Ojai & Southern California Herb Walks with Lanny Kaufer

“Herbal Tools for Tumultuous Times” － A Garden Workshop with Carol Wade
2024-04-27 09:00 - 16:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Earth Island Medicinal Herb Garden, 1070 McAndrew Rd., Ojai, CA, 93023, United States
“Herbal Tools for Tumultuous Times” － A Garden Workshop with Carol Wade

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On Saturday, April 27, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., herbalist-gardener-teacher Carol Wade of Ojai School of Herbal Studies will lead an outdoor workshop — “Herbal Tools for Tumultuous Times” — on using plants to cultivate a state of mental resilience and hope as we move through unsettling times.
The emotions these times bring up for ourselves and our loved ones— insecurity, depression, anxiety and grief — can be overwhelming. A look outside our doorsteps reveals a world of possible tools and allies: plants in all their glory, natural light, breaths of fresh air, scents, colors and simple movements. Let’s explore them all at Carol’s amazing Earth Island Medicinal Herb Garden in the East End of the Ojai Valley!
During a morning herb walk through the Garden led by Carol and me, you’ll enjoy the beautiful vistas as you learn how to grow and care for some of the many herbal allies that live in the Garden. You’ll also learn the properties of plants that we’ll process in the afternoon hands-on workshop. We’ll use herbs we’ve gathered to make healing products to take home, such as:

Resiliency Tea
Aromatherapy or Foot Massage Oil
Foot Bath Blend
Small Smudge Bundle

The cost is $75/person, due in advance by PayPal or personal check. A $5 cash materials fee will be collected onsite. I will have my mobile bookshop with me, including my signed book and the rest of my curated collection. Please note: Due to limited space for gathering in the Garden, registration will be limited to 14 participants.
ACUPUNCTURE CEUs: This course has been approved by the California Acupuncture Board, Provider Number 1526, for 7 hours of continuing education. There is a $25 processing fee for receiving a CEU certificate. Please indicate on the REGISTRATION form BELOW if you are interested in CEUs. If you have one, please enter your acupuncture school discount code on the form.
ABOUT CAROL WADE:Carol Wade is a Registered Herbalist with the American Herbalists Guild and has practiced as an herbalist and nutritional counselor for over 25 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 and 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 specially 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, 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.
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 of the workshop is $75. Please bring $5 cash for materials. There is an option below to buy a ticket for an additional $25 that includes a CEU certificate for licensed CA Acupuncturists.

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TICKETS

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

Note: Online payment includes a PayPal fee. If you prefer, when you register you can request instructions for mailing a payment of $75 for regular admission or $100 to include CEU certificate.Cancellation policy: I will refund your payment if you notify me up to 72 hours (3 days) before the start of the event. After that I will make every effort to fill your space (and I’m usually successful) but cannot guarantee

Nature Education Walk at Taft Preserve
2024-05-11 09:00 - 11:00 | Taft Gardens & Nature Preserve, Ojai, CA, 93023, United States
Nature Education Walk at Taft 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 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 the second of this year’s monthly Nature Education Walks at Taft Gardens & Nature Preserve on Saturday, May 11, 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 featured in an L. A. Times article on “The 16 Most Beautiful and Inviting Public Gardens in Southern California.” And it recently was included in the RedBook Magazine list of “The 12 Most Beautiful Botanical Gardens in the United States.”
The $40 cost includes a $15 donation to benefit the CEF, the non-profit steward of Taft Gardens & Nature Preserve. The donation portion of the fee is tax-deductible.
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!

Potrero John Creek Nature Hike
2024-05-18 09:00 - 15:00
Potrero John Creek Nature Hike

Potrero John Canyon. Photo: Lanny Kaufer

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Are you ready to immerse yourself in wild nature? Join me Saturday, May 18, for a Nature Hike on Potrero John Creek, deep in the Sespe Wilderness of the Los Padres National Forest. Beginning at 9 a.m., a 20-mile carpool/caravan will take us from Ojai to the trailhead. We’ll return to Ojai around 3 p.m. Starting our hike at an elevation of 3700 feet, we’ll meet a diverse group of plants representing the upper Chaparral and Riparian Woodland plant communities of Southern California.

This will be an easy-to-moderate hike of about 2-3 miles round-trip with sections of mild elevation gain and a few short creek crossings. We’ll stop often to identify edible, medicinal, and otherwise useful plants. We can expect to see a number of plants not found at lower elevations, including Bigcone Douglas-Fir, Incense-Cedar, Yerba Santa, Mariposa Lily, Giant Stinging Nettle, and others.

This hike is presented under a Special Use Permit from the U. S. Forest Service for guides and outfitters in the Los Padres National Forest. After the hike, participants will receive an email with a complete list of all plants and wildlife identified as well as other info.

Please note: The hike will go on RAIN OR SHINE with the exception of a heavy downpour that morning and/or a forecast of an 80-100% chance of heavy rain that day. Chance of thunderstorms will cancel. 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.

Bigcone Douglas-fir tips. Photo: Diana Boydstun

Hikers traversing scree on the way into the canyon. Photo: Enrique Villaseñor

White Sage (Salvia apiana)

Potrero John Creek

REGISTRATION

Please REGISTER HERE FIRST before completing payment below.

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TICKETS

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

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 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
2024-05-19 15:00 - 17:00
Botany & Plant Identification Class

Please join me as I lead 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 classes on May 19 and June 9 are part of that course. NOTE: You do not have to enroll in the full 8-month course to attend my classes.

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.

