Wise Tree Academy

10/19/2026

Did you know there is more than one kind of sage?

When we talk about essential oils, the name on the bottle matters. Sage can refer to different plants, and knowing which one you're working with is an important part of understanding its characteristics and uses.

This is one of the things I love about medicinal aromatherapy. We don't simply learn a list of essential oils and what they're supposed to do. We get curious about the plants themselves.

What plant does this essence come from? Which part of the plant is used? What can we learn by paying closer attention?

The plants give us clues. And the more we learn to recognize them, the richer our understanding becomes.

This is the kind of exploration we do together in Sacred Botanicals: A Foundational Aromatherapy Immersion, November 20–22 in Burlington, Wisconsin.

Two and 1/2 days to slow down, experience the essences, and deepen your relationship with the plants.

➡️ Early-bird registration ends October 31.

https://www.wisetreeacademy.com/p/sacred-botanicals-foundation

10/15/2026

🍎 It's cleanse week here at Wise Tree!

And apparently, it's also "eat every shade of orange you can find" week. 😂 🧡

Lunch this week: kitchari, made with my favorite blend of detoxing spices, including turmeric and fresh ginger; grape chutney; delicata squash with cinnamon (one of my absolute favorite fall treats!); and a cup of digestive tea. A little orange, a little purple, and a whole lot of goodness.

Our five-day autumn reset is about more than changing what's on our plates. It's a chance to pause between seasons, reset our eating, revisit our intentions, pay attention to our energy, and prepare ourselves for winter.

We don't need powders, powdered drinks, convenience foods, or the latest wellness fad to do that. We return to whole ingredients, thoughtfully prepared, that nourish us deeply and give our bodies what they need.

And we make room for rest. We pull back on our schedules, quiet the noise, and give our senses a break, too.

Because sometimes, feeling better isn't about adding one more thing to our already - full lives. It's about simplifying, paying attention, and making space for what truly nourishes us. 🫖

That's the heart of our autumn reset at Wise Tree. Five days of returning to the basics—and finding a little more room to breathe.

🧘🏽‍♀️ 🙏🏽 📿

10/14/2026

The world seems a bit out of order these days. Odd things are happening, and many are, frankly, unsettling. Add the change of seasons, and it can feel like a real anxiety storm is brewing.

But sometimes, in the midst of disorder, something wonderful appears.

On my morning walk, I noticed that my lilac trees are blooming. Not the magnificent, full blossoms of spring, but enough to make me stop and take notice. I picked a small sprig, and now it's sitting on my desk.

I've always loved scent. I think that's one of the reasons I'm drawn to aromatic plants and aromatherapy. There's something remarkable about how we can inhale an invisible gift from a plant and feel our mood shift, our attention change, or a memory come rushing back.

Our sense of smell is deeply connected to memory and emotion. It's also one of the earliest senses we rely on, helping newborns orient toward their mothers.

And here, in the middle of October, a lilac has offered me a small, unexpected moment of beauty.

I can't make sense of everything happening in the world. But I can pause, breathe in this familiar scent, and appreciate what's right in front of me.

Sometimes, that's enough to bring us back to ourselves.

❤️ 🌱 💜

10/13/2026

Camp Dogwood: Where Your Dog Can Be a Dog

For the past 17 years, every fall I’ve taken the show on the road, loaded up one of my trusty canine partners, and headed to Camp Dogwood in Lake Delton, Wisconsin. (It was in Illinois when I first started going.)

This isn’t your typical camp. It’s a place where everything revolves around dogs and the people who love them. The people who come here deeply cherish their time with their dogs, and there’s a special kind of magic in being surrounded by others who feel the same way.

I teach classes, offer individual consultations, and spend a few wonderfully busy days sharing things I love. This year, Tele was my chosen companion. At 10 years old, this retired working dog was more than ready for a change of pace and some time away from the farm being an "only dog."

Here’s a little of what we explored together this year:

🌿 Celebrate the Dog Beside You — A creative session where campers made memory boards filled with photos, words, stickers, and all sorts of personal touches celebrating the dogs who share their lives.

🌿 Make & Take Essential Oils — We made aromatic concoctions to help ease the stress of travel and created a blend to help repel those pesky Wisconsin ticks.

🌿 The Thread Between Us — Inspired by the symbolism of the red thread and the bonds that connect us, campers created bracelets for themselves and little adornments for their dogs’ collars. A tangible reminder of the special connection they share.

🌿 Safe Zone: Creating Safe Spaces for Your Canine — A conversation about how we can become the calm, steady presence our dogs seek, helping them feel safe in a sometimes overwhelming world.

🌿 Mindfulness Hike — One of my favorite ways to close out camp! We took a gentle 1.5-mile walk through the beautiful woodlands, slowing down to notice the natural world along the way. Of course, there were plenty of sniffing and p*e breaks. After all, this was a dog hike!

In between classes, I met individually with campers and their dogs for private consultations that combined animal communication with deep listening and observation. These sessions offer space to slow down, look beyond the obvious, and become more curious about what a dog might be communicating through their behavior, their presence, and their relationship with their person. Every one is different, and I never take for granted the trust it takes to invite me into that space.

Camp Dogwood is always a busy, full-hearted few days. I come home reminded of how much we can learn when we slow down, pay attention, and make room for the relationships that matter to us.

And this year, I got to share it all with my 10-year-old partner, Tele. ❤️ He was a good boy.

A few glimpses of our time together!

Camp Dogwood: Where your dog can be a dog. 🐾

10/12/2026

🌲 One tree. One essence. So much to discover.

