Please join me and special guest Professor Emeritus James Adams of USC School of Pharmacy for a Spring Medicinal Plant Workshop in Ojai on Saturday, May 8, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dr. Adams has been a frequent and popular contributor to my events for the past eight 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.
This plant identification walk and workshop will take place at Euterpe Farms. In the morning, Dr. Adams will identify and discuss the medicinal and spiritual uses of a variety of native plants. The afternoon hands-on preparation session will be held outdoors as well, in the “tienda.” After the workshop, participants will receive a follow-up email with a complete list of all plants that are identified and/or utilized as well as recipes and other info.
The morning outing from 9 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. will be a slow-paced walk around the property which borders the Ventura River Preserve. It will involve stopping and standing for discussion for periods of time. A lightweight campstool could be useful for those who are uncomfortable standing.
After a 1/2 hour break, the afternoon session from 12:00 to 3:00 p.m. will focus on preparing seasonal edible and medicinal products from wild foraged plant material. Participants will be able to soak their feet in pain-relieving black sage tea and go home with their own jar of sagebrush liniment. Seasonal plants and products to be featured may include, among others:
Elderflowers
White Sage
Sagebrush liniment
Black Sage foot soak
Nopal (Prickly-Pear) smoothie
At 3:00 p.m. Dr. Adams, Enrique, and Michelle will sign copies of their book.
Due to COVID-19, we are limiting the number of participants and holding the entire event outdoors. Everyone will be asked to have their forehead temperature checked on arrival, wear a facial covering, and maintain 6 feet of physical distance.
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.”
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.
As an Associate Professor of Pharmacology at the University of Southern California for 32 years, Dr. Adams taught pharmacy students, medical students, doctors and other healthcare professionals 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. In addition to the book, they collaborated on 30 journal articles. Jim is now the carrier of the healing knowledge passed to him by his teacher.
“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.”
Left to right, co-presenters Enrique Villaseñor, Jim Adams, and Michelle Wong introducing the Summer 2020 Medicinal Plant Workshop at Euterpe Farms in Ojai.
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.
Paid registrants will receive a confirmation email with all necessary info, including weather forecast and parking directions, a few days prior to the workshop. They also will receive a follow-up email afterwards with a list of all plants identified and used, recipes, and more.
The cost for the workshop, including all materials, is $85. Please use the REGISTER link at top and bottom of this page to sign up before clicking on the PayPal button. Please note: online payment includes PayPal fees. If you prefer to mail a check, please let me know when you register.
If the event sells out, PayPal will display a message that says this event “is not available at this time” and you will be returned to this page. If that happens, be sure to click on the REGISTER button below to sign up for the waiting list. If spaces become available they will be filled based on date and time of registration.
