EDUCATION
Middlesex University, London, United Kingdom
Master of Science in Western Herbal Medicine with distinction
Graduated June 2016
Dissertation: Selective inhibition of Propionibacterium acnes by Calendula officinalis: a potential role in acne treatment through modulation of the skin microbiome.

University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta
Exchange with Universiteit van Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Bachelor of Science in Botanywith distinction
Graduated June 2009


EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

Co-owner, 2019-present
ALCLA Native Plants
Offering: Alberta source-identified live plants (plugs) and seeds, consultation services for plant selection and educational services

Founder/Owner, 2016-present
Latifa’s Herbs
Offering: herbal medicine consultations, educational services, other consultation and artistic services related to identifying, processing, gathering, and growing plants

Guest Instructor, 2018-present
Full Circle Adventures, Turner Valley, AB
Workshop themes: edible wild plants, wild medicinal plants, first aid plants

Instructor, 2017-2019
Pacific Rim College, Victoria, BC
Courses: Botany/Horticulture, Ethics, Professional Practice, Herbal Therapeutics, Clinical Practice, Nutrition of Wild Plants

Teaching Assistant, 2014-2016
Middlesex University, London, UK
Course: Clinical Diagnostics

Field Technologist, 2012-2013
Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute, Vegreville, AB
Experience: plant and lichen specimen collection and identification

Teaching Assistant, 2010-2011
Académie de Corse, Bastia, Corsica, France
Course: English as a second language

Teaching Assistant, 2009-2010
Académie Sainte-Marie, Québec, Québec
Course: English as a second language

