Isla Burgess is currently reading, researching and teaching about ‘Plant-Directed Learning’ the qualitative/quantitative interface and ‘wholeness’.

In 2009 she completed a MSc in Holistic Science through Schumacher College, Devon, England as she felt this would offer a deeper understanding of living in relationship with our world and in particular her relationship with the plant world.

An inspiring teacher, Isla has been an educator for the past 40 years, firstly as a teacher of Science and Biology and then as Director of the International College of Herbal Medicine (2000-2012) and Director of the Waikato Centre for Herbal Medicine, Waikato, New Zealand (1990-2000).

She is also an experienced herbal medicine practitioner and has presented at conferences both in New Zealand, Australia, Canada and the United States.

More recently the description of ‘Wild and Medicinal Plant Conservationist’ aptly describes her concerns. She is the convener for the International Research Group for the Conservation of Medicinal Plants and has appeared in two recent documentaries ‘Earth Whisperers Paptuanuku’ (New Zealand) and Numen (USA). She is the author of ‘Weeds Heal. A Working Herbal’.