As you walk the meadows, mountains and valleys of Southern California, do you find yourself wishing you knew more about the elusive mushrooms you encounter? Turn your wishing into learning on Saturday, February 18, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. when Herb Walks with Lanny Kaufer hosts a workshop in Ojai with acclaimed forager/chef Jess Starwood, author of Mushroom Wanderland: A Forager’s Guide to Finding, Identifying, and Using More Than 25 Wild Fungi!.
Starwood will join Kaufer, author of Medicinal Herbs of California: A Field Guide to Common Healing Plants, at a diverse Ojai habitat that is home to several species of fungi and native plants. Of course, they can’t guarantee which mushrooms they’ll find as that is unpredictable, dependent on rainfall, weather, and other factors. In any case, Starwood will bring dried samples from her pantry to fill in the gaps.
The workshop will start out at 9 a.m. at the Ojai Meadows Preserve for some plant ID and mushroom foraging. At 12 noon the group will move indoors to Fisher Hall at St. Andrews Episcopal Church for a wild food lunch demonstration, followed by more learning in the afternoon. At 3 pm. Kaufer’s mobile bookshop will be open for purchasing either title and many more. The authors will sign their respective books.
This will be Starwood’s only Ojai workshop during mushroom season this year. All three of her 2022 mushroom workshops sold out so those interested are encouraged to act soon if they want to be able to participate in this very special event.
The cost for the workshop, including all materials, is $145. Registration and more information can be found at HerbWalks.com or by calling 805-646-6281. This workshop will go on rain or shine with a change of morning venue in case of a heavy downpour.
In preparation for the upcoming H20 Show at the Ojai Art Center, 24 Pastel Society of the Gold Coast (PSGC) members have been busy creating works of art in various mediums – all in the name of environmental love.
Although this group of artists is generally known for creating beautiful pastel paintings – they are also extremely talented in various mediums and this particular show will showcase their broad range of talent.
Not only are these artists doing this in the name of art, but they want to build awareness as well, through their art, of our most precious resource: water. And in so doing, they will also be raising funds to support the tireless efforts of the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy (OVLC).
The H20 Show opening will be held Saturday, March 4th, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Ojai Art Center. Everyone is invited to come meet the artists and bid on some beautiful pieces to support the environment as well as the arts! If you can’t make the reception, H20 will be on display from March 4th through March 29th. The Ojai Art Center is located at 113 So. Montgomery Street in downtown Ojai.
