Events
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Baja Botanical Adventure 2023
Join experienced botanist and herbalist Dennis Sharmahd along with herbalist, forager and chef Jess Starwood on a seven day adventure to southern Baja California Sur, Mexico, to explore wild foods and herbal medicines this unique yet diverse region offers. The Plants (& Mushrooms): There are many unique, rare and endemic plants that inhabit this region.… Continue reading
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Healing with Native Plants Workshop & Wild Food Lunch
In this full day workshop, Dr. Jim Adams will teach about native medicinal plants on a local trail in the morning, followed by a workshop in the afternoon to learn how to make medicine from these important plants. Jess Starwood will offer a gourmet tasting of local wild foods and beverages for lunch. Jim Adams… Continue reading
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Gather: Food, Medicine, & Dye
Weekend Workshop and Wild Food Dinner June 19-20, 2021 • Trout Lake, Washington Join foragers Julie Beeler, Lorelle Sherman and Jess Starwood for an unforgettable weekend in the woods where you will learn plant and mushroom identification, fabric dyeing with foraged plants, and a locally sourced six-course gourmet wild food dinner in celebration of the… Continue reading
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Desert WILD! Foraging Adventure in the Sonoran Desert
April 13-16, 2022 Explore the edible and medicinal abundance of the Sonoran Desert in the springtime. Our journey will cover the entire foraging process, from desert to table. We will explore the surrounding foothills, canyons and flowing creeks to identify the local wild edible and medicinal plants, learn sustainable and ethical harvesting practices, preparation, preservation,… Continue reading
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Herbal Medicine Making Workshop
Join me, Jess Starwood, in February to learn how to make your own herbal medicine! Making Medicine: Herbal Workshop with Jess Starwood of Sunraven Apothecary February 18th, 1:00pm-3:30pm Bodysattva Center 1414 East Thousand Oaks Blvd. Suite 211 Thousand Oaks CA, 91362 Crafting your own herbal medicines at home saves money and helps you directly connect… Continue reading
About Jess

Jess Starwood is an established author, chef, herbalist and educator. She holds a Masters of Science degree in Herbal Medicine and Holistic Nutrition. In 2021, she wrote and photographed her first book, Mushroom Wanderland: A Forager’s Guide to Finding, Identifying and Using More Than 25 Wild Fungi.
She also writes regularly for Edible Ojai & Ventura County, Edible San Fernando magazines and The Mycophile—the publication of the North American Mycological Association (NAMA).
Jess founded The Wild Path School where she teaches foraging, wild foods, herbalism and nature education classes for adults and children. She is a member of the Culinary Committee for NAMA and is on the board of directors for the Arizona Mushroom Society and the newsletter editor for the Los Angeles Mycological Society. She has also worked as a wild food consultant and forager for Michelin starred chefs Niki Nakayama and Aitor Zabala. Jess has been featured in National Geographic, The Guardian, and the Orange County Register.
Classes and workshops for adults and children are held regularly in the Greater Los Angeles area and west coast. Weekend and week-long wild food adventures are also occasionally available. Be sure to check out the event calendar or join the mailing list to be notified first of openings and availability.