Thanks to the winter rains, water has returned to Santa Barbara’s San Antonio Creek along with Miner’s Lettuce, Thistles, Mustard, Malva, and other edible greens. I will lead a 3-hour Herb Walk there on Saturday, March 11, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

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.

Read more and register here.

I've been meeting with environmental educator Heather King of Ventura Wild to discuss her great ideas about offering activities for participants' children on the trail during my Herb Walks and Nature Hikes. We're ready to get started if it's something of interest to you.

Please visit this page on her website to learn about Heather, her programs, and what she is proposing for kids' activities at my events that will allow parents to focus solely on the plant information. Then it's up to you to let her know if this is something you would like to add to your Herb Walks experience.

Let’s do some botanizing, sightseeing, and nature exploration on the East Shore Trail at beautiful Lake Casitas. We’ll meet on Santa Ana Road outside the gate at 9 a.m., carpool through the gate to share the $10/vehicle entrance fee, and drive 1 mile to the trailhead. We’ll find edible and medicinal wild plants, see the waterbirds, and enjoy the scenery. We’ll stop for snack/lunch and return to the trailhead by 2:00 p.m.

The cost is $25 for adults, $20 for seniors 62 and older, and $15 for students 13-18. Kids 5-12 can go free, one per adult, by prior arrangement. NOTE: We are introducing a new option for children ages 5-12 at this event: a kid-friendly companion hike and nature experience led by Heather King of Ventura Wild.

Read more and register here.

I have been offered the opportunity to lead an Herb Walk on a beautiful private ranch in the Ojai mountains. One of the conditions is that I cannot divulge the location to the public. All I can say is that it’s a rare and special place where I have been longing to lead a walk for years. There are no public trails that allow access to this area. The property includes plants and features beyond what we usually encounter on my outings. Once you register, I will send an email with more details.

This is the year to join my ethnobotanical tour of scenic Rose Valley on our way to the famed Rose Valley Falls. Winter rains have brought the Falls back to life. After an edible plant identification walk along Howard Creek we'll visit the Rose Valley Lakes, take a lunch break at Rose Valley Campground, and finish with a shaded walk of 0.5 mile each way to the Falls.

You'll see and smell aromatic California Bay trees and search for the elusive Sweet Cicely and California Violets on the trail to the Falls. Other medicinal plants you can expect to see are Pineapple Weed (Chamomile), Stinging Nettles and Wild Rose. Read more and sign up here.

With the departure of
Recreation Officer Heidi Anderson from the Ojai Ranger District and no replacement in sight due to a federal hiring freeze and expected budget cuts from the new administration in Washington, D.C., I am turning to another trusted source for current information on our local forest: the Los Padres Forest Association (LPFA).

As you may know, I am able to offer my interpretive walks and hikes to the public in the Los Padres National Forest under a Special Use Permit for Guides and Outfitters. So I have a special interest in the health of our wilderness areas and safe access to them.

The LPFA is an official non-profit 501(c)(3) partner of the Los Padres National Forest that works with the Forest Service and forest-users to help promote safe, sustainable forest use through education and boots on the ground projects and programs.

You can learn more about LPFA and become a member yourself at their website.

Fire Restrictions Lifted
Snow and rain across Los Padres National Forest has provided sufficient moisture to reduce fire restrictions on the forest effective immediately.

Under the reduced fire restrictions, campfires and charcoal barbeques will be allowed in all areas of the Forest. A California Campfire Permit is required to build a campfire outside of a designated Campfire Use Site. California Campfire Permits are available for free download from the Forest website. A list of Campfire Use Sites is available at all Forest offices.

Road Closures
The following Forest Service roads are closed for the winter:

• Dough Flat (at Tar Creek)
• Nordhoff Ridge
• Cherry Creek
• Reyes Peak (AKA Pine Mtn)

The status of Highway 33 will be changing with the weather and snow levels for the next few months.

Are you looking for a birthday gift for that unique person in your life who would appreciate an Herb Walk or Nature Hike?

Visit this page to learn more and order one today.