Who we are

Welcome to Forest Cradle!

My name is Alisha, and I’m the heart behind Forest Cradle — a place where herbal medicine, outdoor education, and connection to nature come together to support resilience and healing.

I grew up in a tiny rural town in South Georgia — the kind of place with no stoplight, a country store down the road, and plenty of space to roam barefoot. My childhood was shaped by trees, dirt roads, ponds, and animals. I spent my days climbing trees, swinging from a tire swing, and picking up every creature I could find — worms, snakes, rabbits, toads. If an animal needed help, I was the one to step in. Those early years taught me independence, resilience, and reverence for the living world. My dad showed me how to figure things out on my own, and my mom taught me gentleness and care.

At 25, I left Georgia to follow a feeling I couldn’t shake — that the Appalachian Mountains were calling me home. I left my job as a waitress at a local restaurant, with no job planned in North Carolina, and I packed up and moved. Soon after, I discovered the Outdoor Leadership program in Bryson City, NC, one of only two programs of its kind in the nation. On a whim, I applied, and a two-hour phone call with the director sealed my path. That leap of faith led me to graduate with honors and step fully into my life’s work as an outdoor educator.

Since 2018, I’ve guided groups of all ages through the woods, teaching backpacking, climbing, paddling, plant identification, primitive skills, and more. What excites me most is fostering real connection to the land — showing people not only how to survive outdoors but how to reclaim their power, confidence, and resilience through time in nature. One of my most defining moments was guiding a group of at-risk teens in the Nantahala National Forest. After days of rain and soaked gear, I managed to coax a fire out of drenched sticks with nothing but a knife, a lighter, and persistence. Around that fire, as steam rose from our drying clothes, I felt the deep truth of what I do: creating safety, strength, and belonging through the wild.

Herbal medicine entered my life through necessity. After more than ten years of struggling with endometriosis and trying every medical route offered, I finally found relief through herbal protocols with an integrative medicine practitioner. Within months, my body began to heal in ways I thought were impossible. That experience changed me — it was like a veil had lifted, and I couldn’t believe I had gone so long without knowing the power of plants. Since then, I’ve devoted myself to studying herbalism and integrative medicine, specializing in women’s reproductive health, especially conditions like endometriosis and PCOS. My deepest hope is that women who work with me feel empowered, hopeful, connected to their bodies, and reconnected to the wisdom of nature.

For me, Forest Cradle represents this truth: we are all children of the earth, cradled and sustained by her like a mother. But with that care comes responsibility — to learn, grow, respect, and step into our own strength. When people come to Forest Cradle, I want them to feel safe and guided, but also to leave with a sense of confidence and power they may not have known they carried.

I don’t do this work alone — my loyal companions and guardians, Rosco and Lulu, are always by my side. Whether I’m teaching in the forest or crafting herbal remedies, they remind me daily of the joy and devotion that come from living close to the rhythms of nature.

Forest Cradle is more than a business to me — it’s my life’s weaving of childhood wonder, bold leaps into the unknown, and a commitment to healing and resilience. I’m grateful you’re here, and I look forward to walking this path of growth, learning, and reconnection together.