Sisar Canyon Nature Hike
2025-05-31 09:00 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Sisar Canyon Nature Hike

Sisar Canyon Trail. Photo: Lanny Kaufer

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Thanks to a generous local resident who offered free parking space, I can finally lead another hike in Sisar Canyon. It’s been 10 years!! This beautiful oak-forested trail along Sisar Creek is one of my all-time favorites in the Ojai Valley. It’s actually located in the Upper Ojai Valley at the foot of the monumental Topa Topa Bluffs. Please join me for a Nature Hike there on Saturday, May 31, from 9 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. We will see and smell aromatic California Bay trees along with several other riparian trees, including Bigleaf Maple, not often found at this lower elevation. We’ll search for the elusive and uncommon Sweet Cicely and identify a wide variety of edible and medicinal plants. Expect butterflies; the spring wildflowers are busting out all over.

A pool on Sisar Creek. Photo: Lanny Kaufer

This hike is fairly easy but I classify it as a “nature hike” instead of an “herb walk” because of elevation gain at the beginning and a short creek crossing across boulders or through the shallow water.

I operate in the Los Padres National Forest under a Special Use Permit from the Ojai Ranger District Office of the U.S. Forest Service designed for guides who provide recreational and interpretive services to the public. As I do on all my walks and hikes, I will demonstrate and discuss the modern and ancient uses of wild plants. Poisonous plants will also be identified.

Trailside discussion will include topics such as the difference between native and naturalized plants, the role of humans in the ecological balance, sustainable foraging, and other topics generated by the participants. I’ve been leading informative and entertaining Herb Walks and Nature Hikes to Sisar Canyon and other locations in Southern California since 1976.

The cost is $25 for all ages. Children 12-and-under are free, one per adult, by prior arrangement. No dogs or smoking, please. Registrants will receive a confirmation email with directions and all necessary info about a week before the hike and a follow-up email afterwards with a plant list and other info.

My 2021 book, Medicinal Herbs of California, along with the rest of my mobile bookshop, will be available where we park in the morning for sale and signing.

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Sisar Creek Nature Hike: Saturday, May 31

$26.36

Sisar Creek Nature Hike: Saturday, May 31 quantity

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Note: Online payment includes a PayPal fee. If you prefer, when you register you can email register@herbwalks.com to request instructions for mailing a payment of $25, as long as there is still time for mail delivery.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.

Botany & Plant Identification Class for Ema's Herbs
2025-06-01 12:00 - 14:00
Botany & Plant Identification Class for Ema’s Herbs

Please join me for a botany and plant identification session as part of Ema’s Herbalism Course at Ema’s Herbs in Ventura. Come learn about basic botany, plant identification, and local edible and medicinal flora of Southern California.

Ema’s Herbs is offering an 8-month course that focuses on Herbal Medicine Preparation, Holistic Health Principles, and Herbal Traditions for the Bioregion. Starting in May, and going until November, Ema’s Herbs will help people access herbal knowledge to address health needs and support each of their communities to uplift those around them. My June 1 class outdoors on the patio (see photo below) is part of that course. NOTE: You do not have to enroll in the full 8-month course to attend my class.

Here is the link to purchase a one-day drop-in ticket for $25:https://www.eventbrite.com/e/botany-plant-identification-with-lanny-kaufer-tickets-1344404613389?aff=oddtdtcreator

Lanny Kaufer of HerbWalks.com has been leading herb walks, nature hikes, and workshops in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties since 1976, educating hundreds of residents and visitors on the edible and medicinal flora of the area. He holds a biology degree from UC Santa Cruz and is the author of Medicinal Herbs of California: A Field Guide to Common Healing Plants (Falcon Guides, 2021). Lanny hosts the Ojai Herbal Symposium, most recently held in Krotona Hall in November, 2023, and returning on May 31, 2025. Lanny is on the faculty of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at California State University, Channel Islands. He serves as chief consultant on medicinal plants for the Swimmer Medicinal Garden in Playa Vista, CA.

Lanny specializes in making learning about edible and medicinal plants accessible and fun for people of all ages. He acquired much of his plant knowledge in field study with well-known herbalists and ethnobotanists, including in the 1970s with the late William LeSassier and the late Chumash plant expert Juanita Centeno. He has co-led workshops, field classes and expeditions with noted experts such as the late herbalist and author Michael Moore, author-herbalist Michael Tierra, author-herbalist Amanda McQuade Crawford, Professor Emeritus James Adams of USC School of Pharmacy, Chumash educators and siblings Julie Tumamait-Stenslie and Patrick Tumamait, author-survivalist Christopher Nyerges, and others.

You can register for the full Ema’s Herbalism Course here: https://www.emasherbs.com/service-page/herbal-course-2025.

Or you can attend this one class for a $25 drop-in fee. Please contact Ema’s Herbs at (805) 648-6426 or email info.emasherbs@gmail.com to find out more about both options.

Free Author Event at Timbre Books
2025-06-12 18:30 - 20:00
Free Author Event at Timbre Books

Please join me and herbalist Jiling Lin at Timbre Books in Ventura for a conversation about my 2021 book from Falcon Guides, Medicinal Herbs of California: A Field Guide to Common Healing Plants.

Together, we’ll explore my process of writing the book and, among other topics, the criteria used to decide which of the hundreds of medicinal herbs growing wild in California to include in a one-pound field guide designed for carrying in a backpack. We’ll discuss the whys and hows of sustainable foraging and the ways in which the book promotes environmental awareness. And because the very existence of the book begs the question, “If medicinal herbs work, why hasn’t the FDA approved them for physicians to prescribe?,” I’ll read a short eye-opening chapter on that topic entitled “A Brief History of Medicinal Herbs in America.”

To RVSP for this free Timbre Books event, please visit this page. Bring your questions and curiosity and join the fun!

ABOUT LANNY KAUFER:

Lanny Kaufer has been leading herb walks, nature hikes, and workshops in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties since 1976, educating hundreds of residents and visitors on the edible and medicinal flora of the area. He holds a biology degree from UC Santa Cruz and is the author of Medicinal Herbs of California: A Field Guide to Common Healing Plants (Falcon Guides, 2021). Lanny hosts the Ojai Herbal Symposium, most recently held in Krotona Hall in November 2023, and scheduled to return on May 30, 2026. Lanny is on the faculty of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at California State University, Channel Islands. He serves as chief consultant on medicinal plants for the Swimmer Medicinal Garden in Playa Vista, CA.

JILING LIN:

Jiling Lin is a Licensed Acupuncturist (L.Ac.), herbalist, writer, surfer, and podcast host for Tea Talks with Jiling on Herbal Radio. Her Ventura acupuncture clinic integrates gentle acupuncture and herbs with accessible lifestyle medicine solutions to nourish thriving personal and ecological well-being. She’s writing her first book about Five Elements Lifestyle Medicine! Visit Jiling at JilingLin.com and join her newsletter for seasonal beauty.

"It's a Family Affair:" The Human-Plant Family Connection – Part 3 with Carol Wade
2025-06-14 09:00 - 13:00
“It’s a Family Affair:” The Human-Plant Family Connection – Part 3 with Carol Wade

Join Ojai herbalists Carol Wade and Lanny Kaufer for Part 3 of this 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, including us humans. It really is a wonder!

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On Saturday, June 14, from 9 a.m. to 1 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 workshop entitled “It’s a Family Affair:” The Human-Plant Family Connection – Part 3. This is the third in a 4-part series to be continued on October 25. It is not necessary to attend any earlier part in order to appreciate Part 3. Each part is a stand-alone event. In reality, because Part 2 was cancelled due to rain, this will be pretty much the same content as planned for that date but with a different format.

During a 2.5 hour 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 June session will highlight herbs of the Mint family such as Rosemary and Black Sage; the Rose family, represented by Rose and Hawthorn; and the Nightshade family, featuring Ashwaganda. In addition to learning how to identify them and their families, you’ll learn the properties of those herbs and others in the Garden. Then for the next 1.5 hours we’ll have some sharing time about the human-plant family connection while preparing home remedies for you 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 this session is $60/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.

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.

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PLEASE NOTE: When you click “Add to cart” on the ticket below you will be taken back to the top of this event page. Look for the small shopping cart symbol top right. It will have a red circle on it with the number of tickets you added in the middle of that circle. Click there to complete purchase or edit your cart.

Note: Online payment includes a PayPal fee. If you prefer, when you register you can request instructions for mailing a payment of $60 without added fee.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

Summer Solstice Nature Hike on Pine Mountain
2025-06-22 09:00 - 16:00
Summer Solstice Nature Hike on Pine Mountain

Above: The Channel Islands seen from Pine Mountain. Photo: Lanny Kaufer

Registration is now closed for this hike. (June 22, 8:00 a.m.)

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If you’ve ever walked or hiked with me, you’ve probably heard me speak of the special beauty of Pine Mountain. Experience it for yourself on our annual Summer Solstice Nature Hike on the Reyes Peak Trail. On Sunday, June 22, we’ll visit some of the most spectacular scenery and habitat that Ventura County has to offer just when many late spring wildflowers are blooming up there at an elevation of 7000 feet(!). According to Craig Carey, author of Hiking and Backpacking Santa Barbara and Ventura, the Reyes Peak Trail along the northern slope of the peak is “quite simply one of the most beautiful stretches in the southern Los Padres.”

