The plant diversity at this Preserve is exceptional. In the creekside riparian habitat we’ll see a wide array of Southern California native trees including White Alder, California Bay, Blue Elderberry, Bigleaf Maple, and Coast Live Oak, among others. The creek is also home to California newts.

Under the canopy we’ll look for Giant Horsetail, Humboldt Lily, Gooseberry, Stream Orchid, Hummingbird Sage, and Giant Chain Ferns. In the sunnier sage scrub and chaparral areas Toyon, Black Sage and Coastal Sagebrush are thriving.

After the hike Santa Barbara Natives wil set up a private plant sale for us.

Sign up at this link.

After visiting this lush canyon in late winter we will return to the secluded Stunt High Trail to see the elusive Stream Orchids and other native spring wildflowers. The trail follows Cold Creek down through the Calabasas Hills on the north side of the Santa Monica Mountains.

Read more and sign up at this link.

I recommend you read this article on "Hope and Mourning in the Anthropocene" that just came out a few days ago. Rest assured, there is hope there although it doesn’t arrive until the end of the article whihch begins like this:

"We are living in a time of extraordinary ecological loss. Not only are human actions destabilising the very conditions that sustain life, but it is also increasingly clear that we are pushing the Earth into an entirely new geological era, often described as the Anthropocene.

Research shows that people increasingly feel the effects of these planetary changes and associated ecological losses in their daily lives, and that these changes present significant direct and indirect threats to mental health and well-being."

Read more at this link.

An idea I've had for several years is coming to fruition with the help of an amazing team. I'm pleased to announce that Herb Walks with Lanny Kaufer will present the first Ojai Herbal Symposium, November 16-18, featuring keynote speaker Dr. Kevin Spelman, an internationally recognized expert on the molecular biology and clinical therapeutics of botanical medicines and new product development.

Other noteworthy faculty will include Dr. James Adams of USC School of Pharmacy; Dr. Mary Hardy of the Simms/Mann-UCLA Center for Integrative Oncology; renowned author, herbalist and clinical psychotherapist Amanda McQuade Crawford; and a number of other remarkable presenters.

Details and registration coming soon at OjaiHerbalSymposium.org.

Kudos to Rick Halsey for another informative and entertaining field class, this time in the burn area surrounding the (unscathed) firesafe home of architects John Davis and Lorrie Brown, shown below with Lanny.

 

The 11th annual Los Padres ForestWatch fundraiser on June 3 will include a live auction featuring yours truly:

"The Ultimate Relaxing Ojai Staycation is back by popular demand with a little twist! Begin your day exploring the best gift the Ojai Valley has to offer - it’s beautiful nature trails. Enjoy and experience nature like you never have before on a 3 hr private Herb Walk and hike with Ojai native plant guide Lanny Kaufer. Learn the multi-sensory language of the plant world as you see, touch, smell, and taste your way along the trail. You’ll discover the many uses for native plants by the local Chumash tribe as well as modern-day foragers, herbalists and aromatherapists."

There is much more to the package. Read all about it by scrolling down this page.