Please join me on Sunday, April 6, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (including drive time) for a 2.5-hour plant identification hike on the Cozy Dell Trail, a special north-facing canyon trail just 2 miles up scenic Highway 33 from Ojai. Starting in the riparian habitat of Sheldon Canyon, we’ll gradually climb up to the saddle in a mix of sun and shade. At the top, in the sunny chaparral habitat, we’ll have a stunning view of the Ojai Valley and surrounding mountains.

We’ll find a wide diversity of native plants to identify while demonstrating and discussing their many uses by foragers, herbalists, and naturalists for food, herbal medicine, first aid, home remedies, survival, crafts, ceremony and more. The entire distance, if we make it all the way to the top, is 2 miles.

This time of year we can expect to find Coast Live Oak, Yarrow, Mugwort, Hummingbird Sage, and Mariposa Lily, among many others. Poison Oak will also be identified (and avoided). Participants will receive an email afterwards with a plant list (including common and scientific names) and other useful notes.

Trailside discussion will include sustainable foraging, Chumash plant uses, and other topics generated by the participants. This is designated as a “nature hike” rather than an  “herb walk” because the trail is steep and includes a short stretch of rocky footing at the beginning. Good balance and hiking shoes are required.

We will meet at Maricopa Plaza parking lot in Ojai at 8:45 a.m. for a 9:00 a.m. caravan/carpool to the trailhead. We’ll hike for two hours beginning at 9:30 and ending at approximately 11:45, putting you back at Maricopa Plaza by around 12 noon.

Before the walk, at the caravan meeting place, I will have my mobile bookstore on display, including copies of my book, Medicinal Herbs of California, available for sale and signing. 

The cost of the hike for all ages of participants is $25. Please email me if you have questions about bringing children. No dogs or smoking, please.

This event in the Los Padres National Forest is presented by Herb Walks with Lanny Kaufer under a Special Use Permit from the U. S. Forest Service for wilderness outfitters and guides. Herb Walks with Lanny Kaufer is an equal opportunity service provider.

Please click here or on the image above to read more and sign up.

Photo: Looking north up Highway 33 from Cozy Dell Trail by Lanny Kaufer

Join Certified Nature & Forest Therapy Guide Elena Rios and me for a day of “Nature Alignment” in the meadows and secluded oak forest of Ojai. Just as our spines and our vehicle’s wheels sometimes need an alignment to find the right balance, so do our souls. Years of the isolation from Nature that modern life imposes on most of us can lead to a lessened sense of connection to the Earth and to our fellow beings. Are you ready for a "nervous system reset?"

We’ll begin with a walk to “The Oak Grove” where famed Ojai philosopher and spiritual teacher Jiddu Krishnamurti gave his legendary outdoor talks from 1922 to 1985. With the permission of the Krishnamurti Foundation of America to use the land, Elena will guide us through a “Nature Immersion” in this secluded private grove considered sacred to many. Krishnamurti’s teachings of mindfulness and love of unspoiled Nature attracted thousands of people to the Ojai Valley and to The Oak Grove. We hope to walk in his footsteps.

Elena will guide us in dropping into a deeper state of connection to Nature and the more-than-human world. This sensorial experience will assist you in slowing down, relaxing, and observing with all of your senses. 

After a lunch break on your own – with many great food options just minutes away – we’ll meet again at the neighboring Ojai Meadows Preserve under my special use permit from the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy. There we’ll commune with a myriad of native and non-native plants that have long histories of use by the Chumash and all our ancestors for food, medicine, clothing, building material, musical instruments and much more. Our focus will be on learning the multi-sensory language of the plants and of Nature.

Please read the expanded article below or click here or on the image above to read more and sign up.

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

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

Please join me for my monthly Nature Preserve Walk at Taft Gardens on Saturday, April 19, 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!

Photo: Alexandra Nicklin

"It's A Family Affair:" The Human-Plant Family Connection – Part 2 

Saturday, April 26

On Saturday, April 26, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., herbalist-gardener-teacher Carol Wade of Ojai School of Herbal Studies and the Earth Island Medicinal Herb Garden will join me for an outdoor-indoor workshop entitled “It’s a Family Affair:” The Human-Plant Family Connection – Part 2.  This is the second in a 4-part series to be continued on June 14 and October 25. It is not necessary to attend Part 1 in order to appreciate Part 2. Each part is a stand-alone event.

During a morning herb walk through the Garden led by Carol and me, you’ll enjoy the beautiful Ojai vistas as we apply the plant family method of identification to some of the native and international herbal allies that live in the Garden.  The April session will highlight herbs of the Mint family such as Rosemary and Black Sage; the Rose family, represented by Rose and Hawthorn; and the Nightshade family, featuring Ashwaganda.

Each family and plant has been chosen for its prominence at this time of year. You’ll learn the properties of those herbs and others in the Garden. Then we’ll explore them in greater depth in an indoor setting in the afternoon where you’ll prepare home remedies to take with you.

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

The cost for each session is $75/person, due in advance by PayPal or personal check. A $5 cash materials fee will be collected onsite. I will have my mobile bookshop with me, including my signed book and the rest of my curated collection.

Please note: Due to limited space for gathering in the Garden, registration will be limited to 15 participants.

Shamanic teacher, psychologist, and ceremonial leader Dr. Tom "Tomás" Pinkson is the author of, among other works,  The Shamanic Wisdom of the Huichol: Medicine Teachings for Modern Times, Walking A Sacred Road: On Pilgrimage with the Huichol, and the forthcoming  Psychedelic Shaman: The Wisdom Warrior’s Path to Transformation. He made many pilgrimages to Wirikuta, the Huichol sacred gardens, during his apprenticeship with Guadalupe de la Cruz, the spiritual leader of her rancho, a gifted contador (singing shaman), and skilled yarn painter. 

For over 55 years, Tomás has been a pioneer, building bridges between cultures and ancient wisdom traditions, and sharing how shamanic and Nature-based principles can help us address the challenges of our times and return to sacred living. Now you can experience the wisdom he's gathered from his years of doing the work and walking the walk. Click here or on the image above to learn more and sign up for this free event. Tell him I sent you!