Please purchase tickets through eventbrite here:

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May Full Moon Sunset Nature Hike & After-Party at Ojai Valley Brewery
2024-05-22 18:00 - 20:30
May Full Moon Sunset Nature Hike & After-Party

Full moon rising over Sulphur Mountain
Please use the REGISTER button at top or bottom of this page to sign up before clicking on the PayPal link at the bottom of this page to secure your space. The PayPal cost includes their fee. If you prefer, when you register you may request instructions for mailing a check for $35/person. Once registered you will receive a confirmation email with directions, what to bring, etc.
If the event sells out, PayPal will not accept your payment. You will see a message that says this event “is not available at this time” and you will be returned to this page. If that happens, be sure to click on the REGISTER button below to sign up for the waiting list. If spaces become available they will be filled based on date and time of waiting list signup.
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.
REGISTER
On Wednesday evening, May 22, from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m., I will lead a Full Moon Sunset Nature Hike to a vista point above the Ojai Valley where we can watch the simultaneous sunset and full moonrise. The sun will set and the full moon will rise at about 7:50 p.m., giving us a nice window of time to take it all in. The moon will reach fullness at 6 a.m. on Thursday so Wednesday night’s moon will appear at its fullest. Scheduling it on a Wednesday also means we can have an optional “after-party” at the Ojai Valley Brewery (OVB). I will provide vegetarian chili for our group to share.
Registrants will receive instructions on where to park. 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 native plants including:
Blue ElderberryWild HorehoundBlack, Purple and Chia SageCoastal SagebrushYucca andPrickly-Pear
After witnessing the setting of the sun and rising of the moon, we’ll walk back to the trailhead by remaining daylight, moonlight, and flashlight, returning to the trailhead at about 8:30.
The After-Party: Then at 8:45 p.m. you’re invited to join me on Bryant Street at Ojai Valley Brewery’s heated outdoor dining area where brewmasters Jeremy Haffner, Griffin Davis, and their staff will be pouring their amazing locally-sourced beers, ales. stouts and non-alcoholic beverages. I will bring chili for us to share.
OVB brews 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.
REGISTRATION INFO:The cost for the hike is $35/adult. Senior, student and child discounts are available. See PayPal button below. 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.
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.
Please use the REGISTER button at top or bottom of this page to sign up before clicking on the PayPal link at the bottom of this page to secure your space. The PayPal cost includes their fee. If you prefer, when you register you may request instructions for mailing a check for $35/person. Once registered you will receive a confirmation email with directions, what to bring, etc.
If the event sells out, PayPal will not accept your payment. You will see a message that says this event “is not available at this time” and you will be returned to this page. If that happens, be sure to click on the REGISTER button below to sign up for the waiting list. If spaces become available they will be filled based on date and time of waiting list signup.
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.
REGISTER
PAYPAL BUTTON:

Select Ticket Option (inc. PayPal fee):

Adult $36.71 USD

Student (13-17) $26.36 USD

Child (6-12) $18.60 USD

Herbal First Aid Walk and Workshop with Emily Watson
2024-06-01 10:00 - 16:00 | Ojai, Ojai, California, United States
Herbal First Aid Walk and Workshop with Emily Watson

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Join me and Emily Watson, Director of the Artemisia Academy of Herbal Arts & Healing, for a 5-hour workshop in beautiful Ojai learning about some of your favorite herbal friends.
Spend the morning meeting the herbs personally at Ojai Valley Museum’s Chumash Garden. Learn the local herbs that grow right here in your own backyard for treating bumps, bruises and injuries. Then in the afternoon, join Emily and me at Fisher Hall at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church to create your own kit of 5 herbal remedies for first aid. You will learn to make remedies for scrapes & stings, bumps & bruises, a wound wash, and an herbal bug spray. Finally, have a complimentary holistic kit to add to your own regular first aid kit at home to help your family and friends!
What you’ll learn/get:

2-hour Herb Walk led by Lanny Kaufer and Emily Watson
3-hour hands-on Medicine Making Workshop led by Emily Watson
Take home your very own Herbal First Aid Kit that you made in class!

ACUPUNCTURE CEUs: This course has been approved by the California Acupuncture Board, Provider Number 1526, for 6 hours of continuing education. There is a $25 processing fee for receiving a CEU certificate. Please indicate on the REGISTRATION form BELOW if you are interested in CEUs. If you have one, please enter your acupuncture school discount code on the form.
ABOUT 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, including all materials, is $75. There is an added $25 processing fee to receive a CEU certificate for licensed California acupuncturists.

REGISTRATION

Please REGISTER HERE FIRST before completing payment below.

Notice: JavaScript is required for this content.

TICKETS

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

Note: Online payment includes a PayPal fee. If you prefer, when you register you can request instructions for mailing a payment of $75/person (plus $25 for CEUs) as long as there is still time for mail delivery.If the event sells out, PayPal will not accept your payment. If that happens, please email register@herbwalks.com to sign up for the waiting list. If spaces become available they will be filled based on date and time of waiting list signup.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 Education Walk at Taft Preserve
2024-06-08 09:00 - 11:00 | Taft Gardens & Nature Preserve, Ojai, CA, 93023, United States
Nature Education Walk at Taft 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 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 the third and last of this spring’s monthly Nature Education Walks at Taft Gardens & Nature Preserve on Saturday, June 8, 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. Nature Education Walks at Taft Preserve will resume in September.
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 $40 cost includes a $15 donation to benefit the CEF, the non-profit steward of Taft Gardens & Nature Preserve. The donation portion of the fee is tax-deductible.
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!

Harvesting and Processing Herbs Class
2024-06-09 15:00 - 17:00
Harvesting and Processing Herbs Class

Please join me on June 9 as I lead a class on “Harvesting and Processing Herbs” as part of the Introductory Course to Herbalism at Ema’s Herbs in Ventura. Come learn about the guidelines, methods, timing, and other aspects of creating your home herbal apothecary with 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 classes on May 19, June 9, and October 6 are part of that course. NOTE: Enrollment is closed for the full 8-month course but you can drop in to any class for a $20 fee.

