Bridget’s Botanicals o ers classes, products

BY NINA JOSS NJOSS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

For more than a decade, Bridget Molloy has been teaching people how to enhance their wellbeing through the use of plants.

Now, Littleton locals can learn to make herbal teas, try botanical tru es and purchase aromatherapy and tincture kits at Molloy’s new storefront, just o of Main Street.

Bridget’s Botanicals, which Molloy started in 2014, is a company that embraces health, wellness and fun through experiential classes and natural products.

Molloy, who grew up in Littleton, said she hopes her store becomes “a community place to experience botanicals and (connect) to nature in a really fun way.”

Learning about botanicals

Molloy has studied ecology, molecular biology, teaching, pharmacology and medicinal chemistry, including graduate work at Harvard and Georgetown. She said her com- pany allows her to combine two of her main passions in life: teaching and herbalism.

“Herbalism is really the practice of when you’re using botanicals — it can be leaves, owers, berries … to bene t your health,” she said.

With over 40 courses developed, Molloy and her team will o er classes ranging from an in-depth herbalism study to an elderberry syrup-making class. She will also teach sessions about ethnobotany, which is the study of traditional knowledge and customs of di erent groups and cultures concerning plants and their uses.

Some of her classes are o ered as private events, which people can schedule for their teams, workplaces or friends, Molloy said.

Sustainable products and kits

Her shop also sells a variety of products, including tea blends, tinctures, elderberry syrups, aromatherapy mists and cocktail bitters — all made by Molloy. She said she hopes to partner with other local businesses to o er some of her products for use on their drink menus.

In an e ort to be sustainable, Molloy’s product line have labels that are all ink-based and made in a wind-run printing facility in Colorado, she said.

Of her products, Molloy is most excited about the kits, which o er curated selections of tea, aromatherapy mists, tinctures and other products that aim to address speci c mental or physical wellness goals.

She sells kits for menstruation care, fertility, sleep and stress, mental wellness and sexual vitality. Several of these showcase her passion for women’s wellness and sexual health.

“Traditionally (women have) been very marginalized in the medical system, and it’s been very shameful to talk about di erent things,” she said. “So I think it’s great to have a space where women can feel comfortable and con dent to come to.”

Community support

Members of the Littleton Chamber of Commerce, District 1 Councilmember Patrick Driscoll, At-Large Councilmember Pam Grove and other community members gathered at 5733 S. Prince St. to celebrate the company’s grand opening on July 27.

“We just are really happy that you have the courage to do what you’re doing, and you decided to do it in Littleton,” said Pat Dunahay, copresident of the chamber. “ is community really will support you. You wouldn’t have the people here today if they didn’t have heart for what you’re doing and believe in what you’re doing.”

Molloy thanked her family, who baked cupcakes and set up for the event, for their unwavering support of her goals and for helping her create her shop.

“I’m very excited for her,” her husband said to the group. “ is is a dream of hers and I’m — as we’ve helped already — all-in to help her with whatever she needs to be happy and successful in this.”

Castle Rock

In a drag performer’s words e town hall crowd also heard from a drag performer who goes by LaLa, who said “it’s very possible for drag performers to do G-rated acts.”

“Just like any other (actor can) go from rated R to G or Disney movie,” said LaLa, who is not a PrideFest performer but spoke generally about drag.

Performers care about kids in the community too, LaLa said.

“But what we want is for our queer youth to grow up to be queer adults,” LaLa said, adding that if people don’t have supportive spaces, that leads to youth dying by suicide.

In Douglas County, the number of suicide deaths went from a recent low of 15 in 2005 to dozens higher in years afterward, according to state data cited by Douglas County sta .

Last year, 53 people died by suicide in Douglas County, according to the state data.

But suicide risk is a direr problem for certain demographics, and that includes LGBTQ+ youth, who are far more likely than others to experience mental health distress, suicidal ideation, and suicide planning and attempts, according to an earlier presentation by county sta .

Among gay or lesbian youth, 19% attempted suicide one or more times, compared with 3% of straight people, according to 2021 Douglas County data focused on youth.

Making comparisons

County Commissioner Abe Laydon said detractors should give PrideFest a second chance after last year’s incident.

“I support the Catholic Church,” but it has thousands of allegations of sexual abuse against it, Laydon said. And so does the Boy Scouts of America, he said.

“Are we going to say Boy Scouts can’t come to the fairgrounds?” Laydon said.

He also pointed to the example of singer Janet Jackson experiencing what’s been called a “wardrobe malfunction” at the Super Bowl years ago.

“Are we going to say no one can go to the Super Bowl?” Laydon said. “You still have Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders in dental oss performing in front of families every week.”

Laydon also drew a line from the current conversation about wanting restrictions on what children can watch to the debate over masking in the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic. He brought up how area residents at the time asked authorities not to require masks for kids.

“We’re all about parental rights,” Laydon said.

Douglas County Undersheri Dave Walcher ensured the crowd that if the sheri ’s o ce receives information regarding a crime, o cials follow up with the local district attorney’s o ce.

“We will have individuals from the sheri ’s o ce at this event,” and if anyone breaks the law, the o ce will take action, Walcher said.

‘Love the Lord’

One person, who made a comment remotely, said she thinks people should go to PrideFest because “I don’t want to see any kind of buildup of hate in our community.”

Kerkezian, with Castle Rock Pride, chalked the disagreement in the community up to cultural di erences.

“It doesn’t shock us to see a man in a dress … Drag is part of the LGBTQ fabric,” Kerkezian told Colorado Community Media, saying drag is “not sexual in nature.”

Another commenter in the crowd referred to the concept of people choosing to be LGBTQ, and Laydon responded that “it’s not a choice.” Religion also came up during the event.

“I love Jesus, I love the Lord,” Laydon said in response. “I love queer kids who are struggling as well.”