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Miner's Lettuce and Chickweed
on San Antonio Creek Trail.
Photo: Ben Grangereau |
This Saturday:
San Antonio Creek
'Tis the season of foraging for salad
We're still praying for rain but, in the meantime, there's been more than last year so far and enough to bring up a nice crop of edible wild salad greens. I will lead a 3-hour Herb Walk on San Antonio Creek Trail at Tucker’s Grove in Goleta on Saturday, February 21 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
On this walk we will identify, demonstrate and discuss the many uses of wild plants for foragers, herbalists, and naturalists seeking out plants for food, first aid, home remedies, survival, crafts, ceremony and more. Poisonous plants will also be identified.
Trailside discussion will include humankind’s role in the ecological balance, sustainable harvesting, the healing power of nature, and other topics generated by the participants.
Read more and register now at this link.
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With the addition of
Medicinal Plants of the Desert and Canyon West, we finally have a complete collection of Michael Moore's indispensable reference books in the Herb Walks Store.
This classic work on medicinal herbs of the Western uplands is an authoritative presentation of more than 100 species. Like the two others in this series, it is unsurpassed as a field guide for its authoritative information on collection and medicinal preparation.
This volume focuses on the plant life of rocky and arid lands of the West, and includes detailed information on the preparation and use of these vital herbs.
Use the discount code in this newsletter to order it now at this link. |
Discount Code!!!
As our thank-you to you for opening and reading this newsletter, here is a discount code worth 10% off all items (except Gift Certificates and event admission charges) for the months of February and March at the Herb Walks Store. We are always adding new books to our collection. Have you looked lately?
Just click on the Herb Walks logo below to get the code. Then copy and paste it when requested at checkout.
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| Tellur Fenner teaching in the woods of Northern California |
Last chance for the early-bird discount
Introducing to Ojai: a new herbal star
on the native plant medicine horizon
Friday, February 20, is the deadline for the early-bird discount price of $45 for a full day with our very special guest from Northern California, herbalist Tellur Fenner. After that the price will be $55. There is no pre-payment required at this time. Simply registering by Friday will qualify you for the discount.
The day's two hikes will take place in the upper Ventura River watershed north of Ojai. Historical and modern medicinal applications will be covered along with any edible and/or utilitarian potential. Tips on basic/intermediate plant identification will be offered with a special emphasis on plant family characteristics as well as differentiating poisonous look-alike plants from their beneficial counterparts.
Tellur Fenner is a clinical herbalist and educator and has traveled extensively throughout the U.S while studying, collecting, and using plant medicines from all the major bioregions.
Read more and learn about the early registration discount at this link.
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| George Washington Carver |
Black History Month Shout-out
On the 150th anniversary of his birth, here's a big "Thank you, Mr. Carver!" for all your agricultural achievements. Please take a minute and read about this great American here. |
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Dr. Adams teaching in Matilija Canyon in October, 2014
Photo: Lorenz Schaller |
Dr. Jim Adams returns: Saturday, February 28
Don't miss this opportunity to learn from the leading researcher on medicinal plants of our area
“Humans have used plant medicines ever since humans came into existence, about 200,000 years ago,” Dr. Adams explains in his book,
Healing With Medicinal Plants of the West. “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.”
Join me and special guest Professor James Adams of USC School of Pharmacy on Saturday, February 28, from 9 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. for a Medicinal Plant Walk on West Sulphur Mountain Trail in the Casitas Springs area between Ventura and Ojai. We will identify wild native plants in riparian and chaparral habitats and discuss their indigenous and modern medicinal uses.
This will be a slow-paced walk of about 2 miles round-trip on a wide dirt road that gradually gains elevation with corresponding views and changing plant habitats. The walk will be suitable for hikers of all levels of ability who are capable of walking that distance up and downhill and standing for periods of time.
Dr. Adams brings a wealth of knowledge and experience as well as a unique perspective on herbal medicine. As an Associate Professor of Pharmacology, he has been teaching pharmacy students, medical students, doctors and other healthcare professionals for over 25 years and has over 200 publications. Read more about him and register at this link.
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| 1850 lithograph of medicinal plants with powerful compounds.
Photo: National Library of Medicine. |
U. S. F. S. Ethnobotany
web pages
Ethnobotany getting some federal respect
Did you know that your tax dollars have funded some excellent information on ethnobotany at the U.S. Forest Service website?
Their Ethnobotany homepage has links to pages on food, medicine, shelter, dyes, fibers, oils, resins, gums, soaps, and more. There are whole pages devoted to Medicinal Botany, Plant Parts Used for Medicinal Purposes, and Active Plant Ingredients Used for Medicinal Purposes.
Here's their description of the lithograph above which you can see enlarged if you click on it:
The upper right hand corner is decorated with Datura, Hellebore, Belladonna and other psychoactive members of the Solanaceae. Toxic fungi can be seen on the top center of the illustration and the surrounding borders illustrate various medicinal plants and their uses. The center image shows Socrates accepting a cup of Poison Hemlock as his death sentence.
You'll find the abovementioned links, among many others, on my own web page of Links to Resources at www.HerbWalks.com.
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