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.

Drop-in tickets for this event are on sale for $20 at the Eventbrite checkout form below or at this ticketing page. Or for more information visit this event page. If you have any further questions, please email Donna Nicholson, Event Coordinator, at info.emasherbs@gmail.com.

Register on Eventbrite

CANCELLED DUE TO EXCESSIVE HEAT: Rose Valley Falls Herb Walk
2024-06-15 09:00 - 12:30
CANCELLED DUE TO EXCESSIVE HEAT: Rose Valley Falls Herb Walk

Rose Valley Falls, June 13, 2015 Photo: Lanny Kaufer

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PLEASE NOTE: This walk has been cancelled due to a forecast of excessive heat.

Please join me for an Herb Walk to Rose Valley Falls on Saturday, June 15, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. You will experience a local scenic wonder 300 feet high and learn about Rose Valley’s diverse plant communities. The outing will begin with a stop at Upper Rose Valley Lake followed by a walk through Rose Valley Campground and a shaded walk of 1/2 mile each way to the Falls. We will smell aromatic California Bay trees, see stunning Crimson Columbines growing on the Falls, and search for the elusive Sweet Cicely and California Violet herbs on the trail to the Falls. It’s still a great time of year to see a variety of wildflowers.

This walk is presented 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 in Southern California since 1976.

The day will begin with a caravan from the Maricopa Plaza parking lot at 9:00 a.m. and return there by 12:30 p.m. The cost is $35 for adults, $25 for students 13-17, and $15 for children 5-12, one per adult, by prior arrangement. No dogs or smoking, please. Registrants will receive a confirmation email beforehand with all necessary info and a follow-up email after the walk with a plant list and other info.

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

REGISTRATION

Please REGISTER HERE FIRST before completing payment below.

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TICKETS

Please REGISTER HERE 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.

June Full Moon Sunset Nature Hike & After-Party at Ojai Valley Brewery
2024-06-20 18:00 - 20:30
Full Moon Sunset Nature Hike & After-Party

Photo of moon rising over Sulphur Mountain by Roshelle Castillo
Please use the REGISTER button at top or bottom of this page to sign up before clicking on the PayPal link at the bottom of this page to secure your space. The PayPal cost includes their fee. If you prefer, when you register you may request instructions for mailing a check for $35/person. Once registered you will receive a confirmation email with directions, what to bring, etc.
If the event sells out, PayPal will not accept your payment. You will see a message that says this event “is not available at this time” and you will be returned to this page. If that happens, be sure to click on the REGISTER button below to sign up for the waiting list. If spaces become available they will be filled based on date and time of waiting list signup.
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.
REGISTER
On Thursday evening, June 20, 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 simultaneous sunset and full moonrise. The sun will set and the full moon will rise at about 7:50 p.m., giving us a nice window of time to take it all in.
Registrants will receive instructions on where to park. 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 native plants including:
Blue ElderberryWild HorehoundBlack, Purple and Chia SageCoastal SagebrushYucca andPrickly-Pear
After witnessing the setting of the sun and rising of the moon, we’ll walk back to the trailhead by remaining daylight, moonlight, and flashlight, returning to the trailhead at about 8:30.
The After-Party: Then at 8:45 p.m. you’re invited to join me and Rondia on Bryant Street at Ojai Valley Brewery‘s heated outdoor dining area where brewmasters Jeremy Haffner, Griffin Davis, and their staff will be pouring their amazing locally-sourced beers, ales. stouts and non-alcoholic beverages. Rondia will make vegetarian chili for us to share.
OVB brews 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.
REGISTRATION INFO:The cost for the hike is $35/adult. Student and child discounts are available. See PayPal button below. 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.
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.
Please use the REGISTER button at top or bottom of this page to sign up before clicking on the PayPal link at the bottom of this page to secure your space. The PayPal cost includes their fee. If you prefer, when you register you may request instructions for mailing a check for $35/person. Once registered you will receive a confirmation email with directions, what to bring, etc.
If the event sells out, PayPal will not accept your payment. You will see a message that says this event “is not available at this time” and you will be returned to this page. If that happens, be sure to click on the REGISTER button below to sign up for the waiting list. If spaces become available they will be filled based on date and time of waiting list signup.
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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PAYPAL BUTTON:

Select Ticket Option (inc. PayPal fee):

Adult $36.71 USD
Student (13-17) $26.36 USD
Child (6-12) $18.60 USD

Summer Solstice Nature Hike on Pine Mountain
2024-06-22 09:00 - 16:00
Summer Solstice Nature Hike on Pine Mountain

Above: The Channel Islands seen from Pine Mountain. Photo: Erika Klohe

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PLEASE NOTE: REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED FOR THIS HIKE.

If you’ve ever walked or hiked with me, you’ve probably heard me rave about the special beauty of Pine Mountain. Experience it for yourself on our annual Summer Solstice Nature Hike on the Reyes Peak Trail. On Saturday, 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. 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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Please REGISTER HERE FIRST before completing payment below.

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Summer Medicinal Plant Workshop with Professor Emeritus James Adams of USC School of Pharmacy
2024-06-23 10:00 - 16:00 | Ojai, Ojai, California, United States
Summer Medicinal Plant Workshop with Professor Emeritus James Adams of USC School of Pharmacy

Dr. Adams making a point about elder flowers

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Please join me and special guest Professor Emeritus James Adams of USC School of Pharmacy for a Summer Medicinal Plant Workshop in Ojai on Sunday, June 23, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dr. Adams has been a popular presenter at my events for the past 12 years. Now that he has moved to the Bay Area, he is here less frequently. This may be his only Ojai workshop this year so I encourage you to learn from him when you have the opportunity.

