Mara Ellison
Founding tutor
Mara brings a decade of field journaling and community workshop experience to observation-led courses.
About Rootway
A small learning studio for careful attention.
Our story
Rootway Herbarium began as a shared table where field notes, paper samples, and seasonal discoveries were compared after weekend walks. We built our courses to make that same generous exchange available to learners wherever they live.
Our mission
We help people develop durable creative habits through approachable botanical study. Our work respects local ecosystems, avoids exaggerated claims, and treats every specimen as part of a larger place.
Our principles
- • Learn from observation before interpretation.
- • Prefer fallen, cultivated, or permitted material.
- • Make records useful to someone beyond the maker.
The people behind the lessons
Jon Bell
Book arts lead
Jon teaches paper structure, binding, and presentation with an emphasis on accessible studio tools.
Asha Rivera
Field practice editor
Asha shapes our guidance on documentation, consent, local rules, and low-impact collecting habits.