THE SUSTAINABILITY CENTRE
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Health
Eco Active Blog

​Sustainability in Action


Herbs for Health​
How to use cleavers for a refreshing tea 

By Sarah Hillyer
On this beautiful sunny day we have been out picking local cleavers for a refreshing tea. For once, it’s possible to forage from the hedgerows alongside country lanes as there are no polluting cars about! You probably picked Cleavers as a child and threw them to stick on your friends’ clothing; the Velcro-like hairs will stick to anything! ‘Sticky Willie’, Goosegrass or Galium Aparine is a wonderful spring herb that is full of minerals and vitamins.
 
Many foraging books and blogs recommend eating it like spinach. I use it as a spring tonic to cleanse and support the lymphatic system. It can pick up metabolic waste materials from cells, and also provide a healthy environment for our white blood cells. Hence a really important immune boost.
 
It is often used to help with mumps, tonsillitis and swollen glands. It has been known for centuries as a cleansing herb as it aids the removal of metabolic waste from the body and cleanses the skin. It is also a gentle diuretic so will help with kidney and bladder inflammation.​

Making Tea with Cleavers

You will find it growing everywhere along the hedgerows. Pick until the seeds appear in late June. To make a refreshing tea chop up a handful of cleavers and place them in a teapot or cafetière. Cover with boiling water and leave for  5 to10 minutes. Strain and drink.

​Cold Infusion

Wash and chop a handful of cleavers. Place in a jug with some slices of cucumber and lemon. Cover with water and leave in fridge overnight. Both are best made fresh but will last in the fridge for a day. Enjoy and know you are supporting your health.
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Sarah's Courses

Immune System
Give your health a boost

​By Sarah Hillyer
This week would have seen the first of my herbal workshops at the Centre. It is certainly an an interesting time for us all.  Mother Nature seems happy enough and there are herbs in abundance. I love my teaching as many of you know, so here is a ‘taste’ of what I would have talked about in this beautiful spring weather.
 
Spring is the time to cleanse the body but also re-energise us. All the herbs mentioned here are easy to find and are full of nutritious minerals  and vitamins. They are also very safe as teas for all ages.
 
Nettles
In early spring these little beauties can look red as they are full of iron. If you want an iron tonic, soak some nettle tops in spring water overnight. The water will turn quite dark. Strain and drink.
 
By May the nettles are growing fast. This is the time to harvest them for a urinary tea. Take care only to have one tea a day as they are a powerful diuretic. I use them to reduce water retention and bring down BP.
 
Ground Ivy
This little creeping plant is full of essential oils. It is flowering now. When you rub and smell the leaves you will note thyme, eucalyptus and other essential oils. It makes a lovely refreshing tea and has helped my sinuses cope with early hay fever.
 
Hawthorn Flowers
This beautiful tree is now in full bloom everywhere. There are over a 100 different species and they blossom at slightly different times, so if you miss one week because of rain, you should be lucky the next. The flowers make a delicious tea which will calm the heart and help to reduce anxiety. Just what we need at this time!
Hawthorn is a powerful but very safe heart herb. It will help to regulate your heart beat and strengthen the heart muscle.
 
So do go out foraging and make some fresh herbal teas. Try combining a couple of herbs together.  A handful of fresh herb in a pint boiling water is a good guide. ​
Download
Sarah's Courses

About Sarah

​Sarah Hillyer is a herbalist working in Sussex and Hampshire. Sarah has a degree in Phytotherapy (herbal medicine) and a Diploma in Nutrition.
Sarah teaches Herbal Workshops and Natural Wellbeing at The Sustainability Centre.

​Guidance

Never consume wild food unless you are 100% sure of its identification.
For more foraging guidelines please see British Local Food below.

Links

www.southdownsherbalist.co.uk
https://britishlocalfood.com/foraging-etiquette/
​
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Earthworks Trust & Earthworks Foundation

​The Sustainability Centre is owned and operated by ​The Earthworks Trust (Charity No.1079866).
Our trading company is Earthworks Foundation. All profits go to support our charity The Earthworks Trust.

SITE VISITORS

Please be aware that our 55 acre site is privately owned. Customers and clients are welcomed at their own risk. All visitors are reminded that this is a countryside site and all tracks, paths and car parks are informal, uneven and may not all be suitable for people with mobility issues.
As we are located in the South Downs National Park dark skies zone, there is no lighting on site after dark.
We advise sturdy, appropriate footwear at all times and use of a torch at night.