There's something wonderful about holding a bottle of White Pine essence in your hand and then looking up at the tree it came from.

Pinus strobus: White Pine.

When we work with medicinal plant essences, the botanical identity matters. And here's something you might not know: not all pines are the same.

Wisdom of the Earth offers more than nine varieties of pine essences. Each comes from a particular species, with its own botanical identity and characteristics. Yet many essential oils sold simply as “pine” don't tell you which species you're actually getting.

This is one of the things I love teaching in aromatherapy. We go beyond the name on the bottle. We explore the plant itself, where the essence comes from, and what those details can teach us about working with it.

Because learning aromatherapy isn't just about memorizing what an oil is used for. It's about becoming curious, observing, and developing a deeper understanding of the plants we work with.

This is what I mean by learning from the plants. 🌿

I'll be exploring these connections and experiencing dozens of medicinal plant essences during Sacred Botanicals: A Foundational Aromatherapy Immersion, November 20–22 in Burlington, Wisconsin.

If you'd like to deepen your own relationship with the plants, I'd love to have you join us.

✨ Early-bird registration ends October 31.

Details and registration link are in the comments.

10/12/2026

Honoring Indigenous Peoples’ Day in Wisconsin

Today, on Indigenous Peoples’ Day, I find myself especially grateful to live in Wisconsin, a state I have called home for the past 23 years.

One of the things I appreciate most about Wisconsin is the growing recognition that the languages, cultures, and knowledge of the Indigenous peoples of this land deserve to be preserved, respected, and carried forward. I love seeing Indigenous languages included on signs and in educational settings. These are more than words on a sign. They are a way of keeping languages alive, honoring cultural identity, and helping future generations understand that the story of this land began long before Wisconsin became a state.

Living close to the natural world, I am continually reminded that our relationship with the land is something to be tended and respected. Indigenous peoples have carried knowledge of these places, their plants, waters, seasons, and ecosystems across generations. That knowledge and those living traditions deserve our attention, respect, and recognition.

Wisconsin is home to 11 federally recognized Tribal Nations, each with its own history, government, culture, and continuing relationship with this land. Indigenous peoples are not simply part of our history; they are our neighbors and an essential part of our present and future.

Today is an opportunity to listen, learn, acknowledge the past, and support the continued vitality of Indigenous languages, cultures, sovereignty, and communities.

I'm sharing this message from Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers in recognition of the day, along with the names of the 11 federally recognized Tribal Nations that call Wisconsin home.

May we continue to learn how to be better stewards of the land and more thoughtful neighbors to the people whose ancestors have cared for it since time immemorial.

Happy Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

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10/08/2026

I've been teaching aromatherapy for a long time.

And after all these years, I still get excited about opening a bottle of an essence and asking:

What can this plant teach us?

That's really at the heart of why I continue to teach Sacred Botanicals: Foundation.

Because I don't believe aromatherapy is simply about memorizing what an essential oil is "good for." There is so much more to discover when we slow down and actually experience the plants.

We smell them. We notice them. We learn where they come from and how they're made. We learn how to work with them safely, practically, and intuitively. And somewhere along the way, something shifts.

We begin to develop a relationship with the plants.

I'm teaching Sacred Botanicals: A Foundational Aromatherapy Immersion this November—a 2½-day, in-person experience for anyone who wants to explore medicinal aromatherapy more deeply, whether that's for personal use, family, or a professional path.

I'll be sharing more about the weekend throughout October.

For now, I'll simply say:

I'm really looking forward to opening the doors again. 🌿

~Tresa

09/28/2026

Maybe you don't need a cleanse. Maybe you need a reset.

Summer has a way of changing our routines.

More travel. More gatherings. Different food. Later nights. More activity. Less routine.

And then suddenly… autumn is here.

If you're feeling a little scattered, sluggish, overextended, or simply ready to get back into a rhythm, I'm inviting you to join me for 5-Day Autumn Reset Week.

Yes, it's my Autumn Cleanse—but don't let the word *cleanse* scare you away.

This isn't fasting.
It isn't a juice cleanse.
It isn't a cabinet full of powders and supplements.
And it isn't a complicated list of rules.

It's five days of simple food, supportive daily practices, and a little more attention to your body and your rhythm.

We'll focus on:
🍎 supporting digestion
🍎 releasing some of summer's heat and intensity
🍎 supporting your seasonal resilience
🍎 calming the nervous system
🍎 creating a little space before the busy season ahead

I'll guide you each day with a short video, and we'll have three opportunities to connect live. You'll also have a 30-minute one-on-one planning session with me so you can make the reset fit your life.

And you don't have to know anything about cleansing to join us.

If you've been thinking, "I just need to get myself back on track," this might be your week.

October 12–16 | Inside Women Seeking Balance

Come join us. 🍎

https://women-seeking-balance.mn.co

07/14/2026

Holy hot! Our temps in SE Wisconsin will be nearly 100° today.

For people outside & farm animals, shade is a critical need! But don’t forget fruits. Melons are great for hydration. Apples (good for hot/dry air days), berries, grapes, and “stone” fruits are all great too. Think “sweet & juicy.” ( I give my chickens & sheep some watermelon on hot days.)

Fruit is best eaten at room temp, but with these temps, slightly cooled is refreshing too!

07/13/2026

How nature gives us mirrors as teachers.

Smoldering burn pile shows how inflammation in the body continues to smolder, even after taking an anti inflammatory. That’s just masking the symptom, not addressing the REASON you are inflamed.

Identifying the root cause, making changes there, that is where true healing takes place.