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June 2025 HerbWalks & OjaiHerbal Newsletter
Look inside for a cure for FOMO plus walks, hikes, workshops and more. 
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June 2025 HerbWalks & OjaiHerbal Newsletter |
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Free Author Event at Timbre Books
with Lanny Kaufer & Jiling Lin
Thursday, June 12
Please join me and herbalist Jiling Lin at Timbre Books in Ventura for a conversation about my 2021 book from Falcon Guides,
Medicinal Herbs of California: A Field Guide to Common Healing Plants.
Together, we’ll explore my process of writing the book and, among other topics, the criteria used to decide which of the hundreds of medicinal herbs growing wild in California to include in a one-pound field guide designed for carrying in a backpack. We’ll discuss the whys and hows of sustainable foraging and the ways in which the book promotes environmental awareness.
And because the very existence of the book begs the question, “If medicinal herbs work, why hasn’t the FDA approved them for physicians to prescribe?,” I’ll read a short eye-opening chapter on that topic entitled “A Brief History of Medicinal Herbs in America.”
To RVSP for this free Timbre Books event, please visit this page. Bring your questions and curiosity and join the fun!
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“It’s a Family Affair:” The Human-Plant Family Connection – Part 3 with Carol Wade
Saturday, June 14
Join Ojai herbalist Carol Wade and me at her Earth Island Medicinal Herb Garden for Part 3 of our deep dive into the similarities and connections between human and plant families. Scheduled in 4 parts, one for each season, this series of workshops from February through October will enhance your knowledge of edible and medicinal plants as well as your understanding of our own species, our personal and collective health, and our place in Nature. Experience the glory of witnessing the cycles of change in a garden, plants, and the ecosystem at large, including us humans. It really is a wonder! See the article below or click here for more information about this special learning experience.
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Nature Preserve Walk at Taft Gardens
Saturday, June 28
Please join me for my monthly Nature Preserve Walk at Taft Gardens on Saturday, June 28, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., meeting at 8:45 a.m. We will explore trails through the wild parts of the property, identify and discuss native plants, and observe birds and animal tracks in the context of local ecology.
This event is a perfect fit with my personal mission to open a space for people to connect with the natural world, starting with the plant kingdom. The diversity of plant communities and native species make Taft Nature Preserve the ideal place. Taft Gardens & Nature Preserve was featured in an L. A. Times article on “The 16 Most Beautiful and Inviting Public Gardens in Southern California” and included in the RedBook Magazine list of “The 12 Most Beautiful Botanical Gardens in the United States.”
The $35 cost includes a $10 donation to benefit the CEF, the non-profit steward of Taft Gardens & Nature Preserve.
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.
Photo: Alexandra Nicklin
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Summer Solstice Nature Hike
on Pine Mountain
Sunday, June 22
Please join me for my annual Summer Solstice Nature Hike on Pine Mountain. The trail is only open between May 1 and whenever it snows in the fall. If you've never been there, please read the article below where I try to convey my love for this "sky island" rising up out of the coastal landscape of Ventura County. Other than Mt. Pinos, much further inland, there is no place like Pine Mountain and the Reyes Peak Trail in our area. To learn more and register, click here.
Photo:
Erika Klohe
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Carpinteria Salt Marsh Herb Walk
Sunday, June 29
As summer temperatures heat up in the interior I take advantage of some beautiful coastal options for walking among the native plants, birds, and wildlife. Carpinteria Salt Marsh Nature Park is a go-to destination that never fails to deliver. If the tides are in our favor we may even see marine life, including several species of sharks, rays, and fish. This walk is just $25 for all ages. Children 12-and-under are free, one per adult, by prior arrangement. Click here or on the photo above to learn more and sign up. |
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Herbal Skin Care with Emily Watson
Saturday, July 12
Join Emily Watson of Artemisia Academy and me on Saturday, July 12, in Ojai to learn about herbal remedies for natural skin care and make your own mini facial kit. During this class, we will go on a 2-hour herb walk with Lanny and Emily at the Chumash Garden to learn about local and native plants for skin care. Then join Emily at Nutmeg’s Ojai House to make remedies for acne, oily skin, dry skin, sunburn, exfoliation, rejuvenation, lightening spots & wrinkles. At the end of the class, you will have a complete facial kit to take home with you: face scrub, face mask, & herbal face serum. Click here or on the image above for more. |
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Here's where you can find my book when you're out supporting local businesses
My website is the best place to buy my book, including the option to request a signed copy. 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 booksellers, at REI and Barnes & Noble locations throughout California. (All local store names above are listed in alphabetical order within each city.)
