Carpinteria Salt Marsh Herb Walk with Lanny Kaufer

On Sunday, June 11, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., we will visit the Carpinteria Salt Marsh Nature Park, also known as El Estero, a rare salt 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. If the tide level is right, we will be able to see the marine wildlife shown in the photo.

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 here. No smoking, please.

Copies of my book, Medicinal Herbs of California, will be on hand for sale and signing before and after the walk

To learn more and register, please visit HerbWalks.com.