The outing will start at 9:00 a.m. with a car caravan of about 35 miles up Highway 33 from the Maricopa Plaza, (1207 Maricopa Highway, Ojai, CA 93023) to the Reyes Peak trailhead. The final 5.5 miles are on a narrow, winding paved road and the very last half-mile is dirt. Trucks or SUV’s are preferred for the last stretch but most passenger cars with high clearance can also make the drive.

We will start walking into the Sespe Wilderness from the trailhead (where there is a restroom) at about 10:30 a.m., stop for lunch (not provided) in the forest, and return to the trailhead by 3:30 p.m., arriving back at the Maricopa Plaza by 4:00 p.m. We will hike on a well-used trail through Mixed Conifer Forest habitat, stopping often to identify and discuss native plants, birds and wildlife.

This intermediate level hike is suitable for moderately experienced hikers or physically fit beginners. There will be some elevation gain and loss skirting the north side of Reyes Peak, sometimes traversing steep hillsides on a narrow trail. The total hiking distance will be about 3 miles.

PLEASE NOTE: Those with respiratory or circulatory issues possibly affected by altitude should consult with a physician before attempting this hike.

Weather and marine layer permitting, we will have panoramic views of the Cuyama Valley to the north and the Channel Islands to the south from the “sky island” of Pine Mountain and Reyes Peak. This hike is another in a series of backcountry walks and hikes under an Operating Permit from the U.S. Forest Service designed for guides who provide recreational and interpretive services to the public. After the hike participants will receive a detailed follow-up email including a list of all plants identified.

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.

The cost for the hike is $45/person. Qualifying full-time students (13+) can attend for $35. Children 6-12 (one per adult) can attend for $25. Kids 5 and under are free (one per adult), subject to approval.

My 2021 book, Medicinal Herbs of California, will be available at the meeting place in the morning for sale and signing.

Lanny describes the needles of a White Fir sapling on the Reyes Peak Trail.

Rondia (center) and friends enjoying lunch. Photo: Chris Kudelka

Pine Mountain. Photo: Enrique Villaseñor

View north of the Cuyama Valley from Pine Mountain.

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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 $45/adult, $35/student, or $25/child (one per adult) as long as there is still time for mail delivery.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.

Nature Preserve Walk at Taft Gardens
2025-06-28 09:00 - 11:00 | Taft Gardens & Nature Preserve, Ojai, CA, 93023, United States
Nature Preserve Walk at Taft Gardens

Please note: This event is presented by the Conservation Endowment Fund (CEF), stewards of Taft Gardens & Nature Preserve. They are handling all registrations. To register for the event, please visit this page or email taftgardensvisitors@gmail.com.
Registrants will receive an email from CEF with detailed directions. Please do not try to find the venue by using other maps or GPS. Allow plenty of time to find the venue and to make your way up the miles-long driveway.
Please join me for my monthly Nature Preserve Walk at Taft Gardens on Saturday, June 28, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., meeting at 8:45 a.m. We will explore trails through the wild parts of the property, identify and discuss native plants, and observe birds and animal tracks in the context of local ecology.
This event is a perfect fit with my personal mission to open a space for people to connect with the natural world, starting with the plant kingdom. The diversity of plant communities and native species make Taft Nature Preserve the ideal place. Taft Gardens & Nature Preserve was featured in an L. A. Times article on “The 16 Most Beautiful and Inviting Public Gardens in Southern California” and included in the RedBook Magazine list of “The 12 Most Beautiful Botanical Gardens in the United States.”
The $35 cost includes a $10 donation to benefit the CEF, the non-profit steward of Taft Gardens & Nature Preserve.
I will have my mobile bookshop onsite after the walk, including my book, Medicinal Herbs of California, and Milt McAuley’s classic Wildflowers of the Santa Monica Mountains which features every plant we will see.
Please plan on leaving dogs and cigarettes at home. Thanks!

Carpinteria Salt Marsh Herb Walk
2025-06-29 10:00 - 12:00 | Carpinteria Salt Marsh Nature Park, 123 Ash Ave., Carpinteria, 93013, United States
Carpinteria Salt Marsh Herb Walk

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On Sunday, June 29, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. we will return to the Carpinteria Salt Marsh Nature Park, also known as El Estero, a rare salt wetland in Southern California. Nearly destroyed by development, the remaining estuary was restored in the late 1990s by a group of concerned citizens along with the City of Carpinteria, UCSB, and the Land Trust for Santa Barbara County. Completed in 1997, the 8-acre portion of the marsh owned by the City of Carpinteria was renamed the Carpinteria Salt Marsh Nature Park.

Leopard Shark. Video: Malia Smith

The park includes walking trails and interpretive signage. It is home to hundreds of migrating birds and other wildlife, including exotic sharks, rays and native fish when conditions are right. Depending on the tide level we may be able to see marine wildlife like the Shovelnose Guitarfish, Round Stingrays, Smoothhound Sharks or the Leopard Shark shown in Malia Smith’s video from our walk there in 2023.

There is a great variety of edible and medicinal plants of the Coastal Strand and Coastal Sage Scrub plant communities for us to see and learn from. Useful native plants there include Blue Elderberry, California Blackberry, Grindelia, Lemonade Berry, Mugwort, Pickleweed, Wild Rose, and Coastal Sagebrush.

Due to the sensitivity of the habitat, dogs are prohibited. No smoking, please.

The cost is $25 for all ages. Children 12-and-under are free, one per adult, by prior arrangement. No dogs or smoking, please. Registrants will receive a confirmation email with directions and all necessary info about a week before the hike and a follow-up email afterwards with a plant list and other info.

My 2021 book, Medicinal Herbs of California, along with the rest of my mobile bookshop, will be available where we park in the morning for sale and signing.

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Carpinteria Salt Marsh Herb Walk: Sunday, June 29

$26.36

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Category: Event Tickets, past

Note: Online payment includes a PayPal fee. If you prefer, when you register you can email register@herbwalks.com to request instructions for mailing a payment of $25, as long as there is still time for mail delivery.

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.

July Full Moon Sunset Nature Hike
2025-07-09 18:00 - 20:30
July Full Moon Sunset Nature Hike

Full moon rising over Sulphur Mountain. Photo: Roshelle Castillo

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On Wednesday evening, July 9, from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m., my wife Rondia and I will lead a Full Moon Sunset Nature Hike to a vista point above the Ojai Valley where we can watch the sunset afterglow and the rising of the full moon.

From the trailhead we’ll gradually walk about 1.5 miles on a well used dirt road with gradual elevation gain to the vista point, stopping along the way to meet some valuable edible and medicinal plants including, among others:

Blue ElderberryBlack Sage and Purple SageChia SageCoastal SagebrushPassion FruitYucca andPrickly-Pear

After witnessing the sunset and moonrise, we’ll walk back to the trailhead by remaining daylight, moonlight, and flashlight, returning to the trailhead at about 8:30. Registrants will receive instructions on where to park, what to bring, etc. Afterwards, they’ll get an email with a plant list and other notes.

My 2021 book, Medicinal Herbs of California, will be available at the trailhead for sale and signing.

In addition to the adult tickets ($35), tickets for students 13-17 ($25) and children 6-12 ($15) are also available. Children 5 and younger can attend free, one per adult. One supervising adult must accompany each child 12 years old or younger.

MY WEATHER POLICY: Walks and hikes will go on RAIN OR SHINE unless there is a steady downpour on the morning of the event, probability of thunderstorm, or a solid forecast of either the day before. Light rain or drizzle will not result in cancellation on my part. I will update registrants by email and text, as needed, and issue refunds if I need to cancel because of the weather.

MY 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.

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Herbal Skin Care with Emily Watson and Lanny Kaufer
2025-07-12 09:00 - 13:00
Herbal Skin Care with Emily Watson and Lanny Kaufer

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This workshop is full. Please email register@herbwalks.com to be added to the waiting list. Openings often come up in the last couple of days.

Join Emily Watson and Lanny Kaufer for a hands-on class combining a native plant walk and herbal remedy-making for radiant, natural skin care.

Join Emily Watson of Artemisia Academy and Lanny Kaufer of Herb Walks on Saturday, July 12, in Ojai to learn about herbal remedies for natural skin care and make your own mini facial kit. During this class, we will go on a 2-hour herb walk with Lanny and Emily at the Chumash Garden to learn about local and native plants for skin care. Then join Emily on the outdoor patio at Nutmeg’s Ojai House to make remedies for acne, oily skin, dry skin, sunburn, exfoliation, rejuvenation, lightening spots & wrinkles. At the end of the class, you will have a complete facial kit to take home with you: face scrub, face mask, & herbal face serum.

What you’ll learn/get:

Guided 2-hour herb walk to identify local and native plants used for skin care

Insight into herbal remedies for acne, oily skin, dry skin, sunburn, exfoliation, and rejuvenation

Hands-on instruction to make your own natural face scrub, mask, and herbal face serum

Learn how to lighten dark spots and reduce the appearance of wrinkles using herbal ingredients

A complete, custom mini facial kit to take home and use in your own self-care routine

ABOUT EMILY WATSON:

Director & Founder of the Artemisia AcademyCertified Clinical HerbalistCertified Clinical Nutritionist

Emily Watson is a certified “herb nerd” who loves connecting people with their own personalplant allies and their healer within. Born and raised in Santa Barbara, California. Emily has apassion for the California mountains and the stories of the plants and people that camebefore us. Her hope is to pass on the knowledge of sustainable living with practicalentrepreneurial skills, so that herbalists can create thriving practices that fully supportthemselves, their land, and their community.

