The Supermoon Sunset Nature Walk led by local naturalist Lanny Kaufer in March was a great success except for one thing. Although it was a beautiful evening with a great group, clouds on the eastern horizon obscured the view of the moonrise until the group was back down the hill off the trail. So in the eternal quest for perfection, they’re doing it again for the April full moon. Technically, the exact moment of the full moon will occur at 4:12 a.m. on Friday, April 19, making Thursday night’s moon the closest to fullness. The sun is due to set at 7:31 so that is the target time to be at a vista point overlooking the beautiful Ojai Valley (Valley of the Moon).
 The group will meet at the Park-and-Ride lot downtown between 5:15 and 5:30 p.m. and carpool to the trailhead to minimize the crowded parking situation. From there they’ll gradually walk about 3/4 of a mile to the vista point, stopping along the way to meet some valuable native plants including Coastal Sagebrush, Purple Sage, Toyon and Elderberry.
After witnessing the setting of the sun and rising of the full moon, the moonwalkers will head back to the trailhead by remaining daylight, moonlight, and flashlight, returning to the Park-and-Ride by 8:30 p.m.
From there, all over 21 are invited to join Kaufer for beverages, appetizers or dinner at Ojai Valley Brewery where brewmaster Jeremy Haffner has created some truly delicious lager-style craft beers and ales using some of the same local plants seen on the trail. His brews change with the seasons and reflect the plants of Ojai. At the March gathering, he was serving Chaparral Ale bittered with sagebrush and sage instead of the usual hops, New Moon Oat Stout brewed with wild oat grass, and Sugar Bush IPA flavored with local sumac berries.
Space is limited. Please visit HerbWalks.com and click on the event listing to register or call 805-646-6281 for more information.
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