Lanny Kaufer

Lanny Kaufer has been leading Herb Walks and Nature Hikes in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties since 1976, educating hundreds of locals and visitors on the flora of the area with a focus on herbs that can be used for food and medicine. As an herbal educator, Lanny also hosts workshops and presentations throughout the Ojai-Ventura–Santa Barbara area on the uses of California plants. He operates his outdoor adventures under Special Use Permits from the U.S. Forest Service and the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy, among others. Lanny’s science background comes from earning a Biology degree at the University of California, Santa Cruz, where he completed independent studies in naturopathic medicine under physiology professor Dr. Henry Hilgard in the early 1970s. During those years and since then he also studied and collaborated with Chumash plant expert Juanita Centeno, and renowned herbalists William LeSassier, Michael Tierra, Michael Moore, and others. Lanny serves as chief consultant on medicinal plants for the Swimmer Medicinal Garden in Playa Vista. He actively shares his events and knowledge online through his website HerbWalks.com, his free monthly newsletter, and via social media. Lanny lives in Ojai with his wife Rondia.