You can find Emily online at:

Website: www.ArtemisiaAcademy.com

Instagram: @ArtemisiaAcademy

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/artemisiaacademy/

Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-watson-herbalist/

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, 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). Lanny hosts the Ojai Herbal Symposium and serves as chief consultant on medicinal plants for the Swimmer Medicinal Garden in Playa Vista.

You can find Lanny online at:

Website: HerbWalks.com

Instagram: @OjaiHerbal

Facebook: https://facebook.com/HerbWalks

Linked In: www.linkedin.com/in/lanny-kaufer-8019b4a9

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 about a week prior to the workshop with all necessary info, including weather forecast and parking directions, 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 is $60. There is a $5 cash materials fee collected that morning.

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TICKETS

Please be sure to REGISTER above before completing payment to secure your space.

This workshop is full. Please email register@herbwalks.com to be added to the waiting list. Openings often come up in the last couple of days.

Herbal Skin Care with Emily Watson: Saturday, July 12, 2025

$62.58

Herbal Skin Care with Emily Watson: Saturday, July 12, 2025 quantity

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Category: Event Tickets, past

Note: Online payment includes a PayPal fee. If you prefer, when you register you can request instructions for mailing a payment of $60 without added fee.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.

Ocean's Edge Trail Herb Walk
2025-07-27 09:00 - 12:00 | Emma Wood State Beach Group Campground, Park Access Rd., Ventura, California, 93001, United States
Ocean’s Edge Trail Herb Walk

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Join me on Sunday, July 27, from 9 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. to discover the variety of useful plants that live in the interface between land and sea on the Ocean’s Edge Trail in the Seaside Wilderness Park. Feel the sea breeze far from the inland heat while you enjoy the views and the plants.

Beach Sand-Verbena, Beachbur, Beach Morning-Glory and Ice Plant in their natural habitat. Photo by Rondia Kaufer

From streetside parking, we’ll walk into the Emma Wood Group Camp and start the herb walk on the ocean side. We’ll meet a variety of edible and medicinal plants, both native and non-native, identifying and learning about them with all of our senses. Then we’ll complete the loop on the Ocean’s Edge Trail in the sand dunes on the beach. All along the way, we will be discussing and demonstrating uses of the plants of the Riparian Woodland, Coastal Sage Scrub, and Coastal Strand plant communities. The total walking distance is 1.3 miles.

In addition to the adult tickets ($35), tickets for students 13-17 ($25) and children 6-12 ($15) are also available. See tickets below. One supervising adult must accompany each child 12 years old or younger.

Copies of my book, Medicinal Herbs of California, along with the rest of my mobile bookshop, will be on hand for sale and signing before and after the walk.

PARKING: We will park for free on the far end of West Main Street in Ventura, just before it enters the northbound 101 to Santa Barbara, outside the entrance to Seaside Wilderness Park. It’s also known as Emma Wood State Beach Group Campground (NOT the Emma Wood Beach RV Camp which is further on under the overpass). You are welcome to drive into the Group Camp to park but it costs $10.

MY WEATHER POLICY: Walks and hikes will go on RAIN OR SHINE unless there is a steady downpour on the morning of the event, probability of thunderstorm, or a solid forecast of either the day before. Light rain or drizzle will not result in cancellation on my part. I will update registrants by email and text, as needed, and issue refunds if I need to cancel because of the weather.

MY 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.

REGISTRATION

Please REGISTER HERE FIRST before completing payment below.

Notice: JavaScript is required for this content.

TICKETS

If you haven’t already, please REGISTER FIRST above before completing payment below.

Note: Online payment includes a PayPal fee. If you prefer, when you register you can request instructions for mailing a payment of $35/adult, $25/student, or $15/child (one per adult) as long as there is still time for mail delivery.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.

September Full Moon Sunset Nature Hike & After-Party
2025-09-06 17:30 - 20:00
September Full Moon Sunset Nature Hike & After-Party

Full moon rising over Sulphur Mountain, August 30, 2023. Photo: Joe P. Powers

JUMP TO REGISTRATION

Registration is now closed for this event. Please look at our calendar for the October Supermoon Sunset Nature Hike and other events.

On Saturday evening, September 6, from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m., my wife Rondia and I will lead a Full Moon Sunset Nature Hike to a place above the Ojai Valley where we can watch the sunset afterglow and the rising of the full moon over Sulphur Mountain. This is a unique Ojai experience made possible by trail access through an abundant chaparral landscape to an ideal vista point overlooking the east-west valley. All the while, the “pink moment” on the majestic Topa Topa Bluffs paints a commanding presence on the eastern horizon.
From the trailhead we’ll gradually walk about 1.5 miles on a well used dirt road with gradual elevation gain, stopping along the way to meet some valuable edible and medicinal plants including, among others:
Black and Purple SageCoastal SagebrushMugwortPassion FruitYucca andPrickly-Pear
After witnessing the sunset and moonrise, we’ll walk back to the trailhead by remaining daylight, moonlight, and flashlight, returning to the trailhead at about 8:00. Registrants will receive instructions on where to park, what to bring, etc.
The After-Party: Then at 8:00 p.m. you’re invited to join me and Rondia on the heated patio at Liz and Jeremy Haffner’s Ojai Valley Brewery. Brewmasters Jeremy, Griffin Davis, and their staff will be pouring their amazing locally-sourced beers, ales, stouts, wines, and non-alcoholic beverages as we celebrate the full moon while “La Luna” continues to rise in the eastern sky. El Maiz Mexican Food Truck will be there serving until 9:00 and a great reggae band, Adrian Floy & The Hearing Colors, is scheduled to play until 10:00. You are welcome to bring your own snacks or dinner, if you prefer.
Ojai Valley Brewery beers change with the seasons and reflect the plants of Ojai. Three staples you’re likely to find on the list any time of year are Sugar Bush IPA, brewed with wild local Ojai “Sugar Bush” Sumac; White Pixie Ale, brewed with Pixie tangerine zests and orchard blossoms; and an amazing Chaparral Ale flavored and bittered with White and Black Sage and local Sagebrush instead of the usual Hops. Jeremy describes it as “built to mimic the scent on Shelf Road.” That’s where we’ll be walking! Non-alcoholic offerings also change with the seasons and may include an Elderflower-Blackberry Spritzer.
Ojai Valley Brewery launched Side Street Wines in 2023 with winemaker Fabien Castel in charge. Fabien worked side by side with the legendary California winemaker Adam Tolmach at Ojai Vineyard for 20 years before joining forces with Liz and Jeremy.
Note: Food and drinks are not included in the price of the hike but OVB offers my hikers a 10% discount on beverages.
My 2021 book, Medicinal Herbs of California, will be available at the trailhead for sale and signing.
In addition to the adult tickets ($35), tickets for students 13-17 ($25) and children 6-12 ($15) are also available. Children 5 and younger are free. One supervising adult must accompany each child 12 years old or younger.
MY WEATHER POLICY: Walks and hikes will go on RAIN OR SHINE unless there is a steady downpour on the morning of the event, probability of thunderstorm, or a solid forecast of either the day before. Light rain or drizzle will not result in cancellation on my part. I will update registrants by email and text, as needed, and issue refunds if I need to cancel because of the weather.
MY 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.

REGISTRATION

Please REGISTER HERE FIRST before completing payment below.

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TICKETS

If you haven’t already up above, please REGISTER FIRST before completing payment below.

There are several ticket options. Please choose the one you qualify for.

Note: Online payment includes a PayPal fee. If you prefer, when you register you can request instructions for mailing a payment of $35/adult, $25/student, or $15/child (one per adult) as long as there is still time for mail delivery.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.

17th International Herb Symposium in Cincinnati and Online
2025-09-12 09:00 - 2025-09-14 17:00
17th International Herb Symposium in Cincinnati and Online

I am honored to be presenting two classes – one in-person and live-streamed and one online – at this year’s 17th International Herb Symposium in Cincinnati. Recordings of those classes and all the rest of the presentations will be available online for one year.

The IHS is the premier herbal conference of 2025, featuring renowned presenters like Rosemary Gladstar, Christopher Hobbs, David Winston, Matthew Wood, Emily Watson of Artemisia Academy, and many other noted herbalists and authors. Founded by Rosemary Gladstar in 1991, the IHS brings together plant lovers and herbalists from around the world, representing many traditions and aspects of herbalism: folkloric, scientific, community outreach and therapeutic applications, farming and gardening, ceremonial and plant spirit teachings, and many others. Hosted biennially, the Symposium also places a special emphasis on medicinal plant conservation and is held as a benefit conference for United Plant Savers, a non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of medicinal plants.

On Saturday, September 13, at 2:00 p.m. EDT in Cincinnati on the Main Stage in the historic Memorial Hall I will present a slideshow talk on “The Twisted History of Herbal Medicine in America.” Follow this link, scroll down to my Saturday class, and click to learn more about it. That presentation will also be live-streamed.

I will present a second slideshow talk, online-only, about the making of my book, Medicinal Herbs of California, entitled “More Than a Field Guide: Writing with Ecological and Cultural Respect.” That one is not posted yet. I will update this page when it is.

I’m happy to be able to offer you $50 off the in-person or online price of the Symposium. To redeem, you just need to:

Visit the International Herb Symposium website (https://www.internationalherbsymposium.com/)

Find the “Register” button or get there with this link: https://internationalherbsymposium.regfox.com/17th-ihs

Then enter the code SAVE50LANNY at checkout, and the $50 off will be automatically applied.

