Carpinteria Salt Marsh Herb Walk

On Sunday, October 26, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. please join me, Lanny Kaufer, nature guide and author of Medicinal Herbs of California, for a 2-hour herb walk at the Carpinteria Salt Marsh Nature Park. Also known as El Estero, the Nature Park is a rare saltwater wetland in Southern California. Nearly destroyed by development, the remaining estuary was restored in the late 1990s by a group of concerned citizens along with the City of Carpinteria, UCSB, and the Land Trust for Santa Barbara County. Completed in 1997, the 8-acre portion of the marsh owned by the City of Carpinteria was renamed the Carpinteria Salt Marsh Nature Park.

The park includes walking trails and interpretive signage. It is home to hundreds of migrating birds and other wildlife, including exotic sharks, rays and native fish when conditions are right. Depending on the tide level we may be able to see marine wildlife like the Shovelnose Guitarfish, Round Stingrays, Smoothhound Sharks or a Leopard Shark 

There is a great variety of edible and medicinal plants of the Coastal Strand and Coastal Sage Scrub plant communities for us to see and learn from. Useful native plants there include Blue Elderberry, California Blackberry, Grindelia, Lemonade Berry, Mugwort, Pickleweed, Wild Rose, and Coastal Sagebrush.

Due to the sensitivity of the habitat, dogs are prohibited. No smoking, please.

The cost is $25 for all ages.  Children 12-and-under are free, one per adult, by prior arrangement. No dogs or smoking, please. Registrants will receive a confirmation email with directions and all necessary info about a week before the hike and a follow-up email afterwards with a plant list and other info.

My 2021 book, Medicinal Herbs of California, along with the rest of my mobile bookshop, will be available for sale and signing where we park in the morning.