INTERNSHIPS

Student Union Intern, 2015-2016
Middlesex University, London, UK

Ecology Intern, 2011-2012
Northern Forestry Centre, Edmonton, AB

WORKSHOPS

  • Deciduous Tree ID, Online, VanDusen Botanical Garden, 2021, 2022
    Gardening with Native Plants, with ALCLA Native Plants, Online, Calgary Horticultural Society, 2021
    Attracting Native Pollinators and Wildlife, with ALCLA Native Plants, Online, the Nature Conservancy, 2021
    Propagating Native Plants, Online, Horticultural Centre of the Pacific, 2021
    Introduction to Native Plants, Master Gardener Program hosted by the Calgary Horticultural Society, 2021
    Native Plants for Alpine Gardens, with Ben Hartney (ALCLA Native Plants), Online, Calgary Rock and Alpine Garden Society, 2021
    Growing Native Plants, Online, Plant Study Group with the Alberta Native Plant Council, 2021
    Ethics of Wild Harvesting, Online, Horticutural Centre of the Pacific, 2021
    Stratifying Seeds for Spring, with ALCLA Native Plants, Online, Calgary Hortilcultural Society, 2021
    Tincture Making, Online, Light Cellar, 2020
    Edible Native Plants, with ALCLA Native Plants, Online, Calgary Horticultural Society, 2020
    Health Benefits of Herbs and Spices, Online, Cremona Community Engagement Site, 2020
    Starting Native Plants from Seed, with ALCLA Native Plants, Online & Live, Calgary Horticultural Society, 2020
    Propagating and Growing Native Plants, with ALCLA Native Plants, Online, Chinook Applied Research Association, 2020
    Wild Winter Plants for Stress and Anxiety, Light Cellar, Calgary, AB, 2020
    Pollinations and Wildlife, with Ben Hartney (ALCLA Native Plants), Unitarian Church (recipient of TD Bank community grant), Calgary, AB, 2020, Online, Cremona Community Engagement Site, 2020
    Wild Winter Plants for Optimal Digestion, Light Cellar, Calgary, AB, 2020
    Wild Winter Plants for Women’s Health, Light Cellar, Calgary, AB, 2020
    Rethinking invasives, UBC Farm, Vancouver, BC, 2019
  • What are lichens?, UBC Farm, Vancouver, BC, 2019
  • Sustainable Wild Harvesting, Royal Roads University, Victoria, BC, 2019
  • Chemical compounds of plants: from poisons to perfumes, VanDusen Botanical Gardens, Vancouver, BC, 2019
  • Introduction to Botany for Plant Identification, VanDusen Botanical Gardens, Vancouver, BC, 2019
  • Tree Medicine, The Light Cellar, Calgary, AB; The Purple Carrot, Lethbridge, AB; Noorish, Edmonton, AB; UBC Farm, Vancouver, BC, 2018, 2019
  • Tree Medicine: Discover the properties, benefits and how to make your own, Light Cellar, Calgary, AB, 2019
  • Planting Native Perennials in the Fall, Lee Valley Tools, Calgary, AB, 2019
  • Growing Native Perennials, Hort Week, Olds College, Olds, AB, 2019
  • Wild Food Foraging, through the Light Cellar, Kananaskis, AB, 2019
  • Herbs for Women’s Health, Purple Carrot Health Foods and Wellness, Lethbridge, AB, 2019
    Build Your Own Immune Tonic, Heart and Hands, Victoria, BC, 2019
  • Brush up on your Botany, VanDusen Botanical Gardens, Vancouver BC, 2019
  • Green Hand Salve for Gardeners, University of Victoria Community Garden, Victoria, BC, 2019
  • Healing Salve Workshop, Heart and Hands Health Collective, Victoria, BC, 2019
  • Foraging Winter Food Plants, Horticultural Centre of the Pacific, Victoria, BC, 2019
  • Edible and Medicinal Plants of Alberta, Calgary Public Library (50+ Lecture Series), Calgary, AB, 2017, 2018
  • Nutrition of Wild Plants, VanDusen Botanical Gardens, Vancouver, BC, 2018
  • Botany Basics for Gardeners, VanDusen Botanical Gardens, Vancouver, BC, 2018
  • Wild Food and Medicine Foraging and Preparation (in Kananaskis), The Light Cellar, Calgary, AB, 2018
  • Winter Plants for Food and Medicine, Lee Valley Tools, Calgary, AB, 2018
  • Edible and Medicinal Plants of Alberta, Kerby Centre, Calgary, AB, 2017, 2018
  • Build Your Own Immune Tonic, The Light Cellar, Calgary, AB, 2017, 2020
  • Edible and Medicinal Plants of Calgary, Lee Valley Tools, Calgary, AB, 2017
  • Reuniting with our Plant Allies, Inshala 10, Fort MacLeod, AB, 2017
  • Wild Plants for Better Health, Noorish, Edmonton, AB, 2017
  • Edible and Medicinal Plants of Alberta, Greenwood Neighborhood Place, Sundre, AB, 2017
  • Edible and Medicinal Plants of Alberta, Henday Association of Lifelong Learning, Innisfail, AB, 2017
  • St. John’s Wort for Mild to Moderate Depression, Central Library, Calgary, AB, 2017
  • Soothing Chickweed Cream, Calgary, AB, 2017
  • Learning Plant Communication: A Goethean Study of Uva-Ursi, The Light Cellar, Calgary, AB, 2017
  • Dry Skin Solutions: Complex Cream Making, Calgary, AB, 2017
  • Learning Plant Communication: A Goethean Study of Usnea, The Light Cellar, Calgary, AB, 2017
  • Making Wild Berry Cold & Flu Syrup, Calgary, AB, 2017
  • Learning Plant Communication: A Goethean Study of White Spruce, The Light Cellar, Calgary, AB, 2017
  • Making infused oil, ointments and simple creams with wild plants, Calgary, AB, 2016
  • Learning Plant Communication: A Goethean Study of Juniper, The Light Cellar, 2016
  • White Spruce: Harvesting & Preparing Winter Medicine, Kananaskis, AB, 2016
  • Guided Herb Tasting with Hedge Herbs, the Hive, London, UK, 2016
  • Guided Herb Tasting with Herbs Gone Wild Collective, Royal Horticultural Society AGM, London, UK, 2016
  • Skin Herbs with Herbs Gone Wild Collective, Dalston Eastern Curve Garden, London, UK, 2015

