About Us

In 1973, Terry Willard, along with other educators and Indigenous knowledge keepers, started offering herb walks and wilderness survival courses under the name "Wild Rose" in Treaty 7 territory—aka: the Foothills of Southern Alberta.

In 1975, growing from the education offered on the land, Terry began renting spaces in Calgary where they taught workshops in Herbology and Iridology. 

In 1976, Terry created the Wild Rose herbal product line. (Terry’s famous D-tox kit was created later in 1987.)

A brick and mortar clinic was established in Elbow Park in Calgary, AB. By 1982, the clinic was too small for the demand. More space was needed so amidst all the downtown bars, a permanent residence of the college was born.

In 1986 there was enough demand to open a campus in Vancouver. Interestingly, it was the Yugoslavian Embassy building that was rented. Terry found out that 30 phone lines in the building were connected to a spy network. Various other rentals over the years were established in the Kitsilano area. These classes ran many years until 2001.

Colleagues began bringing Terry to Hong Kong to see patients a few times a year. Around the time of the protest in Tiananmen Square, Terry asked several practitioners from China to come to Canada and work at his Wild Rose Calgary Clinic. Joining these TCM and massage masters were Western Herbalists, naturopaths, body workers, Reiki masters, acupuncturists, and Homeopathic practitioners who all came together to create a healing clinic—with 7 treatments rooms—that also taught students full time 12-15 hour days, 5-7 days a week. Apprenticeship programs also evolved during this time.

The Wild Rose Clinic would grow to be the largest integrated holistic healing centre in Western Canada at that time. Even more teachers joined, including practitioners in Ayurveda, Chi-gong, and Spinology. These were busy years for Terry. He saw 20-35 patients a day, or up to 100 while he was traveling and lecturing on the road! The school ran from September to April and summer intensives were created in B.C. and Calgary to run Wilderness workshops. Guest lecturers and clinicians came from all over the world including China, India, Tibet, Spain, the U.S., and France. 

Doreen was the Canadian representative in the Working Group on Indigenous Populations in the United Nations and eventually received the prestigious Order of Canada. She was one of the first Indigenous woman to obtain a Nursing Certificate in which she was a force of nature and caring in her field for over 40 years. She taught Indigenous studies and saw patients during her 20 years at Wild Rose. She brought sacred healing traditions including smudging, sound therapy, and acutonics.

Wild Rose College Alumni Yarrow Willard, Cl.H. becomes director of Wild Rose College. Fortunately for Wild Rose students, Terry continues to remain active within the college by continuing to create courses, regularly contributing content, and hosting webinars in the Herbal Village.

Terry shifts into semi-retirement: his son, Clinical Herbalist Yarrow Willard, takes over direction of the College and moves it online to better serve the modern student