This workshop is based on Jim’s ground-breaking pharmacological studies on local native plants and his personal commitment to sharing the traditional medicinal practices he learned from Chumash healer Cecilia Garcia. Jim will be joined by plant educator Enrique Villaseñor and acupuncturist Michelle Wong, co-authors with him of Healing with Medicinal Plants of the West: Cultural and Scientific Basis for Their Use, Fourth Edition.

The morning plant walk will take place from 10 a.m. to 1:00 p.m at the Chumash Garden at Ojai Valley Museum, a native plant demonstration garden in downtown Ojai. Dr. Adams and I will identify and discuss the medicinal and spiritual uses of a variety of native plants. This will be a short, slow-paced walk with frequents stops by the plants for periods of time. A lightweight campstool or beach chair could be useful for those who are uncomfortable standing.

After a 1- hour break, the afternoon session in Fisher Hall at St. Andrews Episcopal Church from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. will focus on preparing seasonal edible and medicinal products from wild foraged plant material. Participants will be able to soak their feet in pain-relieving black sage tea and go home with their own jar of sagebrush liniment that they prepared themselves. After the workshop, participants will receive a follow-up email with a complete list of all plants that are identified or utilized as well as recipes and other info.

Seasonal plants and healing products to be featured may include, among others:

Elder flowers

Everlasting flowers

White Sage

Mugwort

Sagebrush liniment

Datura hand soak

Black Sage foot soak

Nopal (Prickly-Pear) smoothie

At 4:00 p.m. Dr. Adams, Enrique, and Michelle will sign copies of their book and I will sign copies of mine, Medicinal Herbs of California: A Field Guide to Common Healing Plants.

ACUPUNCTURE CEUs: This course is approved by the California Acupuncture Board, Provider Number 1526, for 6 hours of continuing education. There is a $25 processing fee for receiving a CEU certificate. Please indicate on the REGISTRATION form BELOW if you are interested in CEUs. If you have one, please enter your acupuncture school discount code on the form.

ABOUT JAMES ADAMS, PH.D:

Dr. Adams brings to Ojai a wealth of scientific knowledge and field experience as well as a singular perspective on herbal medicine. As he tells it, “My family came to Virginia in 1635 and has always survived by using American Indian healing. On the frontier, there were no doctors. American Indian healing was better than European medicine anyway. I continue this tradition.”

Dr. Adams is the co-author, with Michelle Wong and Enrique Villaseñor, of the fourth edition of the groundbreaking book, Healing with Medicinal Plants of the West: Cultural and Scientific Basis for Their Use. The cultural portion is based on the teachings of Cecilia Garcia and the scientific portion on Dr. Adams’ laboratory studies. It can be purchased beforehand at that link and will also be available for purchase and signing at the event.

As an Associate Professor of Pharmacology at the University of Southern California for 32 years, Dr. Adams taught pharmacy students, medical students, doctors and other healthcare professionals while researching the natural pharmaceutical compounds in native plants. He has over 200 publications.

Running parallel with his academic career, Dr. Adams has worked with the Chumash people since 1998 and studied Chumash healing with Cecilia Garcia for almost 15 years. In addition to the book, they collaborated on 30 journal articles. Jim is now the carrier of the healing knowledge passed to him by his teacher.

“Humans have used plant medicines ever since humans came into existence, about 200,000 years ago,” Dr. Adams explains in Healing with Medicinal Plants. “That means that our ancestors experienced an intense natural selection. Those who responded to plant medicines survived and passed their genes on. We are the products of this natural selection. Our bodies are designed to respond to plant medicines.”

Here is an excellent 2017 article about Dr. Adams from USCStorySpace.com: “A Scientist’s Calling to Practice Chumash Healing.”

Please note: This workshop will go on RAIN OR SHINE with the exception of a heavy downpour in the morning and/or a 100% chance of heavy rain that day. No dogs or smoking, please.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, including all materials, is $100. There is an added $25 processing fee to receive a CEU certificate for licensed California acupuncturists.

REGISTRATION

Please REGISTER HERE FIRST before completing payment below.

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TICKETS

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

Note: Online payment includes a PayPal fee. If you prefer, when you register you can request instructions for mailing a payment of $100/person (plus $25 for CEUs) as long as there is still time for mail delivery.If the event sells out, PayPal will not accept your payment. If that happens, please email register@herbwalks.com to sign up for the waiting list. If spaces become available they will be filled based on date and time of waiting list signup.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.

Carpinteria Salt Marsh Herb Walk
2024-07-14 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, July 14, 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 here. No smoking, please.

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

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

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 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.

CANCELLED July Full Moon Sunset Nature Hike & After-Party at Ojai Valley Brewery
2024-07-20 18:45 - 21:15
July Full Moon Sunset Nature Hike & After-Party

Photo of full moon rising over Ojai by Joe P. Powers

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On Saturday evening, July 20, from 6:45 to 9:15 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 simultaneous sunset and full moonrise. The sun will set and the full moon will rise at about 8:30 p.m., giving us a nice window of time to take it all in.
Registrants will receive instructions on where to park. 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:
Blue ElderberryBlack, Purple and Chia SageCoastal SagebrushPassion FruitYucca andPrickly-Pear
After witnessing the setting of the sun and rising of the moon, we’ll walk back to the trailhead by remaining daylight, moonlight, and flashlight, returning to the trailhead at about 9:15.
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. One supervising adult must accompany each child 12 years old or younger.
The After-Party: Then at 9:30 p.m. you’re invited to join me and Rondia on Bryant Street at Ojai Valley Brewery‘s heated outdoor dining area where brewmasters Jeremy Haffner, Griffin Davis, and their staff will be pouring their amazing locally-sourced beers, ales. stouts and non-alcoholic beverages. Tramonto Wood-Fired Pizza will be there with their truck and great pizza. We are excited about two special wild herbal pizzas that chef Adam Nadel is planning for that night.
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.
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.