I hope to see some of you in Cincinnati or in the live-stream audience on September 13. For more information, please visit the IHS website at https://www.internationalherbsymposium.com.

Fall Equinox Walkabout at Taft Gardens & Nature Preserve
2025-09-20 09:00 - 12:00 | Taft Gardens & Nature Preserve, Ojai, CA, 93023, United States
Fall Equinox Walkabout at Taft Gardens & Nature Preserve

Four Directions Circle on the vista point at Taft Nature Preserve

Please note: This event is presented by the Conservation Endowment Fund (CEF), stewards of Taft Gardens & Nature Preserve. They are handling all registrations. To register for the event, please visit TaftGardens.org or email taftgardensvisitors@gmail.com.

Registrants will receive an email from CEF with detailed directions. Please do not try to find the venue by using other maps or GPS. Allow plenty of time to find the venue and to make your way up the miles-long driveway.

Please join me for a Fall Equinox Walkabout at Taft Gardens and Nature Preserve on Saturday, September 20, from 9 a.m. to 12 noon. “Walkabout” is a term rooted in traditional Australian culture, symbolizing a temporary return to a simpler way of life, often undertaken during intervals between modern societal obligations and usually involving a period of travel through the bush. That is the essence of what I have planned for you in observance of the Fall Equinox.

Our walkabout will begin in the Australian section of the Gardens and ascend through the wild plant communities in the Nature Preserve to a vista point adorned with a four-directions stone circle on a mesa with a 360 degree view. There we will align with the four directions as we interact with the annual solar cycle and our own ancestral origins somewhere on Planet Earth.

As we do on my monthly Nature Education walks at the Taft Ranch, together we will identify and discuss useful plants and observe birds and animal signs with a focus on survival in the wild. My intention is to create a space for people to connect with the natural world by learning the language of nature.

ABOUT TAFT GARDENS & NATURE PRESERVE:A project of the nonprofit Conservation Endowment Fund, Taft Gardens and Nature Preserve was described for years as one of Ojai’s best-kept secrets. Not anymore! This botanical gem was featured in an L. A. Times article on “The 16 Most Beautiful and Inviting Public Gardens in Southern California” and included in the RedBook Magazine list of “The 12 Most Beautiful Botanical Gardens in the United States.”

ABOUT LANNY KAUFER:Lanny Kaufer has been leading herb walks and nature hikes, as well as foraging and medicinal plant workshops, since 1976, focusing on ethnobotany, the academic term for the human uses of plants. He is the author of Medicinal Herbs of California, published by Falcon Guides in December of 2021 and now in its third printing. Copies will be available for sale and signing after the walkabout.

Please note: This event is presented by the Conservation Endowment Fund (CEF), stewards of Taft Gardens & Nature Preserve. They are handling all registrations. To register for the event, please visit TaftGardens.org or email taftgardensvisitors@gmail.com.

Registrants will receive an email from CEF with detailed directions. Please do not try to find the venue by using other maps or GPS. Allow plenty of time to find the venue and to make your way up the miles-long driveway.

Fall Equinox Nature Hike on Pine Mountain
2025-09-28 09:00 - 16:30
Fall Equinox Nature Hike on Pine Mountain

Above: Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa Islands seen from Pine Mountain. Photo: Erika Klohe

JUMP TO REGISTRATION

Registration is closed for this hike. Thank you for your interest.

On Sunday, September 28, I will lead my 12th annual Fall Equinox Nature Hike in the peaceful Mixed Conifer Forest on the “sky island” known as Pine Mountain (elevation: 7000 feet). I promise that first time visitors to this area will be surprised and delighted to find a thick forest of pine, fir and incense-cedar so close to the Ventura coast. If we’re lucky, pine nuts will be falling as we walk.

Weather and marine layer permitting, we will have panoramic views of the Cuyama Valley to the north and the Channel Islands to the south. According to Craig Carey, author of Hiking and Backpacking Santa Barbara and Ventura, the Reyes Peak Trail along the northern slope of the peak is “quite simply one of the most beautiful stretches in the southern Los Padres.”

Biogeographers include Pine Mountain in a select group of “sky islands,” defined as isolated mountains surrounded by radically different lowland environments. We can expect to see several high-altitude plants and trees like White Fir, Sugar Pine, Sierra Gooseberry, Wax Currant, and White Bark Raspberry that are more commonly found in the Southern Sierra Nevada mountains.

The outing will start at 9:00 a.m. with a car caravan (or carpool for those open to it) of about 36 miles up Highway 33 from the Maricopa Plaza, (1207 Maricopa Highway, Ojai, CA 93023) to the Reyes Peak trailhead. The last 6.5 miles include 5.5 miles on a narrow, winding, paved road and the very last mile on a dirt road. Trucks or SUV’s are preferred for the last stretch but most passenger cars with reasonable front axle clearance can make the drive.

We will start walking into the Sespe Wilderness from the trailhead (where there is a restroom) at about 10:30 a.m., stop for lunch (not provided) in the forest, and return to the trailhead by about 4:00 p.m., arriving back at the Maricopa Plaza by about 4:30 p.m. We will hike on a well-used trail through mixed conifer forest habitat, stopping often to identify and discuss native plants, birds and wildlife.

This intermediate level hike is suitable for fit, moderately experienced hikers or physically fit beginners. There will be some elevation gain and loss skirting the north side of Reyes Peak, sometimes traversing across steep hillsides on a narrow trail. The total hiking distance will be about 3 miles. PLEASE NOTE: Those with respiratory or circulatory issues possibly affected by altitude of 7000 feet should consult with a physician before attempting this hike.

This is another in a series of backcountry walks and hikes under an Operating Permit from the Ojai Ranger District Office of the U.S. Forest Service designed for guides who provide recreational and interpretive services to the public. After the hike participants will receive a detailed follow-up email including a list of all plants and wildlife identified.

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.

The cost for the hike is $45/person. Qualifying full-time students (13+) can attend for $35. Children 6-12 (one per adult) can attend for $25. Kids 5 and under are free (one per adult), subject to approval.

My 2021 book, Medicinal Herbs of California, will be available at the meeting place in the morning for sale and signing.

Lanny describes the needles of a White Fir sapling on the Reyes Peak Trail.

Rondia (center) and friends enjoying lunch. Photo: Chris Kudelka

Pine Mountain. Photo: Enrique Villaseñor

View north of the Cuyama Valley from Pine Mountain.

REGISTRATION

Please REGISTER HERE FIRST before completing payment below.

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TICKETS

If you haven’t already up above, please REGISTER FIRST before completing payment below.

Note: Online payment includes a PayPal fee. If you prefer, when you register you can request instructions for mailing a payment of $45/adult, $35/student, or $25/child (one per adult) as long as there is still time for mail delivery.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.

October Supermoon Sunset Nature Hike
2025-10-07 17:30 - 20:00
October Supermoon Sunset Nature Hike

Full moon rising over Topa Topa Bluffs. Photo: Carla Cahill

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When a full moon takes place while the moon is near its closest approach to Earth, it is called a Super Full Moon or Supermoon. On Tuesday evening, October 7, from 5:30:00 to 8:00 p.m., my wife Rondia and I will lead a Supermoon Sunset Nature Hike to a vista point above the Ojai Valley where we can watch the rising of the Super Full Moon over the iconic Topa Topa Bluffs to the east and the sunset afterglow over the mountains to the west.

Sunset over Ojai Valley in October, 2023, during full moon nature hike. Photo: Jenni Campbell

From the trailhead we’ll gradually walk about 1.5 miles on a well used dirt road with gradual elevation gain to the vista point, stopping along the way to meet some valuable edible and medicinal plants including, among others:

California BuckwheatPurple SageCoastal SagebrushPassion FruitYucca andBrickellbush

After witnessing the sunset and moonrise, we’ll walk back to the trailhead by remaining daylight, moonlight, and flashlight, returning to the trailhead at about 8:00. Registrants will receive instructions on where to park, what to bring, etc. Afterwards, they’ll get an email with a plant list and other notes.

My 2021 book, Medicinal Herbs of California, will be available at the trailhead for sale and signing.

In addition to the adult tickets ($35), tickets for students 13-17 ($25) and children 6-12 ($15) are also available. Children 5 and younger can attend free, one per adult. One supervising adult must accompany each child 12 years old or younger.

MY WEATHER POLICY: Walks and hikes will go on RAIN OR SHINE unless there is a steady downpour on the morning of the event, probability of thunderstorm, or a solid forecast of either the day before. Light rain or drizzle will not result in cancellation on my part. I will update registrants by email and text, as needed, and issue refunds if I need to cancel because of the weather.

MY 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.

REGISTRATION

Please REGISTER HERE FIRST before completing payment below.

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TICKETS

If you haven’t already done so up above, please REGISTER FIRST before completing payment below.

Carpinteria Salt Marsh Herb Walk
2025-10-26 10:00 - 12:00 | Carpinteria Salt Marsh Nature Park, 123 Ash Ave., Carpinteria, 93013, United States
Carpinteria Salt Marsh Herb Walk

PLEASE NOTE: Registration is closed for this event (10/26/25, 8:10 a.m.)

JUMP TO REGISTRATION

On Sunday, October 26, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. we will return to the Carpinteria Salt Marsh Nature Park for the second and last time this year. Also known as El Estero, the Nature Park is a rare saltwater wetland in Southern California. Nearly destroyed by development, the remaining estuary was restored in the late 1990s by a group of concerned citizens along with the City of Carpinteria, UCSB, and the Land Trust for Santa Barbara County. Completed in 1997, the 8-acre portion of the marsh owned by the City of Carpinteria was renamed the Carpinteria Salt Marsh Nature Park.

