Lanny Kaufer, Ojai herbalist and native plant educator, is enjoying his 47th year of leading “Herb Walks” and nature hikes in Ojai, Santa Barbara, and the surrounding area. A retired public high school teacher with a Biology degree from the University of California, Lanny specializes in making learning about edible and medicinal plants accessible and fun for people of all ages. He is the author of Medicinal Herbs of California: A Field Guide to Common Healing Plants (Falcon Guides, 2021)
Lanny acquired much of his plant knowledge in field study with well-known herbalists and ethnobotanists, including the late William LeSassier and the late Chumash teacher Juanita Centeno. He has co-led workshops, field classes and expeditions with noted experts such as the late herbalist and author Michael Moore, author-herbalist Michael Tierra, author-herbalist Amanda McQuade Crawford, Professor Emeritus James Adams of USC School of Pharmacy, and Chumash educators Julie Tumamait-Stenslie and her brother Patrick Tumamait, among others.
Lanny is the founder and director of the Ojai Herbal Symposium and Ojai Medical Cannabis Conference. He also serves as chief consultant on medicinal plants for the Swimmer Medicinal Garden in Playa Vista.