Ocean's Edge Trail Herb Walk
2024-07-27 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 Saturday, July 27, from 9 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. to discover the variety of native plants that live in the interface between land and sea on the Ocean’s Edge Trail. Feel the sea breeze far from the inland heat. 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.

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

From streetside parking, we will enter the Group Camp and start the herb walk on the ocean side of the Group Camp. We’ll walk by a variety of edible and medicinal plants, both native and non-native, identifying and learning about the plants 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. 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.

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.

National Heirloom Expo
2024-09-10 09:00 - 2024-09-12 21:00
9th National Heirloom Expo

The National Heirloom Expo is America’s largest celebration of pure food and heirloom gardening, and it is returning to the Ventura County Fairgrounds September 10-12, 2024.

The Expo offers an unparalleled opportunity to learn from some of the best minds working in gardening, health, non-GMO activism, heirloom seed protection and preservation, permaculture, and regenerative soil practices.

This year’s speakers include gardening expert John Kohler and long-time medical doctor Dr. Jeff Pierce; anti-GMO activist Rachel Parent; permaculture expert Nikky Schauder; renowned herbalists Susan Belsinger and Tina Marie Wilcox; and author and seed saver Bevin Cohen.

A larger, second speaker hall has been added for 2024 and will feature talks by local experts, roundtable discussions, and workshops. At 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 10, in McBride Hall local Ojai author Lanny Kaufer will speak about medicinal plants found in his book, Medicinal Herbs of California, that can be grown locally.

Produce is the real star of the show at the expo, and a trip around the fairgrounds is like an international adventure in heirloom seeds and vegetables. The Expo Hall features hundreds of heirloom vegetables, fruits, herbs, and flowers, plus exhibits, fruit carvers, and more!

Enjoy healthy food, entertainment, and a vendor hall with offerings including natural home- and garden-related products, clothing, books, and seeds.

Highlights include:

Heirloom seed swap each day from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Heirloom tomato and watermelon tastings each day in the Expo Hall

Children’s hall with hands-on, educational activities

Heritage breed poultry show, with judging all day on Tuesday, September 10

A one-day pass is $15. Three-day passes are available for $30. All profits benefit school garden and food programs. School groups are admitted free, and assistance is available to defray transportation costs for school groups.

For more information, visit www.rareseeds.com/national-heirloom-expo or see the whole brochure at https://www.rareseeds.com/media/wysiwyg/Program_NHE24_web4mb.pdf

Fall Equinox Supermoon Sunset Nature Hike
2024-09-17 17:30 - 20:00
Fall Equinox Supermoon Sunset Nature Hike

Photo of supermoon rising over Ojai in August 2023 by Joe P. Powers

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On Tuesday evening, September 17, from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m., my wife Rondia and I will lead a very special and unique Fall Equinox Supermoon Sunset Nature Hike to a vista point above the Ojai Valley where we can watch the sun set due west and the full supermoon rise due east. This Earth-Sun alignment occurs only twice a year, on the spring and fall equinox. A “supermoon” occurs when the moon is unusually close to the Earth, making it appear very large. For both of these uncommon celestial events to occur at the same time is rare.

Registrants will receive instructions by email on where to park. 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:Black and Purple SageCoastal SagebrushPassion FruitAleppo PineYucca andPrickly-Pear

After witnessing the setting of the sun and rising of the moon, we’ll walk back to the trailhead by remaining daylight, moonlight, and flashlight, returning to the trailhead at about 8:00.

My 2021 book, Medicinal Herbs of California, will be available at the trailhead for sale and signing. Afterwards, participants will receive a follow-up email with a plant list and other notes.

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

Optional After-Party: Then, if participants are interested, at 8:15 p.m. you’re invited to join me and Rondia on Bryant Street at Ojai Valley Brewery‘s heated outdoor dining area where brewmasters Jeremy Haffner, Griffin Davis, and their staff will be pouring their amazing locally-sourced beers, ales. stouts and non-alcoholic beverages. If people are into it, Rondia will make her delicious vegetarian chili for us to enjoy as we watch the supermoon continue to rise in the eastern sky.

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.

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 those 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.

Fall Equinox Nature Hike on Pine Mountain
2024-09-21 09:00 - 16:00
Fall Equinox Nature Hike on Pine Mountain

Mixed conifer forest near Reyes Peak at sunset. Photo: Bryant Baker

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9/21/24: Registration is now closed for this event.

On Saturday, September 21, I will lead my 11th 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, 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 3:30 p.m., arriving back at the Maricopa Plaza by about 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 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 hike 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.

I will have copies of my book, Medicinal Herbs of California with me for sale and signing before the hike, as well as the rest of my mobile bookshop stock.

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.

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. Toddlers need to be in a carrier due to the nature of the trail. No dogs or smoking, please.

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 those you qualify for.

9/21/24: Registration is now closed for this event.

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.

Fall Equinox Walkabout at Taft Gardens & Nature Preserve
2024-09-22 09:00 - 12:00 | Taft Gardens & Nature Preserve, Ojai, CA, 93023, United States
Fall Equinox Walkabout at Taft Gardens & Nature Preserve

Four Directions Circle at the Vista on 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 Sunday, September 22, 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.

Herbalism in Ancient and Medieval Europe
2024-10-06 15:00 - 17:00
Herbalism in Ancient & Medieval Europe

Please join me on October 6 as I lead a class on Herbalism in Ancient & Medieval Europe as part of the Introductory Course to Herbalism at Ema’s Herbs in Ventura. Come learn about the herbal traditions and practices in ancient and medieval Europe and how this ancient knowledge has impacted herbalism today. Colorful slideshow content will include Hippocrates and other ancient Greeks, Galen and other ancient Romans, Rhazes and other Arabic herbalists, medieval monastic pharmacy, and more. This is the foundation of the Western herbalism practiced today, with many of the same herbs still in use.

