Staff Spotlight + Herb Corner: Helene Recovery

Eliza Rose stands outside the medic station at the old firehouse mutual aid hub on 10/20/24.

As we enter a new year, reflections abound. We'd like to share a reflection from one our staff members, Client Relations Specialist, Field Staff and Herbalist Eliza Rose Laubach, who supported recovery from Hurricane Helene.
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When Hurricane Helene swept through these hills, my world forever changed, as it was for so many. I live in Barnardsville, a small town outside of Asheville that was hit very hard from both wind and flooding. Thankfully my house sustained minimal damage. After a few days tending to damage done on the property where I live, I soon joined the many bewildered, grief-stricken and yet resilient, caring hearts who were meeting daily in the center of town at the post office, and then at the old firehouse across the street, to be the first hub for community-led central communication and supplies post-storm.

We collectively organized ourselves to go out into the valley and check on people, organize spring water access, cook community meals and manage chest freezer thaw, chainsaw and tree work, and form work groups to repair damages. A smattering of nurses, medics, community health workers and herbalists gathered to organize a first aid station and field operations for wellness and missing person checks. I was a part of that group, collaborating on organizing medical donations, directing crews of practitioners to go out on 4x4 ATVs through impassable roads, and tending to first aid and medical needs as word of our field clinic spread.

The mutual aid hub evolved constantly to meet emergent needs, thanks to the collaboration of the old firehouse building owner and a plethora of volunteers, many of whom had long-standing relationships from living in the same mountain valley together. The medics had their own room to set up, where we had a fully stocked medic and herbal first aid station. Working at Healing Roots Design, you can guess I’ve got a big place in my heart for plants. I am also a clinical herbalist, having recently completed a two year clinical training program with Vermont Center for Integrative Herbalism.

Within a week, I was toting down a box full of bottles of herbal medicine, along with dosage bottles, to support my Barnardsville neighbors, fellow mutual aid hurricane relief workers, and anyone else who came into our first aid clinic. We were open every day for three weeks. Within that time, we began to take in donations of herbal medicine sent from herbalists in other regions, and set up a self-serve table outside our medic room. After three weeks, myself and a fellow local medic and herbalist who had been helping out, CoreyPine Shane of Blue Ridge School of Herbal Medicine, decided to form an herbal pop up clinic twice a week through November to offer out to the community the herbal donations now rolling in, as well as individualized consultations.

In this time I gained invaluable clinic, community health and herbalism experience working with a variety of emergent and existing health concerns. This project fulfilled a vision I have long held: accessible, free health support and care for the whole person. While we have slowed down to several times a month during the winter, the Barnardsville Free Herb Clinic continues to support people still impacted in Hurricane Helene’s wake, in collaboration with the newly formed Appalachian Herb Collective, where we share donations and organize events region-wide.

If you are interested in an herbal consultation, I am happy to offer that support to Healing Roots Design customers. We can also explore native species we could plant to further support your health goals. This is available as an add-on during the design process, or as part of a Stewardship plan! Reach out if you would like to add this care to your landscaping package!

~ Eliza Rose Laubach
Healing Roots Design Client Relations Specialist/Field Staff and Herbalist

Eliza Rose and CoreyPine Shane collaborate on a consultation for a Barnardsville resident in the old firehouse mutual aid hub on 10/30/24.