Leopard Shark. Video: Malia Smith

The park includes walking trails and interpretive signage. It is home to hundreds of migrating birds and other wildlife, including exotic sharks, rays and native fish when conditions are right. Depending on the tide level we may be able to see marine wildlife like the Shovelnose Guitarfish, Round Stingrays, Smoothhound Sharks or the Leopard Shark shown in Malia Smith’s video from our walk there in 2023.

There is a great variety of edible and medicinal plants of the Coastal Strand and Coastal Sage Scrub plant communities for us to see and learn from. Useful native plants there include Blue Elderberry, California Blackberry, Grindelia, Lemonade Berry, Mugwort, Pickleweed, Wild Rose, and Coastal Sagebrush.

Due to the sensitivity of the habitat, dogs are prohibited. No smoking, please.

The cost is $25 for all ages. Children 12-and-under are free, one per adult, by prior arrangement. No dogs or smoking, please. Registrants will receive a confirmation email with directions and all necessary info about a week before the hike and a follow-up email afterwards with a plant list and other info.

My 2021 book, Medicinal Herbs of California, along with the rest of my mobile bookshop, will be available where we park in the morning for sale and signing.

REGISTRATION

Please REGISTER HERE FIRST before completing payment below.

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TICKETS

If you haven’t already, please REGISTER FIRST above before completing payment below.

Note: Online payment includes a PayPal fee. If you prefer, when you register you can email register@herbwalks.com to request instructions for mailing a payment of $25, as long as there is still time for mail delivery.

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.

November Supermoon Sunset Nature Hike
2025-11-05 15:30 - 18:00
November Supermoon Sunset Nature Hike

Full moon over Topa Topa Bluffs. Oil on linen painting, “Sunswept” by Jennifer Moses (jennifermoses.com)

JUMP TO REGISTRATION

Sometimes, we’ll see a supermoon two, or even three, months in a row. That will be the case on Wednesday evening, November 5, when Rondia and I lead a second back-to-back Supermoon Sunset Nature Hike from 3:30 to 6:00 p.m. (The third consecutive supermoon will be in December. See that event listing for details.) From the trailhead we’ll gradually walk about 1.5 miles on a well used dirt road with gradual elevation gain to a vista point above the Ojai Valley where we can watch the rising of the moon over the iconic Topa Topa Bluffs to the east amidst Ojai’s famed “pink moment.” At the same time, as happens during a full moon, the sun will be setting over the mountains to the west.

These synchronistic phenomena are beautifully captured in Ojai artist Jennifer Moses‘ oil on linen painting, “Sunswept.”

Sunset over Ojai Valley in late October, 2020, during full moon nature hike. Photo: Robin Kent

On the way up in the daylight, we’ll stop along the way to meet some valuable edible and medicinal plants including, among others:

California BuckwheatPurple SageCoastal SagebrushPassion FruitYucca andBrickellbush

After witnessing the sunset and moonrise, we’ll walk back to the trailhead by remaining daylight, moonlight, and flashlight, returning to the trailhead at about 6:00. Registrants will receive instructions on where to park, what to bring, etc. Afterwards, they’ll get an email with a plant list and other notes.

My 2021 book, Medicinal Herbs of California, will be available at the trailhead for sale and signing.

If enough people are interested, we can go to Ojai Valley Brewery after the hike for a potluck on the patio where we can continue to watch the supermoon. Their local herb-infused beers are the perfect complement to our hike among the very plants they use.

In addition to the adult tickets ($35), tickets for students 13-17 ($25) and children 6-12 ($15) are also available. Children 5 and younger can attend free, one per adult. One supervising adult must accompany each child 12 years old or younger.

MY WEATHER POLICY: Walks and hikes will go on RAIN OR SHINE unless there is a steady downpour on the morning of the event, probability of thunderstorm, or a solid forecast of either the day before. Light rain or drizzle will not result in cancellation on my part. I will update registrants by email and text, as needed, and issue refunds if I need to cancel because of the weather.

MY 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.

REGISTRATION

Please REGISTER HERE FIRST before completing payment below.

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TICKETS

If you haven’t already done so up above, please REGISTER FIRST before completing payment below.

Cold Care Herb Walk + Workshop with Emily Watson and Lanny Kaufer
2025-11-08 09:00 - 13:00
Cold Care Herb Walk + Workshop with Emily Watson & Lanny Kaufer

Join Emily Watson of Artemisia Academy and Lanny Kaufer of Ojai Herb Walks for an outdoor, seasonal workshop on herbal remedies for supporting the immune system and easing coughs and colds. We’ll begin with a 2-hour herb walk to discover native and local plants traditionally used for respiratory health, immunity, and cold-season care. Then, in the hands-on portion, Emily will guide you through making a potent sinus steam and a delicious elderberry syrup. At the end of class, you’ll take home your remedies and the knowledge to make them again.

What You’ll Learn/Get:

Guided 2-hour herb walk to identify native and local plants for immune and respiratory health

Learn about herbal allies for colds, flu, and coughs — including elderberry, mullein, yerba santa, California everlasting flowers, and more

Hands-on instruction to make your own syrups & sinus steams

Tips on safe herbal preparation, storage, and dosage for adults and children

REGISTRATION:

For registration and tickets, please visit ArtemisiaAcademy.com.

ABOUT EMILY WATSON:

Director & Founder of the Artemisia AcademyCertified Clinical HerbalistCertified Clinical Nutritionist

Emily Watson is a certified “herb nerd” who loves connecting people with their own personalplant allies and their healer within. Born and raised in Santa Barbara, California. Emily has apassion for the California mountains and the stories of the plants and people that camebefore us. Her hope is to pass on the knowledge of sustainable living with practicalentrepreneurial skills, so that herbalists can create thriving practices that fully supportthemselves, their land, and their community.

You can find Emily online at:

Website: www.ArtemisiaAcademy.com

Instagram: @ArtemisiaAcademy

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/artemisiaacademy/

Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-watson-herbalist/

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, 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). Lanny hosts the Ojai Herbal Symposium and serves as chief consultant on medicinal plants for the Swimmer Medicinal Garden in Playa Vista.

You can find Lanny online at:

Website: HerbWalks.com

Instagram: @OjaiHerbal

Facebook: https://facebook.com/HerbWalks

Linked In: www.linkedin.com/in/lanny-kaufer-8019b4a9

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 about a week prior to the workshop with all necessary info, including weather forecast and parking directions, 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 is $60. There is a $10 cash Materials fee paid directly to the instructors at the beginning of the workshop.

Cancellation policy: We will refund your payment if you notify us up to 72 hours (3 days) before the start of the event. After that we will make every effort to fill your space but cannot guarantee it.

Herbal Skin Care with Emily Watson: Saturday, July 12, 2025

$62.58

Herbal Skin Care with Emily Watson: Saturday, July 12, 2025 quantity

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Category: Event Tickets, past

December Supermoon Sunset Nature Hike & After-Party
2025-12-05 16:30 - 19:00
December Supermoon Sunset Nature Hike & After-Party

Photo of full moon over Topa Topa Bluffs during “pink moment” by Stephen Adams (stephenadamsphoto.com)

12/4/25 This event is full. Please email register@herbwalks.com to join the waiting list.

JUMP TO REGISTRATION

Sometimes, we’ll see a supermoon two, or even three, months in a row. On Friday evening, December 5, Rondia and I will lead a third back-to-back Supermoon Sunset Nature Hike from 4:30 to 7:00 p.m. From the trailhead we’ll gradually walk about 1.5 miles on a well used dirt road with gradual elevation gain to a vista point above the Ojai Valley where we can watch the rising of the moon over the iconic Topa Topa Bluffs to the east amidst Ojai’s famed “pink moment.” At the same time, as happens during a full moon, the sun will be setting over the mountains to the west.

These synchronistic seasonal phenomena are beautifully captured in Stephen Adams’ photo above and by Ojai artist Jennifer Moses in her oil-on-linen painting below, “Sunswept.”

Oil-on-linen painting “Sunswept” by Jennifer Moses (jennifermoses.com)

On the way up in the daylight, we’ll stop along the way to meet some valuable edible and medicinal plants including, among others:

California BuckwheatBlack and Purple SageCoastal SagebrushToyonHorehoundPassion FruitYucca andBrickellbush

After witnessing the sunset and moonrise, we’ll walk back to the trailhead by remaining daylight, moonlight, and flashlight, returning to the trailhead at about 7:00. Registrants will receive instructions on where to park, what to bring, etc. Afterwards, they’ll get an email with a plant list and other notes.

The After-Party: Then at 7:00 p.m. you’re invited to join me and Rondia on the heated patio at Liz and Jeremy Haffner’s Ojai Valley Brewery. Brewmasters Jeremy, Griffin Davis, and their staff will be pouring their amazing locally-sourced beers, ales, stouts, wines, and non-alcoholic beverages as we celebrate the full moon while “La Luna” continues to rise in the eastern sky. Noody Bowlz Food Cart will be there serving until 9:00. Here is what they say on their website: “The Noody Bowlz cart serves steaming hot bold flavored sauces on top of perfectly cooked chilled noodles, creating warm delicious bite after bite.” You also are welcome to bring your own snacks or dinner, if you prefer.

