Poet, painter and naturalist Obi Kaufmann's lavishly illustrated, 550-page California Field Atlas takes readers off the beaten path and outside normal conceptions of California, revealing its myriad ecologies, topographies, and histories with hundreds of exquisite hand-painted maps and trail paintings.

I'm fortunate to have arranged for Obi to take some time from his book tour for an intimate event in Ojai on Saturday, February 10. Since we first planned this day, the original printing sold out, a second printing hit the shelves and now it, too, is headed for a sellout. In the meantime, The California Field Atlas won this year's Regional Award for BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR by the Northern California Independent Booksellers Association!

This unique workshop will be of great interest to naturalists and artists alike. Obi will take us on a nature walk in the morning and then share the process of creating his epic book in an afternoon slideshow discussion.

Read more and sign up at this link.

Please join renowned chaparral ecologist and author Richard Halsey for a timely workshop on how to create resilient gardens and homes in Southern California as we go forward in the post-Thomas Fire era.

As he writes in his book, Fire, Chaparral, and Survival in Southern California,  "Making a conscious decision to reconnect to one's natural surroundings can provide significant improvements in the quality of life. It is not just about learning to recognize the call of the wrentit, to be able to identify ceanothus, or understand the value of chaparral as a watershed; in a fire-prone environment like southern California, it is a matter of survival."

Read more and sign up at this link.

Join me and Dan De Lion of Return to Nature for a family-friendly plant walk and class on lowering your ecological footprint eating weeds! This event is part of the “little footprints” environmental series at Greater Goods in Meiners Oaks.

Dan and I will lead a morning plant walk at Steel Acres Farm, identifying and discussing plants and foraging for edible weeds. Then join us at Greater Goods for a foraged meal, herbal medicine making class, and discussion about medicinal, edible, and utilitarian uses of plants.

Kids of all ages are welcome for the morning walk. Older children may also be interested in the afternoon class. Suggested donation is $25 but all donations of any amount are welcome. No one will be turned away.

Sign up at this link.

You're invited to join me and Carol Wade  on Saturday, March 24, at her Earth Island Medicinal Herb Garden  to appreciate the nature still standing after the smoke and fires and study the many ways plant medicine lends itself to respiratory and whole body/mind health.

Read more and sign up at this link.