My name is Barbara Scavotto,  and I’ve lived in Northern Connecticut my entire life. My mother is an avid gardener and taught me how to grow flowers from a very young age. I remember the wonder of watching my sunflowers grow from seedlings to over 7 feet tall. My interest in herbs as medicine started when I worked at a veterinary clinic that focused on acupuncture and chiropractic,  and also used TCM formulas. I was fascinated by the formulas and how they worked. Several years later, our local herbalist offered a year-long course on Western herbs, which my husband surprised me with as a gift. That fueled my interest and passion in herbs. After completing a second Western herbal course, I knew I wanted to be a clinical herbalist. I spent several months researching programs that would provide the quality of education, which led me to East West. I signed up in November 2015 and the course has been exactly what I wanted and needed. I have been immersed ever since. I will attend my first seminar in April and will pursue my East West Herbalist certification, bringing me closer to my goal of opening my own practice as a clinical herbalist.

Last summer, my husband and I bought a new home that had beautiful but overgrown gardens. We have been bringing those gardens back to life, adding vegetables, nurturing native herbs, and adding some hardy Chinese herbs. I have learned so much about each plant by watching them grow throughout each season. Along with gardening, I love to hike –anything that brings me outside! I also love to bake, spend time with our rescued rabbit, Cinna, and make herbal and body care products for my business, AutumnTide Herbals.