Ojai Valley Brewery beers change with the seasons and reflect the plants of Ojai. Three staples you’re likely to find on the list any time of year are Sugar Bush IPA, brewed with wild local Ojai “Sugar Bush” Sumac; White Pixie Ale, brewed with Pixie tangerine zests and orchard blossoms; and an amazing Chaparral Ale flavored and bittered with White and Black Sage and local Sagebrush instead of the usual Hops. Jeremy describes it as “built to mimic the scent on Shelf Road.” That’s where we’ll be walking! Non-alcoholic offerings also change with the seasons and may include an Elderflower-Blackberry Spritzer.

Ojai Valley Brewery launched Side Street Wines in 2023 with winemaker Fabien Castel in charge. Fabien worked side by side with the legendary California winemaker Adam Tolmach at Ojai Vineyard for 20 years before joining forces with Liz and Jeremy.

Note: Food and drinks are not included in the price of the hike but OVB offers my hikers a 10% discount on beverages.

PLUS! Special Free Moon Viewing Event: After the supermoon hike, join our special guest, Julie Esmond of Alta Vista Tours, on the patio at Ojai Valley Brewery for telescope viewing of the Moon.

Her astronomy guide Luc, who holds a degree in astrophysics and has led hundreds of telescope nights, will reveal the moon’s craters and maria (ancient lava seas) in stunning detail through a high-powered telescope — features invisible to the naked eye but breathtaking up close. If conditions allow, we may also spot Jupiter and Saturn. This added event is weather-dependent, though December typically brings clear skies to Ojai.

My 2021 book, Medicinal Herbs of California, will be available at the trailhead for sale and signing.

In addition to the adult tickets ($35), tickets for students 13-17 ($25) and children 6-12 ($15) are also available. Children 5 and younger can attend free, one per adult. One supervising adult must accompany each child 12 years old or younger.

WEATHER POLICY: Walks and hikes will go on RAIN OR SHINE unless there is a steady downpour on the morning of the event, probability of thunderstorm, or a solid forecast of either the day before. Light rain or drizzle will not result in cancellation on my part. I will update registrants by email and text, as needed, and issue refunds if I need to cancel because of the weather.

DOG POLICY: Years of experience have taught me that dogs on herb walks, even on a leash, are not a good fit. They can transfer poison oak oil on their fur, may accidentally frighten another hiker who has a fear of dogs, or may end up in a confrontation with another dog, all despite the the best intentions of the owner and the pet.

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.

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Nature Preserve Walk at Taft Gardens
2025-12-13 10:00 - 12:00 | Taft Gardens & Nature Preserve, Ojai, CA, 93023, United States
Nature Preserve Walk at Taft Gardens

Please note: This event is presented by the Conservation Endowment Fund (CEF), stewards of Taft Gardens & Nature Preserve. They are handling all registrations. To register for the event, please visit this page or email taftgardensvisitors@gmail.com.
Registrants will receive an email from CEF with detailed directions. Please do not try to find the venue by using other maps or GPS. Allow plenty of time to find the venue and to make your way up the miles-long driveway.
Please join me for my monthly Nature Preserve Walk at Taft Gardens on Saturday, December 13, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., meeting at 9:45 a.m. We will explore trails through the wild parts of the property, identify and discuss native plants, and observe birds and animal tracks in the context of local ecology.
This event is a perfect fit with my personal mission to open a space for people to connect with the natural world, starting with the plant kingdom. The diversity of plant communities and native species make Taft Nature Preserve the ideal place. Taft Gardens & Nature Preserve was featured in an L. A. Times article on “The 16 Most Beautiful and Inviting Public Gardens in Southern California” and included in the RedBook Magazine list of “The 12 Most Beautiful Botanical Gardens in the United States.”
The $35 cost includes a $10 donation to benefit the CEF, the non-profit steward of Taft Gardens & Nature Preserve.
I will have my mobile bookshop onsite after the walk, including my book, Medicinal Herbs of California, and Milt McAuley’s classic Wildflowers of the Santa Monica Mountains which features every plant we will see.
Please plan on leaving dogs and cigarettes at home. Thanks!

Slideshow Herbal Course at Native Plant Fest
2026-01-24 12:00 - 13:00 | Oxnard Performing Arts Center, 800 Hobson Way, Oxnard, California, 93030, United States
Slideshow Herbal Course at Native Plant Fest

I’ll be giving a slideshow Herbal Course on edible and medicinal native plants of Ventura County at 12 noon at the 5th Annual Native Plant Fest on the grounds of the Oxnard Performing Arts Center (OPAC).

The Native Plant Fest is a FREE event that runs from 11 a.m to 4 p.m. and brings together our community to celebrate and showcase local plant-inspired culture, food, traditions, and creativity! This festival is community-led by plant enthusiasts of diverse backgrounds who will share their plants, services, artwork, culinary creations, products, educational resources, and much more!

Local native plant growers will have a variety of plants for sale and will provide the info needed for growing them successfully. November through the Spring is prime native planting season in California and OPAC wants to bring together seasoned and newbie plant aficionados for this special event.Guests will enjoy:

An Opening Blessing and Land Acknowledgment

Vendors selling art, crafts, plants, garden accessories, food, and more!

Interactive activities and art-making

Food Trucks

Educational speakers and workshops (including my talk)

Nonprofit exhibitors offering free plants, information and resources

Special musical performances

There’s plenty for kids to do too, such as making seed bombs, flower crowns and much, much more.

For full information about Native Plant Fest 2026, please visit https://www.theopac.org/native-plant-fest

Wetland Walk at Ojai Meadows Preserve
2026-01-25 10:00 - 12:00 | Ojai Meadows Preserve, 1601 Maricopa Highway, Ojai, CA, 93023, United States
Wetland Walk at Ojai Meadows Preserve

Photo of main pool with tules growing and Topa Topa Bluffs in the background by Lanny Kaufer 3/27/23

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It’s been 2 years since we had a winter like this to experience the wetland at the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy’s Ojai Meadows Preserve. Please join me and my wife Rondia for a leisurely nature walk on the historic wetland on Sunday, January 25, from 10:00 to 12:00 p.m. We’ll identify native plants that have been used for centuries by the Chumash and other Indigenous people of California for shelter, food, medicine, fiber, ceremony and much more. Gardeners will discover how these plants can be used in home yard and garden landscapes.

We’ll view first-hand the many benefits of the preservation and restoration of this special piece of land by the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy (OVLC). In the main pond at the lowest spot in the wetland, we’ll likely see waterfowl and typical wetland plants such as tules and cattails. This winter’s rains have brought up several smaller vernal pools as well. This walk is presented under a Special Use Permit from OVLC.

Before the walk, I’ll have my mobile bookshop on display, including copies of my book, Medicinal Herbs of California, available for sale and signing. A number of plants that we will meet can be found in the book. I’ll also have Milt McAuley’s classic Wildflowers of the Santa Monica Mountains which includes every plant we’ll see.

Paid registrants will receive a confirmation email with parking directions, what to bring, etc. Afterwards, they will get a follow-up email with a list of all plants and wildlife seen.

No dogs or smoking, please.

Photo of Ojai Meadows Preserve main pool: Steve Adams (stephenadamsphoto.com)

For decades the wetland was buried under sediment and fill dirt from nearby construction. A grove of non-native Eucalyptus trees was planted in the 1950s, negating the possibility of native habitat returning on its own. The property also was threatened with the possibility of a shopping center and parking lots. The meadows were acquired in 2000 by OVLC with an outpouring of community support to protect them. Most of the $1.35M came from 140 citizens and businesses, who demonstrated their commitment to preserving the meadows’ natural beauty. Flood waters from Nordhoff High School and Maricopa Highway were diverted onto the meadows bringing wildlife back to the area. Native plant restoration is an ongoing project.

Flooding on Highway 33 BEFORE restoration of Ojai Meadows Preserve. Photo:Ojai Valley Land Conservancy

Same section of highway AFTER diversion of water into historical wetland at Ojai Meadows Preserve. Photo: Ojai Valley land Conservancy

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Wetland Walk at Ojai Meadows Preserve: Sunday, January 25

$26.36

Wetland Walk at Ojai Meadows Preserve: Sunday, January 25 quantity

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Category: Event Tickets, past

Note: Online payment includes a PayPal fee. If you prefer, when you register you can email register@herbwalks.com to request instructions for mailing a payment of $25, as long as there is still time for mail delivery.

Child discounts (1/2 price) available by request for children 12-and-under. One adult must accompany each minor child.

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.

February Full Moon Sunset Nature Hike
2026-02-01 16:00 - 18:30
February Full Moon Sunset Nature Hike

Full moon over Topa Topa Bluffs. Photo by Joe P. Powers

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On Sunday evening, February 1, from 4:00 to 6:30 p.m., my wife Rondia and I will lead the first Full Moon Sunset Nature Hike of 2026, my 50th year of leading Herb Walks! We’ll hike to a vista point above the Ojai Valley where we can watch the sunset afterglow and the full moon rise over the Topa Topa Bluffs.

Registrants will receive instructions by email on where to park, what to bring, etc. From the trailhead we’ll gradually walk about 1.5 miles on a well used dirt road with gradual elevation gain to the vista point, stopping along the way to meet some valuable edible and medicinal plants including, among others:

Blue ElderberryBlack and Purple SageHorehoundCoastal SagebrushPassion FruitYucca andPrickly-Pear

After witnessing the sunset and moonrise, we’ll walk back to the trailhead by remaining daylight, moonlight, and flashlight, returning to the trailhead at about 6:30.

