Tecolote Canyon Ethnobotany Walk

We’ll meet at Tecolote Canyon Trailhead, go up to the “Battle Trail” offshoot (follow main trail about 50 feet past the visitors center).
Here, we’ll be amazed by the multitude of plants these past weeks of heavy rain have brought forth! We’ll see many native indigenous plants (coyote brush, broom, lemonade berry, sage) as well as non-native and invasives (iceplants, mustards). Learn to identify poisonous plants that would harm you (poison oak & others) and see the plant that natives would toss into the water to stun fish, so they could be more easily caught!
We’ll discuss how foods/medicines were made using many of the wild green plants (nettle, sorrel, toyon, clover) we’ll see today on our journey.
This trail is a well loved, gentle, easy hike that has many indigenous, native plants used by native persons of SoCal.
This trail takes an average of 30 minutes to complete. We will be slower, depending what we find and discuss. This easy, beautiful trail is great for all: Dogs, kids.
DIRECTIONS: From Route 5, take Tecolote Rd. heading west… this ends up in the parking lot where we will start tour.
In general, this is an EDUCATIONAL event about plant identification and potential uses, whether medicinal, herbal, or otherwise. While foraging in general requires important tools such as spades, gloves, baskets and bags to safely harvest various plants, this group is solely for educational and social purposes and will not, by law, conduct any plant poaching/foraging. We encourage identifying through various sources and by attending, you agree you will not hold organizers or hosts of the group liable for any potential injuries, such as slipping on the hike, or ignoring instructions and ingesting plants that cause a bad reaction.
During each foraging walk, we work together to identify and learn about edible and medicinal plants. We practice respect for land and life, and are mindful of legal constraints. We acknowledge indigenous plant wisdom. We make new friends. And we build a local community that is safer, stronger, wiser, and more attuned to the natural world we all share.