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Here's a screenshot of the first few inches of my lengthy Resources page. It gives you an idea of how it's organized. Click to enlarge. |
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A peek inside the not-so-secret vault that is my website's page of Resources |
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I've been using this column to share free online articles and resources that I think you may find interesting. This time, I'm pulling them straight from the Resources page at HerbWalks.com:
This is a great place to start for identifying native plants of the Ojai and Southern California area. You can look up plants by their common and scientific names and see many photos. There also is a really cool search tool called the Flower Finder that allows you to identify unknown flowers. There also are mobile phone apps to download on the home page.
The Arboretum at the University of California, Santa Cruz (where I coincidentally worked while a student there) published this pamphlet as a guide to the native plant section of the arboretum. It includes plants native to that region of the Central Coast, many of which grow in the coastal areas of Southern California as well.
Nutrition Data List
Find complete nutritional information about whole and processed foods and branded products, including nutrition facts, calories, food manufacturers, and ingredients. It includes nutritional data on some local wild foods such as acorns, chia, and buckwheat.
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The Earth Island Medicinal Herb Garden. Click on the photo to enlarge it. |
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Come to Carol's amazing garden for our next workshop |
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On Saturday, June 14, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., herbalist-gardener-teacher Carol Wade of Ojai School of Herbal Studies and the Earth Island Medicinal Herb Garden will join me for an outdoor workshop entitled “It’s a Family Affair:” The Human-Plant Family Connection – Part 3. This is the third in a 4-part series to be continued on October 25. It is not necessary to attend any earlier part in order to appreciate Part 3. Each part is a stand-alone event.
During a 2.5 hour herb walk through the Garden led by Carol and me, you’ll enjoy the beautiful Ojai vistas as we apply the plant family method of identification to some of the native and international herbal allies that live in the Garden. The June session will highlight herbs of the Mint family such as Rosemary and Black Sage; the Rose family, represented by Rose and Hawthorn; and the Nightshade family, featuring Ashwaganda.
In addition to learning how to identify them and their families, you’ll learn the properties of those herbs and others in the Garden.
Then for the next 1.5 hours we’ll have some sharing time about the human-plant family connection while preparing home remedies for you to take with you.
To learn more and register, click this link.
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June-July 2025 issue of Condor Call, the journal of the Sierra Club's Santa Barbara-Ventura Chapter |
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The Matilija Wilderness remains off-limits as the trails and Matilija Canyon Road are still undergoing repairs due to storm damage. A Forest Closure Order for that area is in effect through July 18, 2025. The 4-wheel drive road from Rose Valley to Nordhoff Ridge also is closed. Everything else, including Pine Mountain Road, is open.
Fire danger is still low at the time of this writing with no restrictions in place. For alerts, visit this webpage.
Note: The Ojai Ranger District office is open Thursday through Saturday at (805) 646-4348. |
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Where else in Ventura County below 7000 feet can you see this? Click on the photo to enlarge it.
Photo: Peter Green |
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Don't miss the ultimate FOMO experience that I offer |
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If you’ve ever walked or hiked with me, you’ve probably heard me speak of the special beauty of Pine Mountain. Now you can experience it for yourself on our annual Summer Solstice Nature Hike on the Reyes Peak Trail on Sunday, June 22.
We’ll visit some of the most spectacular scenery and habitat that Ventura County has to offer just when many late spring wildflowers are blooming up there at an elevation of 7000 feet(!).
According to Craig Carey, author of
Hiking and Backpacking Santa Barbara and Ventura, the Reyes Peak Trail along the northern slope of the peak is “quite simply one of the most beautiful stretches in the southern Los Padres.”
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.
EXTRA: I reserved the last campsite on Reyes Peak for Sunday night before I realized I can't stay over. I'll transfer it for what I paid ($38) to the first person who requests it at lanny@herbwalks.com.
Please click here to learn more and register. |
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Did you know my wife Rondia has a YouTube channel with 690 subscribers and 258 videos!?! |
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Over the past year, my regular walkers and hikers have commented that they haven't seen my wife Rondia as much. It's time to share the passion project that has occupied so much of her time. She created a YouTube channel about Black history entitled Rondia Kaufer: From Chains to Change. She explores African American history, civil rights movements, social justice struggles, and the powerful stories often overlooked in mainstream education, from Black pioneers and unsung heroes to systemic injustice and historic resistance.
Please check it out and help her reach her next goal of 700 subscribers. |
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