Sunset over Ojai Valley in late October, 2020, during full moon nature hike. Photo: Robin Kent

My 2021 book, Medicinal Herbs of California, will be available at the trailhead for sale and signing.

In addition to the adult tickets ($35), tickets for students 13-17 ($25) and children 6-12 ($15) are also available. Children 5 and younger can attend free, one per adult. One supervising adult must accompany each child 12 years old or younger.

MY WEATHER POLICY: Walks and hikes will go on RAIN OR SHINE unless there is a steady downpour on the morning of the event, probability of thunderstorm, or a solid forecast of either the day before. Light rain or drizzle will not result in cancellation on my part. I will update registrants by email and text, as needed, and issue refunds if I need to cancel because of the weather.

MY 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.

REGISTRATION

Please REGISTER HERE FIRST before completing payment below.

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TICKETS

If you haven’t already done so up above, please REGISTER FIRST before completing payment below.

CANCELLED: Presidents' Day Herb Walk on San Antonio Creek Trail
2026-02-16 10:00 - 12:30 | Tucker’s Grove County Park, 4800 Cathedral Oaks Rd., Goleta, CA, 93111, United States
CANCELLED: Presidents’ Day Herb Walk on San Antonio Creek Trail

Lanny grazing in the grass along San Antonio Creek. Photo by James Wapotich

This walk is cancelled due to forecast of significant rain. It has been rescheduled for Saturday, March 14. Please visit this link to learn more and sign up.

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I’m honored to share that I am officially entering my 50th year of leading Herb Walks in Ojai, Santa Barbara, and the surrounding areas! 🌿

To celebrate this anniversary, I’m returning to where it all began. On Presidents’ Day (Monday, Feb 16), I’ll be leading a walk on the San Antonio Creek Trail—the very same trail where I attended my first plant walk in the early ’70s with the legendary Chumash expert, the late Juanita Centeno.

During this walk, I’ll be focusing on Juanita’s teachings regarding the Chumash ways of respecting nature’s gifts. We’ll look for Black Sage, Hummingbird Sage, Wild Rose, and more. It’s a chance to slow down, identify the food and medicine growing around us, and honor the lineage of this knowledge.

San Antonio Creek. Photo by James Wapotich

Trailside discussion will include sustainable foraging, edible and medicinal plant uses, native plant gardens, and other topics generated by the participants. This slow-paced walk is suitable for all hikers able to walk less than 2 miles round-trip on a level trail and stand for periods of time. Participants will receive an email afterwards with a plant list (including common and scientific names) and other useful notes.

No dogs or smoking, please.

Before the walk, I will have my mobile bookstore on display, including copies of my book, Medicinal Herbs ofCalifornia, available for sale and signing. Walk with me on the first Santa Barbara area walk of 2026 as I celebrate 50 years of leading herb walks!

Registration

Please REGISTER HERE FIRST before completing payment below.

Notice: JavaScript is required for this content.

Tickets

If you haven’t already up above, please REGISTER FIRST before completing payment below.

Note: Online payment includes a PayPal fee. If you prefer, when you register you can request instructions for mailing a payment of $35/adult, $25/student, or $15/child (one per adult) as long as there is still time for mail delivery.

MY WEATHER POLICY: Walks and hikes will go on RAIN OR SHINE unless there is a steady downpour on the morning of the event, probability of thunderstorm, or a solid forecast of either the day before. Light rain or drizzle will not result in cancellation on my part. I will update registrants by email and text, as needed, and issue refunds if I need to cancel because of the weather.

MY 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.

Nature Preserve Walk at Taft Gardens
2026-02-21 09:00 - 11:00 | Taft Gardens & Nature Preserve, Ojai, CA, 93023, United States
Nature Preserve Walk at Taft Gardens

Please note: This event is presented by the Conservation Endowment Fund (CEF), stewards of Taft Gardens & Nature Preserve. They are handling all registrations. To register for the event, please visit this page or email taftgardensvisitors@gmail.com.
Registrants will receive an email from CEF with detailed directions. Please do not try to find the venue by using other maps or GPS. Allow plenty of time to find the venue and to make your way up the miles-long driveway.
Please join me for one of my occasional Nature Preserve Walks at Taft Gardens on Saturday, February 21, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., meeting at 8:45 a.m. We will explore trails through the wild parts of the property, identify and discuss native plants, and observe birds and animal tracks in the context of local ecology.
This event is a perfect fit with my personal mission to open a space for people to connect with the natural world, starting with the plant kingdom. The diversity of plant communities and native species make Taft Nature Preserve the ideal place. Taft Gardens & Nature Preserve was featured in an L. A. Times article on “The 16 Most Beautiful and Inviting Public Gardens in Southern California” and included in the RedBook Magazine list of “The 12 Most Beautiful Botanical Gardens in the United States.”
The $35 cost includes a $10 donation to benefit the CEF, the non-profit steward of Taft Gardens & Nature Preserve.
I will have my mobile bookshop onsite after the walk, including my book, Medicinal Herbs of California, and Milt McAuley’s classic Wildflowers of the Santa Monica Mountains which features every plant we will see.
Please plan on leaving dogs and cigarettes at home. Thanks!

Foraging & Firemaking with Christopher Nyerges
2026-02-28 10:00 - 16:00 | Euterpe Farms “tienda”, 587 S. Rice Road, Ojai, CA, 93023, United States
Foraging & Firemaking with Christopher Nyerges

Christopher demonstrating primitive firemaking at a previous Ojai workshop. Photo: Lanny Kaufer

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REGISTRATION IS CLOSED FOR THIS EVENT (2/27/26)

Join me and renowned author/forager/survivalist Christopher Nyerges on Saturday, February 28, at Euterpe Farms in Ojai for an outdoor Foraging & Firemaking workshop. This workshop is based on Christopher’s many books, including Foraging California and How to Survive Anywhere.

Participants will:

learn to identify edible, medicinal, and useful plants and mushrooms

forage wild foods for our meal

learn the 4 basic principles of making fire and practice 2 or 3 ways of matchless firestarting

learn and practice hand drill firemaking

try bow drill firemaking with Christopher’s kit

enjoy a foraged meal cooked over a campfire

process acorns and/or black walnuts for eating, time permitting

The workshop will begin with a morning foraging walk among the native plants on the fringes of Euterpe Farms, bordering the Ventura River Preserve. The afternoon workshop will take place in a grassy area. Everyone will have a chance to participate in all activities.

After the workshop, Christopher and I will have our mobile bookstores on display, including copies of my book, Medicinal Herbs ofCalifornia, and several of Christopher’s many books, available for sale and signing.

Christopher Nyerges is an author, forager, survivalist and ethnobotanist with a lifelong interest in how native peoples lived off the land. He has been teaching classes and leading field trips since 1974 to over 40,000 students. Nyerges has authored nearly two dozen books, including Foraging California, How to Survive Anywhere, Guide to Wild Foods, Nuts and Berries of California, Extreme Simplicity, and many others. Chicago Review Press, the publishers of the late Larry Dean Olsen’s Outdoor Survival Skills, asked Christopher to lightly edit the 7th edition of that classic book and add color photos and a new foreword.

Christopher was the editor of American Survival Guide magazine and served as editor of Wilderness Way magazine for 7 years. He has written several thousand newspaper and magazine articles in such publications as the Los Angeles Times, Pasadena Star News, Pasadena Weekly, Whole Life Times, Countryside, Mother Earth News, Acres USA, American Survival Guide, and others.

He has appeared on the late Huell Howser’s public television series on California, KCET’s “Life and Times,” and National Geographic’s “Doomsday Preppers.” For two years, he appeared on Fox TV’s “X Show,” where he demonstrated survival skills on the streets of Los Angeles. He currently serves as a consultant to the “Naked and Afraid” show on Discovery. Christopher Nyerges’ web site is SchoolofSelf-Reliance.com.

REGISTRATION INFO: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 for adults and $45 for children under 18 (one per adult). 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.

REGISTRATION

REGISTRATION IS CLOSED FOR THIS EVENT (2/27/26)

Please REGISTER HERE FIRST before completing payment below.

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TICKETS

If you haven’t already up above, please REGISTER FIRST before completing payment below.

Note: Online payment includes a PayPal fee. If you prefer, when you register you can request instructions for mailing a payment of $85/adult or $45/child (one per adult) as long as there is still time for mail delivery.

MY WEATHER POLICY: Walks and hikes will go on RAIN OR SHINE unless there is a steady downpour on the morning of the event, probability of thunderstorm, or a solid forecast of either the day before. Light rain or drizzle will not result in cancellation on my part. I will update registrants by email and text, as needed, and issue refunds if I need to cancel because of the weather.

MY 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.Cancellation policy: We will refund your payment if you notify us up to 72 hours (3 days) before the start of the event. After that we will make every effort to fill your space but cannot guarantee it.