PLANT WALKS

  • Edible & Medicinal Plant Walks (recurring event), Calgary, AB, 2016-2017, May/June 2018, May-Aug 2019, Feb-Sep 2020, May-Aug 2021
    Beginner Plant ID Walk, The Kerby Centre, Calgary, AB, 2019
  • Wild Plants to Reduce Pain and Inflammation, The Light Cellar, Calgary, AB, 2019
  • Guided Plant Walk – Wild Plant for Women’s Health, The Light Cellar, Calgary, AB, 2019
  • Guided Plant Walk – Wild Plants to Reduce Stress and Anxiety, The Light Cellar, Calgary, AB, 2019
  • Edible and Medicinal Plant Walk in Edwothy Park, The Light Cellar, Calgary, AB, 2019
  • Intermediate Plant Identification Walk with a Botanist, VanDusen Botanical Gardens, Vancouver, BC, 2019
  • Urban Plant Walk, Heart & Hands Health Collective, Victoria, BC, 2019
  • Beginner Plant ID Walk with a Botanist, Bloedel Conservatory, Vancouver, BC, 2019
  • Plant Identification and Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants, The Light Cellar, Calgary, AB, 2018
  • Herbal Tea Walk, Vic West Food Security Collective, Victoria, BC, 2018
  • Edible and Medicinal Plants of Alberta, Kerby Centre, Calgary, AB, 2017, 2018
  • Edible and Medicinal Plants, Senator Patrick Burns Junior High School, Calgary, AB, 2016, 2017
  • Calgary Nature Walk, Outrun the Stigma, Calgary, AB, 2017
  • Wild Plant Walk in Kananaskis, The Light Cellar, Calgary, AB, 2017
  • Edible and Medicinal Plant Walk, The Light Cellar, Calgary, AB, 2017
  • Wild Wisdom Plant Walk, Astral Harvest, Calgary, AB 2017
  • Plant Walk for Children, Unitarian Church, Calgary, AB 2017
  • Edible Plants, Upstream Forest School, Calgary, AB, 2017
  • Edible Plant Walk, Girl Guides, Calgary, AB, 2017
  • Wild Flower Walk, Boys and Girls Clubs of Calgary, Calgary, AB, 2016
  • Forms of Awareness: A Walk Along the Bow with Alana Bartol, Calgary, AB, 2016
  • Plant Walk, Philo Café, Middlesex University, London, UK, 2016
  • Plant Walk, Medicinal Garden, Middlesex University, London, UK, 2014
  • Foraging and Medicinal Plant Walk, Manor House PACT project, London, UK, 2014

TALKS

  • Native plant presentation with ALCLA Native Plants, The Sustainable Flowers Workshop with Prairie Girl Flowers, Calgary, AB, 2020
    Growing native plants with ALCLA Native Plants, Online, Pigeon Lake Watershed Association, 2020
    Rooted in Earth Consciousness: Why Connecting to Nature is Essential to Health, The Light Cellar, Calgary, AB, 2019
  • Eat Your Weeds, Victoria Seedy Saturday, Victoria, BC

CONSULTING PROJECTS

  • sophia bartholomew (Canada Council for the Arts grant recipient), Vancouver, BC, 2019
  • Rocky Mountain Soap Company, Canmore, AB 2019
  • Liberty Stables, Millarville, AB, 2016

EXHIBITIONS & COLLABORATIONS

  • Weeding Warriors with Alana Bartol, Calgary, AB, 2021-present
    Slow News with Alana Bartol, shortlisted for City of Calgary Artist-Initiated Public Art Project, 2021
    Seeds for Grassy Mountain, with Alana Bartol, for Processes of Remediation: art, relationships, nature, University of Lethbridge Art Gallery, Lethbridge, AB, 2020-2021
  • Plant Walks including Weed Notice!, with Alana Bartol, City of Calgary Public Art Program, Calgary, AB, 2016, 2020
  • The Blue Light Project, with Bodgan Cheta (Canada Council for the Arts grant recipient), M:ST Performative Art, Calgary, AB, 2019-2020
    “. . . if we ignore them they will disappear . . .” excerpt from Robin Wall Kimmerer, u’s gallery, Black Diamond, AB, curated by Sean MacAlister, 2020
  • Dandelions, Juried, Pumphouse Theatre, Sage Theatre’s Ignite Festival, Calgary, AB, 2013
  • Buddies in Bad Times, with Bogdan Cheta, Jill Armstrong, Alex Steinitz and Carmina Trsic, Wreck City, Calgary, AB, 2013
  • Free Fare Zone, with Jason Owin Galeos, Juried, ContainR, Fluid Festival, Calgary, AB, 2013
  • Ephemeral House, with Jennifer Akkermans, Blueprint Gallery, Lethbridge, AB and Crownest Pass Public Art Gallery, Frank, AB, as part of Alberta Art Days, 2011
    L’Union(e), Online, Avatar, Quebec City, QC, 2010
    Curling, Juried, Epcor Centre (window gallery), Calgary, AB, 2010

RESIDENCIES & RESEARCH GRANTS

  • Art writing research grant, M:ST Performative Art, 2020-2021
    Gushul Studio Residency, Juried, Blairmore, AB, with Jennifer Akkermans sponsored by Trap/Door, Lethbridge, AB, 2011
    Excavation Sonore, Avatar, Quebec City, QC, 2010

RETREATS

  • Wild Harvesting & Cooking: A Weekend Getaway with Roni’s Kitchen, Castle Mountain, AB, 2017, 2018, 2019