Ema’s Herbs is offering an 8-month course that focuses on Herbal Medicine Preparation, Holistic Health Principles, and Herbal Traditions for the Bioregion. Started 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 classes on October 6 and 13 are part of that course. NOTE: Enrollment is closed for the full 8-month course but you can drop in to any class for a $20 fee.

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.

Drop-in tickets for this event are on sale for $20 on the Eventbrite checkout form below or at this Eventbrite ticketing page. Or for more information visit this Ema’s Herbs event page. If you have any further questions, please email Donna Nicholson, Event Coordinator, at info.emasherbs@gmail.com.

Register on Eventbrite

Western Herbal Traditions
2024-10-13 15:00 - 17:00
Western Herbal Traditions

Please join me on October 13 as I lead a slideshow class on Western Herbal Traditions as part of the Introductory Course to Herbalism at Ema’s Herbs in Ventura. Western herbalism aims to prevent disease, strengthen the internal systems, and support the ability to heal by working as an ally to the inherent wisdom of the human body. It encompasses a diverse range of traditions rooted in European, Arabic, Asian, Native American, and other Indigenous cultures. It emphasizes using local plants and botanical remedies to support health and healing. Western herbalists often employ a combination of folk remedies, plant identification, energetics, and modern scientific research to formulate herbal preparations such as tinctures, teas, salves, and poultices.

Ema’s Herbs is offering an 8-month course that focuses on Herbal Medicine Preparation, Holistic Health Principles, and Herbal Traditions for the Bioregion. Started 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 classes on October 6 and 13 are part of that course. NOTE: Enrollment is closed for the full 8-month course but you can drop in to any class for a $20 fee.

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.

Drop-in tickets for this event are on sale for $20 on the Eventbrite checkout form below or at this Eventbrite ticketing page. Or for more information visit this Ema’s Herbs event page. If you have any further questions, please email Donna Nicholson, Event Coordinator, at info.emasherbs@gmail.com.

Register on Eventbrite

Supermoon Sunset Nature Hike & After-Party
2024-10-16 16:30 - 19:00
Photo of supermoon rising over Topa Topa Bluffs in October 2023 by Carla Cahill

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On Wednesday evening, October 16, from 4:30 to 7:00 p.m., my wife Rondia and I will lead a uniquely Ojai Supermoon Sunset Nature Hike to a vista point above the Ojai Valley where we can watch the sun set and the full supermoon rise. A “supermoon” occurs when the moon is unusually close to the Earth, making it appear very large. This is the third of four supermoons this year and will mark the moon’s closest proximity to the Earth.

Registrants will receive instructions by email on where to park. 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:Purple SageCalifornia BuckwheatToyonBrickellbushPassion FruitAleppo PineBlue AgaveYucca andPrickly-Pear

After witnessing the setting of the sun and rising of the moon, we’ll walk back to the trailhead by remaining daylight, moonlight, and flashlight, returning to the trailhead at about 7:00.

Optional After-Party: Then, if participants are interested, at 7:15 p.m. you’re invited to join me and Rondia on Bryant Street at Ojai Valley Brewery‘s heated outdoor dining area where brewmasters Jeremy Haffner, Griffin Davis, and their staff will be pouring their amazing local herb-infused beers, ales, stouts and non-alcoholic beverages. Big Mann BBQ will have a truck there with food for us to enjoy as we gather and watch the supermoon continue to rise in the eastern sky.

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 hiking! Non-alcoholic offerings also change with the seasons and may include an Elderflower-Blackberry Spritzer.

My 2021 book, Medicinal Herbs of California, will be available at the trailhead for sale and signing. Afterwards, participants will receive a follow-up email with a plant list and other notes.

In addition to the adult tickets ($35), tickets for students 13-17 ($25) and children 6-12 ($15) are also available. 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.

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.

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.

Nature Education Walk at Taft Preserve
2024-10-26 09:00 - 11:00 | Taft Gardens & Nature Preserve, Ojai, CA, 93023, United States
Nature Education Walk at Taft 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 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 the monthly Nature Education Walks at Taft Gardens & Nature Preserve on Saturday, October 26, 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. The donation portion of the fee is tax-deductible.
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!

Fall Culinary and Medicinal Mushrooms with Jess Starwood
2024-11-03 10:00 - 16:00
CANCELLED: Fall Culinary and Medicinal Mushrooms with Jess Starwood

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CANCELLED: Due to a family emergency, we must cancel this event. Please contact mailto:register@herbwalks.com to be added to a list to hear if we are able to reschedule it.

Special guest author-forager-chef-mushroom expert Jess Starwood and I will begin this full day workshop on Sunday, November 3, with a foraging walk on the Ojai Meadows Preserve among the oaks, sycamores, and eucalyptus. This diverse Ojai habitat is home to several species of fungi and numerous edible and medicinal plants. We will be in search of Chicken of the Woods (Laetiporus gilbertsonii), a fall season delicacy, for our afternoon snack.

In the photo montage above you can see a specimen I recently found on this same trail. Of course, we can’t guarantee which mushrooms we’ll find on November 3 as that is unpredictable, dependent on rainfall, weather, and other factors. If we don’t find it, Jess will provide a substitute from her foraged pantry. We will discuss sustainable foraging and identify edible and medicinal plants and mushrooms that can help to nourish and heal us in the winter months to come.

