“It’s a Family Affair:” The Human-Plant Family Connection – Part 1

Join Ojai herbalists Carol Wade and Lanny Kaufer for a deep dive into the similarities and connections between human and plant families. Scheduled in 4 parts, one for each season, this series of workshops from February through October will enhance your knowledge of edible and medicinal plants as well as your understanding of our own species, our personal and collective health, and our place in Nature. Experience the glory of witnessing the cycles of change in a garden, plants, and the ecosystem at large. It really is a wonder!

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On Saturday, February 15, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., herbalist-gardener-teacher Carol Wade of Ojai School of Herbal Studies and the Earth Island Medicinal Herb Garden will join me,  Lanny Kaufer of Ojai & Southern California Herb Walks, for an outdoor-indoor workshop entitled “It’s a Family Affair:” The Human-Plant Family Connection – Part 1.  This is the first in a 4-part series to be continued on April 26, June 14, and October 25. 

During a morning herb walk through the Garden led by Carol and me, you’ll enjoy the beautiful Ojai vistas as we apply the plant family method of identification to some of the native and international herbal allies that live in the Garden.  The February session will highlight herbs such as Rosemary, Stinging Nettles, and Yellow Sweet Melilot chosen for their prominence at this time of year. You’ll also learn the properties of those three herbs and others that we’ll explore in greater depth in an indoor setting in the afternoon. And you’ll prepare home remedies to take with you.

Interesting topics, great conversations, and timely remedies make this a wonderful way to connect with the glory of the earth, each other, and all sorts of beings, large and small.

The cost for each session is $75/person, due in advance by PayPal or personal check. A $5 cash materials fee will be collected onsite. I will have my mobile bookshop with me, including my signed book and the rest of my curated collection. Please note: Due to limited space for gathering in the Garden, registration will be limited to 15 participants.

ACUPUNCTURE CEUs: This course is approved by the California Acupuncture Board for 7 hours of continuing education (Provider Number 1526). There is a $25 processing fee for receiving a CEU certificate. Please indicate on the REGISTRATION form BELOW if you are interested in CEUs. If you have one, please enter your acupuncture school discount code on the form.

ABOUT CAROL WADE:
Carol Wade is a Registered Herbalist with the American Herbalists Guild and has practiced as an herbalist and nutritional counselor for over 30 years. She studied health education and nutritional counseling at the Gary Null Health and Nutrition Program in New York, and she is a graduate of the Herbal Therapeutics Study Program and the Herbal Therapeutics Graduate Clinical Program of the Herbalist Therapeutics Research Foundation, founded and directed by herbalist and ethnobotanist David Winston.

Her garden, the Earth Island Medicinal Herb Garden in Ojai, California, serves as a hub for several medicinal herb-oriented ventures that bring the idea of using medicinal herbs in daily living as a viable and logical choice to the community at large. Dreamed up long ago and finally made a reality in 2012, the Garden has taken years of intense work by Carol, her husband Bill Hak and dedicated volunteers, including her students, to become the gorgeous landmark it is today. Since ground was first broken, the garden has truly blossomed, becoming a must-see stop for visitors and a place of respite and renewal for locals. With breathtaking views of the valley’s encompassing mountains, the garden was conceived as a showpiece, educational tool, and medicinal resource in one.

Designed in the shape of a nautilus shell, the 11 main beds in the garden represent the major body systems, and each is planted with specimen herbs from around the world especially suited to supporting and healing those systems. Above the nautilus is a sunburst row of production beds, with plants for future harvest and use in tinctures, salves, oils and other preparations.

In 2016 Carol founded the Ojai School of Herbal Studies, a 22-month herbal studies program that utilizes the garden, hands on medicine making, and an in-depth education in how to use herbs safely and effectively, including terminology, plant chemistry, anatomy and physiology, an extensive materia medica, and actual herb cultivation.

ABOUT LANNY KAUFER:
Lanny Kaufer has been leading Herb Walks and Nature Hikes in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties since 1976, educating hundreds of locals and visitors on the flora of the area with a focus on herbs that can be used for food and medicine. As an herbal educator, Lanny also leads workshops and presentations throughout the Ojai-Ventura-Santa Barbara area on the edible and medicinal uses of California plants. He holds a degree in Biology from UC Santa Cruz and serves on the faculty of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at California State University, Channel Islands.

Lanny is the author of Medicinal Herbs of California: A Field Guide to Common Healing Plants (Falcon Guides, 2021). He hosts the biennial Ojai Herbal Symposium and serves as chief consultant on medicinal plants for the Swimmer Medicinal Garden in Playa Vista.

PLEASE NOTE: Light rain will not cancel. Heavy rain or thunderstorms will. Once you register you will receive weather updates, directions and other info about what to wear, etc. No dogs or smoking, please.

REGISTRATION

Please REGISTER HERE FIRST before completing payment below.

TICKETS

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Note: Online payment includes a PayPal fee. If you prefer, when you register you can request instructions for mailing a payment of $75 for regular admission or $100 to include CEU certificate.

Cancellation policy: I will refund your payment if you notify me up to 72 hours (3 days) before the start of the event. After that I will make every effort to fill your space (and I’m usually successful) but cannot guarantee