life when my mind gets too busy again. 

Do you have a special favorite place or power spot - where do you like to be the most?

I prefer to be by rivers in the forest. The Kamp, a small river known for its reddish color, flows near us. In some places, the river washes around granite rocks that you can climb and enjoy the sound of the water. The Höllfall near Arbesbach is such a place. I can walk there from my village. I call the path my personal pilgrimage.

Do you have a recipe for us that even "unpracticed" people can easily replicate and that supports our natural health?

My favorite herbal recipe is sour honey (Oxymel). Since I'm a hobby beekeeper, I can also use my own honey with this recipe. For me, a sour honey with fir tips tastes most exciting.

Sour honey, also called oxymel, is a drink full of herbal power with harmoniously balanced sweetness and acidity from honey and apple cider vinegar. This ultimate tonic has been known since antiquity.

Since childhood, I have been prone to respiratory illnesses. They usually drag on for a while. I can't take syrup for more than 3 days, as my stomach protests. I can take a fir tip sour honey as an alternative to fir tip syrup for weeks.

Recipe
When collecting fir tips, please note: Never collect too many from one branch and only collect from mature trees over 3m high! Otherwise, you would affect the growth of young trees. Precisely because you don't need large quantities for a sour honey, this recipe is very suitable for processing fir tips.

Ingredients
0.5l natural cloudy apple cider vinegar
1 kg honey
2 handfuls of fir tips (from spruce, fir or pine)

Preparation
Mix the apple cider vinegar with the honey until it has completely dissolved. Loosely place the fir tips in a jar. Pour the vinegar mixture over them to the rim. Close the jar and let it sit on the windowsill for 6 weeks. Shake regularly. Then strain into bottles.
Fir tip sour honey is soothing for coughs and colds. It strengthens you from within. Take 1 tablespoon 3 times daily pure or dilute it with 1/8l of water.

Nature, herbs, but also sustainability and organic are very much "in vogue" now - why do you think that is?

We live in a highly technical and fast-paced society. We consume non-stop and are slowly realizing that it doesn't fulfill us sustainably. The effects of our lifestyle on nature are also becoming increasingly obvious. Environmental pollution, persistent chemicals in our clothing, on our fields, in our means of transport, and climate change are constant companions. People who want to maintain the balance in nature know that it must be done differently and can be done differently.

Nature is intelligent; we can learn from it and work with it. The step FORWARD into a more modest way of life that leaves fewer negative traces in our environment and worldwide is the smart path, which ultimately means "survival."

The exploitative actions of the richest countries in the world are currently developing, in my opinion, into an evolutionary dead end.

Those who want to live in harmony with nature, with the smallest possible footprint (not just CO2), are already evolving. 

In my opinion, we should question the term "sustainability" as often as possible, because here too we often have quick superficial solutions for our conscience, without questioning the overall impact that the production of "sustainable" products has on the entire environment. Or how durable and recyclable products are. For example: Is a newly produced T-shirt made of organic cotton more sustainable than an ordinary T-shirt from a second-hand store that can still be worn for 3 years?

I don't know the answer to these questions either, my solution is to reduce my consumption of new products as much as possible, and to use already produced goods, even if they are not considered "sustainable," for as long as they last. I've had my smartphone for at least 6 years. I buy my clothes mostly second-hand (regardless of brand). I wash aluminum foil if I get food wrapped in it, I prefer plastic bags to paper bags because they last longer and are produced with much less resource consumption. And I've been driving the same small car for 10 years with 5l / 100 km and I will drive it until it rusts out from under me (which has unfortunately already started ;))

Why is there also a longing in us to be more connected with nature and to simply live?

We humans are part of nature. It has been scientifically proven that we can relax particularly well in the forest. That the chirping of birds or the sound of the sea or a stream calms us. That looking at greenery or a campfire significantly reduces stress levels. All elements that are evolutionarily anchored within us. Nature is our home. The longing for nature could therefore perhaps also be interpreted as "homesickness."

You can find more about Gerda Holzmann at gruene-kraft.at. She is also the author of 2 books that you can find here in her shop. Gerda is also on Instagram.

 

You can find more interviews about great women and their connection to nature here:

Karin from Naturspirit
Stephanie from Atempause
Susanne from Naturzauberwerke
Tina from die Kräutermacherei
Melanie from Mint
Anja from Gänseblümchen & Sonnenschein
Andrea from Fermentista
Andrea from Yoga Cuisine
Marlies from Quendelgrün
Christine from Textpoterie
Doris from Made with Love
Alex from Die Kräutermadame
Bianca from Naturespiritauraspray
Gerda from Grüne Kraft
Judith from Seelenzauber