In the afternoon, we will gather in downtown Ojai for a wild mushroom cooking demonstration followed by a slideshow talk on medicinal mushrooms known for building immunity as we enter the cold and flu season. Jess has earned the Integrative Psilocybin Mushroom Specialist certification so she will also discuss psilocybin mushrooms (Psilocybe species), including instruction for how to grow them at home. Afterwards, Jess and I will have our books on hand for sale and signing.

ABOUT JESS STARWOOD:Jess Starwood is an established author, naturalist, chef, herbalist and educator. She wrote and photographed Mushroom Wanderland: A Forager’s Guide to Finding, Identifying and Using More Than 25 Wild Fungi. She is also the founder of SunRaven Apothecary which offers small-batch handcrafted herbal goods for the journey of the body and mind.

Jess has been teaching foraging, wild foods and nature education classes for children and adults for over ten years in Southern California. She also leads group adventures across the US and Mexico.

With a Master’s of Science degree in Herbal Medicine, Jess is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Science in Integrative Health from the American College of Healthcare Sciences. She has earned the Integrative Psilocybin Mushroom Specialist and Integrative Cannabis Specialist certifications.

Jess is the President of the Los Angeles Mycological Society and Editor of the amateur mycology journal McIlvainea. She also serves on the board of directors for the Arizona Mushroom Society. Jess is a frequent contributor to Edible Ojai and Ventura County magazine.

Her website is at www.jstarwood.com. She can be found on Instagram @jess.starwood.

ABOUT LANNY KAUFER:Lanny Kaufer has been leading Herb Walks 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 is the author of Medicinal Herbs of California: A Field Guide to Common Healing Plants (Falcon Guides, 2021).

The cost for the workshop is $145/person, payable in advance by personal check or on PayPal (see below). PayPal price includes their fee of $5.55. No dogs or smoking, please.

REGISTRATION

Please REGISTER HERE FIRST before completing payment below.

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The Cook and the Farmer: A Day with Olivia Chase & Steve Sprinkel
2024-11-10 09:00 - 16:00
The Cook and the Farmer: A Day with Olivia Chase & Steve Sprinkel

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Please join me on Sunday, November 10, for a tasty and enlightening day with Olivia Chase and Steve Sprinkel, co-founders of the renowned Farmer and the Cook organic café and grocery store in Meiners Oaks. Olivia will introduce her latest cookbook, Farmer and the Cook: recipes and farm stories from Ojai, California. The book includes organic, Mexican recipes from her popular vegetarian café and a collection of recipes inspired by the farm-fresh vegetables grown by her partner, farmer Steve Sprinkel.

The gathering will begin with a visit to Rancho Del Pueblo Farm, Farmer and the Cook’s 9-acre farm. The farm is located on the grounds of the old Honor Farm, near highway 33 and Old Baldwin Road. At the farm you will have an opportunity to meet Farmer Steve and, dependent on rainfall and weather, help pick the ingredients for the afternoon’s cooking demonstration and food tasting.

Then we will gather in one of the kitchens at Farmer and the Cook café in Meiners Oaks. Olivia will give you a glimpse into the journey taken as she and Steve bootstrapped the popular café — side by side for the past 23 years — and shine a light on a core group of talented cooks and bakers at the heart of the kitchen with whom they have co-created the café.

The cooking demonstration and tasting will include your participation in the preparation of a salad using the ingredients you picked in the morning. The actual salad will be determined based on what is available in November. You will get to taste a sampling from the cookbook: Nutloaf with Shiitake Mushroom Gravy and Roasted Kabocha Squash along with the fresh-from-the- farm salad. Afterward, Olivia will have books on hand for sale and signing.

ABOUT OLIVIA CHASE:Olivia grew up in a large Colombian-American family near the beach in Ventura and in that somewhat chaotic environment developed the patience to run two successful restaurants.

Inspired by the early nutrition guru, Adelle Davis, she rejected the modern convenience foods of the 60’s and began cooking for her family as a rebellious 16-year-old. She went to college for a Masters in Nutrition all the while avoiding her destiny as a cook or maybe waiting for the cooking scene to become a place where a passionate, untrained cook might have a chance.

Olivia returned home to Ventura and opened the City Bakery-Café in 1988. While running the café she purchased organic vegetables from Steve at the Ventura Farmers’ Market and, a decade later, they fell in love at the Ojai Farmers’ Market, again while she was buying vegetables, this time a kabocha squash.

On a trip to San Francisco they bought a seven-dollar organic tomato(!) and thought if they had both a farm and a store, they could save people a lot of money. What if she could rehab the broken-down grocery store building in Meiners Oaks into a café and Steve could sell his farm vegetables indoors instead of on the hard pavement of various farmers’ markets? And so the Farmer and the Cook came to be!

The cost for the workshop is $75/person, payable in advance by personal check or on PayPal (see below). All food and recipes are included. The PayPal price includes their fee of $3.11 for a total of $78.11. If you prefer, when you register you can request instructions for mailing a payment of $75, as long as there is still time for mail delivery. No dogs or smoking, please.

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 of $3.11. If you prefer, when you register you can request instructions for mailing a payment of $75, 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.

Supermoon Sunset Nature Hike and Pizza Party
2024-11-16 16:00 - 18:30
Supermoon Sunset Nature Hike & Pizza Party

Lanny’s photo of full moon over Topa Topa Bluffs and Chef Adam’s wood-fired pizza

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On Saturday evening, November 16, from 4:00 to 6:30 p.m., my wife Rondia and I will lead a special collaborative event starting with a Supermoon Sunset Nature Hike to a vista point above the Ojai Valley where we can watch the sun set and the full supermoon rise over the Topa Topa Bluffs. A “supermoon” occurs when the moon is unusually close to the Earth, making it appear very large. This is the fourth and last of four supermoons this year. One of the extra special effects of the moonrise this time of year is that it rises over the Bluffs at sunset, just as Ojai’s iconic “pink moment” lights up the mountains.