​Charity Number ​​ 1079866

Picture

Main Address

The Sustainability Centre 
​Droxford Road,
East Meon, Hants
​GU32 1HR
01730 823166

Reception

01730 823166
​info@sustainability-centre.org

South Downs Eco Lodge & Camp Site

South Downs Eco Lodge
​The Sustainability Centre 
​Droxford Road,
East Meon, Hants
​GU32 1HR
01730 823549
​​accommodation@sustainability-centre.org

Cafe

01730 823755
infobeechcafe@gmail.com  

Burials

​01730 823425
​burials@sustainability-centre.org

Education

​01730 823166
​education@sustainability-centre.org

Courses

01730 823166
​courses@sustainability-centre.org

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  • Home
    • Covid Announcement
    • What Is Sustainability
    • All About Us >
      • History
    • Awards
    • Bursary
    • Beech Cafe
    • Staff Team & Trustees
    • Job Opportunities
    • Partnerships >
      • Onsite Partners
    • Site Map >
      • Map
    • Find Us
    • Opening Hours
    • Contact Us >
      • Join Mailing List
      • Leave Mailing List
  • What's On
    • Evening Talks
    • South Downs Green Fair
    • Talk & Tour
    • Art Exhibitions >
      • Past Exhibitions
      • Pete Levy
    • Room & Space Hire
    • Terms and Conditions
  • Courses
    • Adult Courses >
      • Craft and Upcycling Courses >
        • Festive Fabric Crafts Course
        • Fabric Baskets Course
        • Felted Robin Workshop
        • Natural Cleaning Workshop
        • Natural Cosmetics Workshop
      • Wood Craft Courses >
        • Advanced Knife Skills
        • Gate Hurdle Making Course
        • Pendant Carving Course
        • Spoon Carving Course
        • Stool Carving Course
        • Trug Making Course
      • Willow Craft Courses >
        • Living Willow Tree Course
        • Willow Festive Decorations Course
        • Willow Frame Basket Course
        • Willow Garden Sculpture
        • Willow Garden Craft Course
        • Willow Weaving Weekend
      • Home and Garden Courses >
        • Clay Oven Building Course
        • Compost Toilets Course
        • Kitchen Gardening Course
      • Forest School Training >
        • Climbing Frames, Ropes & Ladders with Jon Cree
        • Forest School Leader Training
        • Forest School Taster Day
        • Supporting Children through Anxiety and Trauma with Jon Cree
      • Health & Wellbeing Courses >
        • Medicinal Herb Workshops
        • Mental Health First Aid Course
        • Youth Mental Health First Aid Course
      • Nature Connection and Folklore Courses >
        • Art, Sound and Meditation Course
        • Foraging, Fire and Folklore
        • Nature Led Meditation
        • Unwind in the Woods
      • Permaculture Courses >
        • Intro to Permaculture Design Course
      • Sustainable Land Management Courses >
        • Coppicing Course
        • Hedgelaying Course
        • Wildflower Meadows Course
        • Woodland Management
    • Online Experiences
    • Gift Vouchers
    • Discounts and Benefits
    • Courses Waiting List
    • Contact the Courses Team
    • Courses Terms and Conditions
  • Accommodation
    • Bed & Breakfast
    • Eco Hostel
    • Yurts
    • Camping
    • Large Groups
    • Gift Vouchers
    • Things to Do >
      • Walking and Cycling Breaks
    • Booking Enquiries
    • Accommodation Terms and Conditions
    • Accommodation COVID Information
  • Children's Activities
    • Wood Mouse Forest School
    • Family Holiday Activities >
      • Family Day Time Activities
      • Family Overnight Adventures
      • Advanced Wilderness Skills
  • Schools
    • Our Education Ethos
    • Earth Protectors Conference
    • Day Trips
    • Residentials
    • Farm Tours
    • Saxon Experience
    • Forest School
    • Alternative Education >
      • Young Natural Ambassadors
    • We Can Come to Your School
    • Colleges and Universities
    • Training for Teachers
    • Meet the Team
    • Useful Information & Booking Forms
    • Contact the Education Team
  • Burial Site
    • South Downs Natural Burial Site
    • Funeral Charges
    • Information Pack
    • Flowers and Planting
    • Attending A Funeral
    • Legacies and Gifts
    • Donations
  • Our Future
    • Ready Steady Grow
    • New Learning Centre
    • South Downs Eco Lodge
  • Support Us
    • Cast Off
    • Friends >
      • Become a Friend
      • Friends Field
    • Business >
      • Business Friends
    • Leaves For Learning Appeal >
      • Fundraise for us
      • Hedgehog Eco Challenge
    • Gifts & Donations
    • Donation Form
    • Become a Volunteer
    • Leave a Legacy
    • Thank You to Our Supporters
  • Projects
    • Beekeepers
    • Chalk Grassland
    • Compost Toilet
    • Forest Gardening
    • Herb Garden
    • Permaculture
    • Straw Bale Solar Powered Showers
    • Solar Projects
    • South Downs Eco Lodge
    • Woodland Hall
    • Tree Bog
    • Wetherdown Lodge
    • Yurts
  • Eco Blog
    • Art & Craft
    • Grow Now
    • Health
    • On The Wild Side
    • Meditation
    • Painting as Meditation
    • Weave From The Hedges
    • Young People
  • Shop and Bookings
    • Gift Vouchers
    • Online T Shirt Shop
    • Online Eco Shop
    • Shop At The Centre