CONFERENCES

  • Disappearing Worlds Reloaded, with Blake Kendall, Mike Poltorak, Nadine Wanono, Gerritt Trujillo, Fabiane Borges, Grian Cutanda, Online, Royal Anthropological Society Film Festival, 2021
    Chef’s Round Table for Indigenous Cooking, SAIT, Calgary, AB, 2019
  • Wild Food: Nutrition, Food Sovereignty & Sustainability, presented at CRFair’s Good Food Summit, Victoria, BC, 2018
  • Demonstrating the value of integrative medicine, Research Counsel for Complimentary Medicine, London, UK, 2015

CONTINUING EDUCATION

  • Peace, love & the bottom line: business success secrets from a hippie CEO with Malcolm Saunders, 2020
    Relation Making in the Context of Racism and Settler Colonialism with Jin-me Yoon, Calgary, AB, 2019
  • Whole System Healing with Jessica Marais, Victoria, AB, 2019
  • Plant Medicine with Cowichan Elder Della Rice Sylvester, Cowichan, Vancouver Island, BC, 2018
  • Permaculture, Place-making and Plant Repair with Mark Lakeman, Victoria, BC, 2018
  • Collaborative Oncology – A Phytotherapy Perspective (Level 2) with Chanchal Cabrera, Victoria, BC, 2018
  • Collaborative Oncology – A Phytotherapy Perspective (Level 1) with Chanchal Cabrera, Victoria, BC, 2018
  • Medicinal Mushrooms of Western Canada with Robert Rogers, Victoria, BC, 2017
  • Herbal Management for Seasonal Allergies, Online, 2017
  • Western Wholistic Herbal Gathering, Waiparous, AB, 2016
  • Supportive Care for Diabetes: an Integrated Approach with Simon Mills, London, UK, 2016
  • New Directions in Cardiovascular Phytotherapy with Kerry Bone, London, UK, 2016
  • Depression: A re-evaluation of the role of serotonin and new approaches to treatment in Endobiogenic Medicine with Dr. Jean-Claude Lapraz, London, UK, 2016*
  • Advanced Cream Making with Nathalie Chidley, London, UK, 2016*
  • Herbal First Aid with Dedj Leibbrant, London, UK, 2016
  • Patience and Patience: Case Histories for Clinical Practice, London, UK, 2015
  • Sensory Explorations into the Magic of Local Plants with Local Healers – Karen and Fiona, London, UK, 2015*
  • ‘Them Bones’ – Workshop in Musculoskeletal Disorders with Lisa Nelson, London, UK, 2015*
  • The Radical Herbalism Gathering, Shropshire, UK, 2015
  • Introduction to Decumbiture with Marcos Patchett, London, UK, 2015*
  • Perspective in Herbal Medicine with Julian Barker, London, UK, 2015*
  • Core Herbs for Clinical Practice with Christopher Hedley, London, UK, 2014
  • Breast Cancer Support with Medical Herbalist Alex Laird, London, UK, 2014*

*Event organizer through the Complimentary and Academic Medicine Academic Society

AWARDS

  • Best Student Intern of the Year, 2016
  • Phyto Pharmacology Award (academic excellence), 2015
  • Best Academic Society of the Year, 2016, 2015, 2014
  • Jason Lang Scholarship, 2004

PUBLICATIONS

  • ALCLA Native Plants blog, Online, 2019-present
  • Latifa’s Herbs blog, Online, 2016-present
  • Go Wild in the City, Interview with Rad-ish Magazine, Online, 2019
  • Usnea Lichen: A Wild Antibiotic, The Light Cellar, Online, 2017
  • White Spruce: Winter Medicine, The Light Cellar, Online, 2017
  • Dandelion Root: Your Backyard Liver Cleanser, Online, 2017
  • Rosehips: A Wild Source of Vitamin C, The Light Cellar, Online, 2016
  • Local Chokecherry Syrup, The Light Cellar, Online, 2016
    “Creepy Sex Park.” WET. Brooklyn NY: Papercut Press, 2012: vol.1.


VOLUNTEER SERVICES

  • Board Member, Stride Gallery, Calgary, AB, 2020-present
    Organizer, Edible and Medicinal Plants, Meetup Group, Calgary, AB, 2016-2018
    Administrator, Edible and Medicinal Plants of Calgary, Facebook Group, Online, 2016-present
    Administrator, Edible and Medicinal Plants of Victoria, Facebook Group, Online, 2017-2019
    Board Member, Alberta Herbalists Association, Calgary, AB, 2017
    President, Complementary and Alternative Medicine Academic Society, London, UK, 2014-2016
    Vice President, Complementary and Alternative Medicine Academic Society, London, UK, 2014-2016

OTHER LANGUAGES

  • Fluent in French
  • Proficient in Spanish