Registrants will receive instructions by email on where to park. 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:Purple SageCalifornia BuckwheatToyonBrickellbushPassion FruitAleppo PineBlue AgaveYucca andPrickly-Pear

After witnessing the setting of the sun and rising of the moon, we’ll walk back to the trailhead by remaining daylight, moonlight, and flashlight, returning to the trailhead at about 6:30.

Optional After-Party: Then, the collaboration begins! At 6:45 p.m. you’re invited to join me and Rondia on Bryant Street at Ojai Valley Brewery‘s heated outdoor dining area where brewmasters Jeremy Haffner, Griffin Davis, and their staff will be pouring their amazing local herb-infused beers, ales, stouts and non-alcoholic beverages. Chef Adam Nadel and his Tramonto Wood-Fired Pizza wagon will be there. We’ll enjoy, among other offerings, two special menu items made with local herbs and berries as the foundation: 🍕 The Gary Faulkner: Lamb Sausage, Sumac-braised Onions, Tahini, and Aleppo Pepper and 🍕 The Ronnie Cammareri: Local Ojai Purple Sage, Browned Butter, and Ricotta, as we gather and watch the supermoon continue to rise in the eastern sky.

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 hiking! Non-alcoholic offerings also change with the seasons and may include an Elderflower-Blackberry Spritzer. And now they’ve added their own Side Street Wine under the OVB umbrella for those who prefer the fruit of the vine!

Please note: Food and beverages are not included in the price of the hike. Ojai Valley Brewery does offer a 10% discount on beer and wine for my hike participants.

My 2021 book, Medicinal Herbs of California, will be available at the trailhead for sale and signing. Afterwards, participants will receive a follow-up email with a plant list and other notes.

In addition to the adult tickets ($35), tickets for students 13-17 ($25) and children 6-12 ($15) are also available. 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.

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.

Nature Education Walk at Taft Preserve
2024-11-23 10:00 - 12:00 | Taft Gardens & Nature Preserve, Ojai, CA, 93023, United States
Nature Education Walk at Taft 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 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 the monthly Nature Education Walks at Taft Gardens & Nature Preserve on Saturday, November 23, 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. The donation portion of the fee is tax-deductible.
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!

Nature Education Walk at Taft Preserve
2024-12-14 10:00 - 12:00 | Taft Gardens & Nature Preserve, Ojai, CA, 93023, United States
Nature Education Walk at Taft 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 this page and select the date button for December 14 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 the monthly Nature Education Walks at Taft Gardens & Nature Preserve on Saturday, December 14, 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. The donation portion of the fee is tax-deductible.
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!

CANCELLED: Winter Solstice Nature Hike on Pine Mountain
2024-12-22 10:00 - 16:00
Winter Solstice Nature Hike on Pine Mountain

Santa Cruz Island seen from Pine Mountain on December 11, 2024. Photo: Lanny Kaufer

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HIKE CANCELLED: Apparently the US Forest Service website is no longer a reliable place for road closure information in the National Forest. I just found out the road is closed, after all. Very disappointing.

Are you up for an adventure? On Sunday, December 22, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m, I will lead my first-ever Winter Solstice Nature Hike in the peaceful Mixed Conifer Forest on the “sky island” known as Pine Mountain (elevation: 7000 feet). Why is this the first ever? Because Pine Mountain road is usually closed by this date due to snowfall. As much as I wish the precious snow was already falling, I’m seizing this rare opportunity to share this incredible place with you at the quietest time of the year. We’ll celebrate the beginning of winter and the “return of the light” in a beautiful forest.

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. Weather and marine layer permitting, we will have panoramic views of the Cuyama Valley to the north and the Channel Islands to the south. The photo above of Santa Cruz Island was taken on December 11, 2024.

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, and white bark Raspberry that are more commonly found in the Southern Sierra Nevada mountains.

The outing will start at 10:00 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 11:30 a.m., stop for lunch (not provided) in the forest, and return to the trailhead by about 3:30 p.m., arriving back at the Maricopa Plaza by about 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 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 hike 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.

I will have copies of my book, Medicinal Herbs of California with me for sale and signing before the hike, as well as the rest of my mobile bookshop stock.

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.

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. Toddlers need to be in a carrier due to the nature of the trail. No dogs or smoking, please.

REGISTRATION

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TICKETS

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There are several ticket options. Please choose those 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 $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.

CANCELLED: January Full Moon Sunset Nature Hike & After-Party at Ojai Valley Brewery
2025-01-14 17:00 - 19:30
CANCELLED: January Full Moon Sunset Nature Hike & After-Party at Ojai Valley Brewery

Photo of full moon rising over Ojai in December 2024 by Ric Kauai

Cancelled due to extreme fire danger (1/14/25)

JUMP TO REGISTRATION

On Tuesday evening, January 14, from 5:00 to 7:30 p.m., my wife Rondia and I will launch my 49th year of leading Herb Walks with a Full Moon Sunset Nature Hike. We’ll hike to a vista point above the Ojai Valley where we can watch the sunset afterglow and the full moonrise. The moon will appear at about 6:30 p.m., giving us a nice window of time to take it all in.
Registrants will receive instructions on where to park. 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 setting of the sun and rising of the moon, we’ll walk back to the trailhead by remaining daylight, moonlight, and flashlight, returning to the trailhead at about 7:30.
The After-Party: Then at 7:30 p.m. you’re invited to a party! Please 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 my 49-year milestone while the moon continues to rise in the eastern sky. There is no food truck onsite that night but all hikers are welcome to bring their own food or get together and order a pizza. Ojai Pizza delivers there or you can pick up food elsewhere or have it delivered.
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.
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. 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.

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.
