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Fall Medicinal Plant Workshop with Professor Emeritus James Adams of USC School of Pharmacy
October 17, 2020 @ 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
$85
REGISTER
Please note: This event filled up today (October 6) when the newsletter went out. Please register anyway for the waiting list as there are usually cancellations. I always try to fill them and issue a refund if I’m successful.
Due to COVID-19, we are limiting the number of participants and holding the entire event outdoors. Everyone will have their forehead temperature checked on arrival, wear a facial covering, and maintain 6 feet of physical distance.
Please join me and special guest Professor Emeritus James Adams of USC School of Pharmacy for a Fall Medicinal Plant Workshop in Ojai on Saturday, October 17, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dr. Adams has been a frequent and popular contributor to my events for the past seven years. This workshop is based on his ground-breaking pharmacological studies on local native plants and his personal commitment to sharing the traditional medicinal practices he learned from Chumash healer Cecilia Garcia. He will be joined by plant educator Enrique Villasenor and acupuncturist Michelle Wong, co-authors of Healing with Medicinal Plants of the West: Cultural and Scientific Basis for Their Use.
The workshop will be held at Euterpe Farms, bordering the Ventura River Preserve. The morning outing from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. will be a slow-paced walk identifying and discussing local medicinal plants. It will involve stopping for discussion for periods of time. A lightweight campstool could be useful for those uncomfortable standing.
After a half-hour lunch break, the afternoon hands-on session from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. will take place in the shade of a giant live oak. The focus will be on preparing seasonal edible and medicinal products for winter health from wild foraged plant material. Plant preparations onsite may include, among others:
- Yerba Santa tea and steam inhalation
- Acorn dish
- Wild California buckwheat pancakes
- Gordolobo tea
- Datura hand soak
- Black sage foot soak
- Black walnuts
- Prickly Pear fruits
At 3:00 p.m. Dr. Adams will sign copies of his books. After the workshop, participants will receive a complete list of all plants that are identified and/or utilized as well as recipes and other info.
ABOUT JAMES ADAMS, PH.D:
Dr. Adams brings to Ojai a wealth of scientific knowledge and field experience as well as a singular perspective on herbal medicine. As he tells it, “My family came to Virginia in 1635 and has always survived by using American Indian healing. On the frontier, there were no doctors. American Indian healing was better than European medicine anyway. I continue this tradition.”
Now retired from active teaching and enjoying his new status as Professor Emeritus, Dr. Adams taught pharmacy students, medical students, doctors and other healthcare professionals for over 25 years at USC while researching the natural pharmaceutical compounds in native plants. He has over 200 publications.
Running parallel with his academic career, Dr. Adams has worked with the Chumash people since 1998 and studied Chumash healing with Cecilia Garcia for almost 15 years. They wrote a book and 30 journal articles together. Jim is now the carrier of the healing knowledge passed to him by his teacher.
Dr. Adams is the co-author, with Michelle Wong and Enrique Villaseñor, of the fourth edition of the groundbreaking book, Healing with Medicinal Plants of the West: Cultural and Scientific Basis for Their Use. The cultural portion is based on the teachings of Cecilia Garcia and the scientific portion on Dr. Adams’ laboratory studies. It can be purchased beforehand at that link and will also be available for purchase and signing at the event.
“Humans have used plant medicines ever since humans came into existence, about 200,000 years ago,” Dr. Adams explains in Healing with Medicinal Plants. “That means that our ancestors experienced an intense natural selection. Those who responded to plant medicines survived and passed their genes on. We are the products of this natural selection. Our bodies are designed to respond to plant medicines.”
Here is an excellent 2017 article about Dr. Adams from USCStorySpace.com: “A Scientist’s Calling to Practice Chumash Healing.”
Please note: This workshop will go on RAIN OR SHINE with the exception of a heavy downpour in the morning and/or a 100% chance of heavy rain that day. No dogs or smoking, please.
The cost for the Fall Medicinal Plant Workshop is $85, including all materials for preparing plant medicines. A limited number of scholarships for pharmacy, medical, and herbal medicine students are available.
Please note: This event filled up today (October 6) when the newsletter went out. Please register anyway for the waiting list as there are usually cancellations. I always try to fill them and issue a refund if I’m successful.