Meet The Board Members

MHG is always looking for new board members.  We are looking for folks who are pasionate about plants and who are actually herbalists.  MHG is looking for people who are willing to travel to 4 mandatory meetings and one overnighter a year, attend the entire event and commit to at least two years up to 5 years as a board member.  MHG board members are volunteers.  Please send your resume to montanaherbgathering@yahoo.com.

Jennephyr Reiche-Sterling- President

     Jennephyr is the founder of Earth Heart Spirit- Herbal Educational Resources (EHSHER).  She is a Community Herbalist and Herbal Educator in the Sun River Valley/Great Falls MT area.  She has been officially involved with MHG since 2008 and on the board of directors since MHG was formed as a non-profit organization in 2010. She is currently involved with the Medicine River Herb Club spearheaded by some of her students.  The Medicine River Herb Club installed an medicinal and culinary herb garden this year at the River City Harvest Community Garden.

     Being a self motivated learner, and somewhat of a hermit, Jennephyr has gained most of her knowledge by voracious reading, hours and hours in the field observing and playing with the plants, hands on experience creating and ingesting herbal remedies and using herself and her family, 3 children and a husband, as guinea pigs, learning through teaching and by helping others.  She did travel to Vermont in 2006 to study with Rosemary Gladstar at Sage Mountain where she successfully completed the apprenticeship program and has done correspondance courses with the Wild Rose College of Natural Healing in Calgary, Canada.

     Jennephyr gives gratitude daily that her path has lead her on this road of connection to the natural world that we are all a part of and always looks forward to joining up with others on this green, healing, way.

 Beatrix Jenness- Vice President

Beatrix Jenness is an herbalist and massage therapist who lives in Great Falls, MT with her husband Mark Frisbie and son, Finnegan.  Beatrix grew up in West Virginia with her botanist dad and nurse practitioner mom.   She likes to say that she just put the two together with her interest in medicinal plants and alternative health care.  In 1995 Beatrix apprenticed with herbalist Laura Batcha in Brattleboro, VT, and studied massage at the School of Harmonic Massage in Montpelier VT (1995) and at the Central Ohio School of Massage in Columbus OH (1997-99).  In 1999 Beatrix moved to Great Falls and opened The Root and The Leaf, an herb store and massage business, with her long-time friend and fellow herbalist Jennephyr Reiche-Sterling.  Beatrix took over the business in 2005 and runs it by appointment and mail order.  You can find it online at www.rootandleaf.com.

Connie Doty-Secretary

Connie Doty is a master herbalist, certified nutritionist, and certified teacher who resides in the Mission Valley near Flathead Lake with her husband and six children.  Together they enjoy working in their arbor care business, Doty’s Treeworks, home schooling, home birthing, homesteading, coordinating a natural food co-op, raising a garden, and taking care of a few farm animals.  Connie studied under Dr. Christopher’s School of Natural Healing and College of Herbal Medicine, graduating with a Masters Degree in Herbology in 2004 after earning undergraduate degrees in education and mathematics at the University of Montana and College of Great Falls.  Her specialties are in the areas of fertility, miscarriage prevention, children’s health, and menopausal sanity.    

Kate Huston-Assistant Volunteer Coordinator 

Branko Reiche- Treasurer/Volunteer Coordinator

Unlike most board members I have no background in Herbalism. My contribution to the Board is my experience in organizing. Aside from my day job I have spent the last 25 years organizing many different things ranging from new retail stores to major music events.

The Montana Herb Gathering is one of the most enjoyable events I have ever helped organizing and I am impressed by the willingness of all people involved to go above and beyond the required commitment to make this event such a success.

Georgina Sterling- Fun Zone Coordinator

My love for nature and my desire to gain knowledge of the plants that we are blessed with leads me back to the Montana Herb Gathering every year. I am the mother of a wonderful 12 year old son, D’Angelo and a beautiful 3 year old daughter, Jaiden. This will be my second year as the Fun Zone Coordinator; last year’s Fun Zone was A BLAST! I loved working with the children and was amazed every day by their wisdom and creativeness. This year will also be my first year on the Montana Herb Gathering’s Board of Directors. It is awesome to see the hard work that goes into creating this wonderful event. I am very excited for this year’s event and hope that you are too. Love and Light to all.