December 2024 HerbWalks & OjaiHerbal Newsletter
Happy Holidays from Rondia and me to all of you! Be of good cheer!
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December 2024 HerbWalks & OjaiHerbal Newsletter
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Nature Education Walk at
Taft Nature Preserve
Saturday, December 14
Please join me and Rondia for the final 2024 Nature Education Walk at Taft Preserve on Saturday, December 14, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. Click on my photo of the Four Directions Circle or the link inthe previous sentence to learn more and register. See the article below for more info. |
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Special Holiday Offer
2 Books for the Price of 1!
Today, December 9, through Thursday, December 19, my loyal newsletter readers can take advantage of a special holiday offer. For every copy of my book
Medicinal Herbs of California that you buy for $26.95 in my online shop you will receive a free copy of Milt McAuley's classic 565-page flora of Southern California,
Wildflowers of the Santa Monica Mountains. That book is a $19.95 value but really worth much more compared to 2024 prices for similar books. The thing is, no similar book exists. This is the only book of its kind for our regiion, so there are no comparisons.
You can start ordering the books by visiting the Herb Walks bookshop or by clicking on the book cover montage above. Or you can learn more about each book and start the order process by clicking on either book's name in the first paragraph above.
To order, just add both books to the shopping cart and enter the following coupon code in the field where you're prompted to apply coupon: WildFree2024. The McAuley book ⏤ which includes 496 color photos ⏤ is absolutely free; you just have to pay a little extra for the shipping. This offer is for my newsletter subscribers only and applies only to these two books as a combined order. Be sure to order by December 19 to allow for shipping time before Christmas Day.
After you've entered the coupon code in the shopping cart, when you reach checkout you can use the “Order notes (optional)” field to request a simple autograph or have my book signed to you or that special person who's receiving it as a gift. This personal touch is something not available when purchasing on Amazon. Thank you and happy holidays!
BTW, if you already own my book or you're considering buying it, click on the following link to check out the free hyperlinked bibliography I created to save you the hassle of copying long URLs from the printed page to your browser to visit the many web sources cited in the book.
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Here's where you can find my book
while you're out shopping
If you're out and about at any of these outstanding businesses (and please do support them!), you can find my book on the shelf: in Ojai at Farmer & the Cook, Krotona Quest Bookshop, Ojai Cannabis Company, Ojai Valley Brewery, Ojai Valley Museum, Rainbow Bridge, Sespe Creek Collective, Westridge Market Midtown, and Wheeler Gorge Visitor Center; in Ventura at Ema's Herbs, Green Thumb Nursery, Timbre Books, and Ventura Spirits; in Sun Valley at Theodore Payne Foundation; in Goleta at Island Seed & Feed; and, among many other places, at REI stores and Barnes & Noble locations throughout California. (All local store names above are listed in alphabetical order within each city.)
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December
Herb Walks Events |
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Selected online articles that might interest you |
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Every once in a while I like to use a column in this newsletter to share a small sampling of the great articles and websites that come my way related to edible and medicinal plants, herbalism, nature connection, holistic health, gardening, outdoor recreation and other related topics. Since there is only one Herb Walks event to tell you about this month, let's take a walk around the World Wide Web:
California Truth & Healing Council The Truth and Healing Council was created by Governor Newsom via executive order N–15–19, which is common referred to as the “Governors Apology.” The purpose of the Council is to examine the historical record and clarify the nature, causes and extent of State-sanctioned depredations and prejudicial policies committed during the early decades of California’s statehood, and make recommendations to meaningfully address the historical trauma and ongoing issues caused by these early actions.
"California removes slur targeting Indigenous women from location names" (
Los Angeles Times) Officials have approved the removal of the derogatory term “squaw” from more than 30 geographic features and place names on California lands.
"Ethnomedicinal Wisdom: An Approach for Antiviral Drug Development"
(National Library of Medicine) From the article: “Scientifically, ‘Ethnomedicine’ is the study of ‘traditional medicine’ of ethnic communities, their knowledge and practices that transmitted orally over centuries, and evolved over millennia of human existence.” This one's for the science geeks. For the rest, it's an example of the scientific research going into plant medicine in the modern age.
"Pomegranate Mouthwash Had Comparable Effect to Chlorhexidine in Reducing Dental Plaque" (
American Botanical Council's HerbalGram.org) This is pomegranate season and a good time to share this article from American Botanical Council, one of my favorite sources of herbal information. Chlorhexidine (CHX) mouthwash is used most often for dental plaque but it has side effects and complications. CHX, meet Pomegranate Hydroalcoholic Extract!