March Full Moon Sunset Nature Hike
2026-03-03 17:00 - 19:30
March Full Moon Sunset Nature Hike

Photo of full moon over Ojai, March, 2022 by Judy Cheske

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Please join me and Rondia on Tuesday evening, March 3, from 5:00 to 7:30 p.m. for a Full Moon Sunset Nature Hike. The March full moon will rise at approximately 90º due east as the sun sets approximately due west. This phenomenon of opposing moonrise and sunset occurs only near the spring and fall equinoxes.
We’ll gradually walk about 1.5 miles on a well-used dirt road with gradual elevation gain to a vista point above the Ojai Valley where we can watch the sunset and moonrise.
Then we’ll walk back by flashlight and partial moonlight, returning to the trailhead around 7:30 p.m.
On the way up in remaining daylight, we’ll stop along the trail to meet some valuable edible and medicinal plants, including:
Blue ElderberryCoastal SagebrushPrickly-Pear CactusHorehoundBlack Sage andPurple Sage
My 2021 book, Medicinal Herbs of California, will be available at the trailhead for sale and signing.
Paid registrants will receive a confirmation email a few days prior to the event with all necessary info, including what to bring, weather forecast, and directions to the trailhead. Afterwards, they also will receive a follow-up email with a list of all plants and wildlife seen.
In addition to the adult tickets ($35), tickets for students 13-17 ($25) and children 6-12 ($15) are offered below. One supervising adult must accompany each child 12 years old or younger. Senior discount is available by request.
No dogs or smoking, please.
MY WEATHER POLICY: Walks and hikes will go on RAIN OR SHINE unless there is a steady downpour on the morning of the event, probability of thunderstorm, or a solid forecast of either the day before. Light rain or drizzle will not result in cancellation on my part. I will update registrants by email and text, as needed, and issue refunds if I need to cancel because of the weather.
MY 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.

REGISTRATION

Please REGISTER HERE FIRST before completing payment below.

Notice: JavaScript is required for this content.

TICKETS

If you haven’t already up above, please REGISTER FIRST before completing payment below.

There are several ticket options. Please choose the one you qualify for.

Note: Online payment includes a PayPal fee. If you prefer, when you register you can request instructions for mailing a payment of $35/adult, $25/student, or $15/child (one per adult) as long as there is still time for mail delivery.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.

Native Plant Walk with Patrick Tumamait for LPFW Forest Academy
2026-03-07 09:00 - 11:30
Native Plant Walk with Patrick Tumamait for LPFW Forest Academy

Join me and Chumash elder/culturalist Patrick Tumamait as we venture along Shelf Road, a trail bordering Los Padres National Forest that offers sweeping views of the valley. Explore Chumash history, the name Awhai for the valley, and the cultural significance of native plants and all of nature. Participants will learn to identify local species and explore their uses.

This walk is part one of the Forest Academy, Los Padres ForestWatch’s four-part Flora & Fauna learning series. You can join this one outing or all four!

Patrick Tumamait

🌿 Learn more and register: forestwatch.org/event/native-plant-walk

Patrick Tumamait is the son of Vincent Tumamait & Lucy Castro Tumamait. He grew up in the Ojai Valley and still lives in the Meiners Oaks neighborhood near the birthplace of his great, great grandmother, Maria Ricarda Alulalmeque, who was raised in the Chumash village of Matilija. Pat has traced his family lineage from his father to at least 11 known Chumash villages and as far back as the mid-18th century.

Pat works as a native Chumash representative monitoring excavation sites from Malibu to Santa Barbara to the Channel Islands, part of that in consultation with archeologists in the event of any findings. He sees that everything is handled appropriately according to protocol.

“The culture and the people are still alive. Our life entails protecting the cultural history and ancestry of our people, having people recognize the past as a legacy to our future. Protection and awareness so that we can share it with others and preserve it for the future generations to come.”

Herb Walk on San Antonio Creek Trail
2026-03-14 10:00 - 12:30 | Tucker’s Grove County Park, 4800 Cathedral Oaks Rd., Goleta, CA, 93111, United States
Herb Walk on San Antonio Creek Trail

Lanny grazing in the grass along San Antonio Creek. Photo by James Wapotich

3/14/26 Registration is now closed for this event.

Jump to registration

I’m honored to share that I am officially in my 50th year of leading Herb Walks in Ojai, Santa Barbara, and the surrounding areas! 🌿

To celebrate this anniversary, I’m returning to where it all began. On Saturday, March 14, I’ll be leading a walk on the San Antonio Creek Trail—the very same trail where I attended a plant walk in 1974 with the legendary Chumash expert, the late Juanita Centeno. I became her student and when I started leading walks in 1976, she joined me in Ojai to co-lead walks and workshops.

During Saturday’s walk, I’ll be focusing on Juanita’s teachings regarding the plants’ uses and the Chumash way of respecting nature’s gifts. We’ll look for Black Sage, Hummingbird Sage, Wild Rose, Miner’s-Lettuce, and more. It’s a chance to slow down, identify the food and medicine growing around us, and honor the lineage of this knowledge.

San Antonio Creek. Photo by James Wapotich

Trailside discussion will include sustainable foraging, edible and medicinal plant uses, native plant gardens, and other topics generated by the participants. This slow-paced walk is suitable for all hikers able to walk less than 2 miles round-trip on a level trail and stand for periods of time. Participants will receive an email afterwards with a plant list (including common and scientific names) and other useful notes.

No dogs or smoking, please.

Before the walk, I will have my mobile bookstore on display, including copies of my book, Medicinal Herbs of California, available for sale and signing. Walk with me on the first Santa Barbara area walk of 2026 as I celebrate 50 years of leading herb walks!

Registration

Please REGISTER HERE FIRST before completing payment below.

Notice: JavaScript is required for this content.

Tickets

If you haven’t already up above, please REGISTER FIRST before completing payment below.

Note: Online payment includes a PayPal fee. If you prefer, when you register you can request instructions for mailing a payment of $35/adult, $25/student, or $15/child (one per adult) as long as there is still time for mail delivery.

MY WEATHER POLICY: Walks and hikes will go on RAIN OR SHINE unless there is a steady downpour on the morning of the event, probability of thunderstorm, or a solid forecast of either the day before. Light rain or drizzle will not result in cancellation on my part. I will update registrants by email and text, as needed, and issue refunds if I need to cancel because of the weather.

MY 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.

Spring Equinox Walkabout at Taft Gardens & Nature Preserve
2026-03-21 09:00 - 12:00 | Taft Gardens & Nature Preserve, Ojai, CA, 93023, United States
Spring Equinox Walkabout at Taft Gardens & Nature Preserve

Four Directions Circle on Taft Nature Preserve. Photo by Alexandra Nicklin:
Please note: This event is presented by the Conservation Endowment Fund (CEF), stewards of Taft Gardens & Nature Preserve. They are handling all registrations. Please visit this page to register. You can email taftgardensvisitors@gmail.com with any questions. Admission to the walkabout is $45/person which includes a $10 donation to CEF.
Registrants will receive an email from CEF with detailed directions. Please do not try to find the venue by using other maps or GPS. Allow plenty of time to find the venue and to make your way up the miles-long driveway.
Please join me for a Spring Equinox Walkabout at Taft Gardens & Nature Preserve on Saturday, March 21, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. “Walkabout” is an Australian term for a temporary return to traditional Aboriginal life, taken especially between periods of work or residence in modern society and usually involving a period of travel through the bush. That is what I have planned for us in observance of the Spring Equinox, although for a much shorter time than the traditional Australian journey and as a group instead of solo.
Long before St. Patrick and Christianity arrived in Ireland, the ancient Celts celebrated the Spring Equinox with a festival known as Ostara. This festival was a celebration of the end of winter and the start of the spring season. We will honor that “pagan” tradition as well.
Our walkabout will begin in the Australian section of the Gardens and make its way through the wild plant communities in the Nature Preserve to the Four Directions Circle, a replica of a Native American medicine wheel on a mesa with a 360 degree view. There we will interact with the stone compass as we connect with the annual solar cycle and our own ancestral origins somewhere on Planet Earth.
As we do on all my monthly Natural History walks at the Taft Ranch, we will identify and discuss useful plants and observe birds and animal signs in the context of the local ecology. My intention is to create a space for people to connect and interact with the natural world by learning the language of nature.
No dogs or smoking, please.
MY WEATHER POLICY: Walks and hikes will go on RAIN OR SHINE unless there is a steady downpour on the morning of the event, probability of thunderstorm, or a solid forecast of either the day before. Light rain or drizzle will not result in cancellation on my part. I will update registrants by email and text, as needed, and issue refunds if I need to cancel because of the weather.
ABOUT TAFT GARDENS & NATURE PRESERVE:A project of the nonprofit Conservation Endowment Fund, Taft Gardens and Nature Preserve was described for years as one of Ojai’s best-kept secrets. Not anymore! This botanical gem was featured 2022 in an L. A. Times article on “The 16 Most Beautiful and Inviting Public Gardens in Southern California” and also included in the RedBook Magazine list of “The 12 Most Beautiful Botanical Gardens in the United States.”
ABOUT LANNY KAUFER:Lanny Kaufer of HerbWalks.com is celebrating 50 years of leading herb walks in 2026. He has been leading herb walks, nature hikes, and workshops in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties since 1976, educating hundreds of residents and visitors on the edible and medicinal flora of the area. He holds a biology degree from UC Santa Cruz and is the author of Medicinal Herbs of California: A Field Guide to Common Healing Plants (Falcon Guides, 2021). Copies will be available for sale and signing after the walkabout.
Lanny hosts the Ojai Herbal Symposium, returning to Krotona Hill in Ojai as the Ojai Herbal Retreat on May 30, 2026. He is on the faculty of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at California State University, Channel Islands. He serves as consultant on medicinal plants for the Chumash Garden at the Ojai Valley Museum and at Swimmer Medicinal Garden in Playa Vista, CA.
