Herb Walks with Lanny Kaufer are interpretive walks and hikes with an emphasis on edible and medicinal plants, those classified as “herbs” for their culinary and medicinal properties. We discuss and demonstrate the plants’ indigenous and modern uses for food, home remedies, botanical medicine, survival, landscaping, camping, crafts, ceremony and more. Use this link to go to HerbWalks.com.
Lanny is the author of Medicinal Herbs of California: A Field Guide to Common Healing Plants (Falcon Guides, 2021). Please visit the linked book title above to learn more and purchase it directly from the author with the option for a signed copy.
Here are some things you can expect to come away with from an herb walk or nature hike:
You’ll learn to positively identify native plants in their natural habitat, including those suitable for foraging and those that are potentially dangerous.
You’ll learn the common names, genus and species for each plant and their family and discover their roles in the ecology of the area as well as their applications for humans.
We’ll describe and discuss the concept of sustainable and ethical foraging and acknowledge the invaluable contribution of the indigenous people of the area we’re in to our knowledge of native plants.
You will receive an email afterwards with a list of all plants seen, including common and scientific names of the plants and their families.
This type of learning cannot be done accurately with books, photos and web images alone. You must engage with the plants in their home environment with all your senses to learn the “language of the plants.”
HerbWalks.com
Page header photo of Ojai Valley by Cindie Wozniak