"US Sales of Herbal Supplements Increased by 4.4% in 2023" (
American Botanical Council's HerbalGram.org) Annual sales of herbal dietary supplements in the United States totaled an estimated $12.551 billion in 2023, according to data from the
Nutrition Business Journal.
In 2023, for the second consecutive year, psyllium (Plantago ovata)
ranked first in mainstream retail sales. The seed and seed husk are commonly used in products marketed for cardiovascular and digestive health support. (In 2020 and 2021, during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, elderberry was the top-selling mainstream herbal supplement ingredient.)
Turmeric ranked first in sales in the 2023 natural channel for the third year in a row. Pain, inflammation and joint health were the top-selling health focuses of turmeric products sold in this channel.
"Health Benefits of Gratitude" (
UCLA Health) It's Thanksgiving season, too. From the article: "Saying thank you is nothing new. But practicing gratitude — regularly focusing on the positive parts of your life — is about more than having good manners. It can be a powerful health habit.
Research shows that practicing gratitude — 15 minutes a day, five days a week — for at least six weeks can enhance mental wellness and possibly promote a lasting change in perspective. Gratitude and its mental health benefits can also positively affect your physical health."
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Lanny leading a nature education walk at Taft Nature Preserve earlier this year. Click on the photo to sign up for the December 14 walk.
Photo: Alexandra Nicklin |
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Last chance this year to walk the Taft Nature Preserve with me |
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Please join me and Rondia for the last monthly Nature Education Walk of 2024 at Taft Nature Preserve on Saturday, December 14, from 10:00 a.m. to 12 noon. We will explore trails through the wild parts of the property, identify and discuss native plants, and observe signs of birds and animals of the local ecosystem.
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.”
For lack of a better cliché, you owe it to yourself to visit this amazing place if you've never been there. You can make a reservation online for a self-guided tour of the developed garden areas but the Nature Preserve is off limits unless you are with a guide.
Registration for this event is through Taft Gardens. Please start here.
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Summer fire restrictions remain in place throughout the Los Padres National Forest through January 31, 2025 or until adequate rainfall alters the situation. These restrictions will affect the use of campfires, stoves, smoking materials, and internal combustion engines.
For campground reservations at Wheeler Gorge, Rose Valley, Pine Mountain, Reyes Peak, and other sites in the Los Padres National Forest, visit this webpage. |
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Other Local Events of Interest |
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Every year I like to wish you happy holidays and a soulful solstice by sharing Perry Van Houten's photo of the Channel Islands as seen from Pine Mountain in the winter. Click on it to enlarge. |
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Lanny leading a field class at Harmon Canyon Preserve. |
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NEW Extended Field Class Offering |
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Are you interested in joining an extended field class limited to 5 students or less? A longtime friend and Herb Walks fan recently asked if she could study plant identification with me to supplement her college class in Ecological Restoration. After we brainstormed how that might look, she created a draft of a class description, including class duration, goals, cost of program, and a cost breakdown per student for a maximum of 5 students. Here is the proposal:
Class Goals:
- Introduce students to native plants and their seasonal life cycles.
- Develop skills in plant identification and ecological observation.
- Track changes in native plants at two distinct sites for comparative learning.
- Two 2.5 hour classes a month
- 5 or less students
- January-June, 2025
- During the week Mon, Tues or Wed
Cost of Program:
- Duration: 12 sessions (2.5 hours each, twice a month)
- Cost Per Session: $250 total, divided among participants
For cost breakdown by number of students (1-5) and registration information, please visit this page.
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Jeffrey pines and chaparral at Pine Mountain in the Los Padres National Forest.
Photo: Bryant Baker |
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Last Chance to Save Pine Mountain: Call on Our Leaders to Act Before It’s Too Late |
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From Los Padres ForestWatch:
"The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals declined to halt a controversial logging and vegetation clearing project atop Pine Mountain and Reyes Peak in Ventura County’s Los Padres National Forest.
"Now, it is time to appeal to our local elected leaders in what might be our last opportunity to save Pine Mountain.
Congresswoman Julia Brownley and Congressman Salud Carbajal must step in to bring the Forest Service to the table and advocate for a meaningful compromise."
Click here to send an email to local members of Congress.
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The 4th Ojai Herbal Symposium on Krotona Hill has been rescheduled for the weekend of May 30-31, 2026. Please visit OjaiHerbal.org and follow these newsletters for the latest updates. |
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Voting..
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