Ethnobotanist Joan Stevens will lead a short introduction to the plant kingdom and our local plants in a shady spot near the road. Following that, we will hike up the trail learning to identify the plants along the way. We will taste, touch and smell our way along the path, learning how these plants were used traditionally and how to include them in our lives today. We will enjoy a snack break in a spot that affords us a great opportunity for some bird watching and exploring patterns of the landscape.

About Joan ::
Joan Stevens has a special relationship with the plant kingdom honed from years of academic study and journey work. When she looks out at the landscape she knows her plant allies by name in botanical latin. She brings a spirit of play and reverence to exploring the uses of local plants and an appreciation of the poetry of taxonomic names and evolutionary relationships.

Joan has worked with plants throughout the Southern California wildlands as well as in cultivated landscapes. She has interpreted the native flora for the Long Beach Nature Center, the Fullerton Arboretum, the Los Angeles Arboretum, Chino Hills State Park, and the Big Bear Forest Service. Joan's graduate research took her to the deep rain forests and traditional villages in the Ecuadorian Amazon, Samoa and Southern Mexico. Currently her attention is on spreading the word about permaculture and seeding the farms of tomorrow all around the city.

Inspired by her experiences with shamanic plants from around the planet, Joan aspires to relate to the landscape rather than just name it. As we tune in to the plants and animals that share our bioregion, what's available is a healing, connecting, and potent path to the present. In addition, the practical experience of knowing what food and medicine is a pretty handy skill set for the coming age!

Contribution :: $10-15 Sliding Scale

Limited space, to RSVP please click on the button below or email us at info@projectbutterfly.org ::



Bring ::
Comfortable Clothes
Hiking Shoes
Water
Notepad & Pen/Pencil
Smiles

Location::
Griffith Park [ below the Observatory ]

Directions ::
Take N. Vermont Ave or Hillhurst North
Continue on Vermont Canyon Road
Past the Greek Theater
Through the tunnel
Stay to your left onto East Observatory Ave
There will be a small parking lot on your left
You can also park on the street
Meet us on the grass area next to the parking lot



Trail in RED


[map of area]