Intersections of ecology, mindful awareness, food, and plant medicine infuse my work as a naturalist, herbalist, teacher, writer, and editor. I am especially drawn to relationships between plants and insects, as well as kinship with the earth’s tiny wonders — from lichens and slime molds to gall wasps and slugs.

My books include Tree Hugging, Mushroom Hunting, Wild Remedies, and Wild Drinks and Cocktails, and I have written for Apartment Therapy, Dwell, KCET, The Kitchn, Sunset, and other publications. I co-founded the international Food Swap Network and am a California Naturalist and Master Food Preserver. In my earlier career, I worked as an archivist and librarian in the arts.

As I weave my multiracial and multiethnic background into my work, I offer gratitude to my teachers, including my parents; ancestors from Vietnam, China, Cambodia, England, Ireland, Scotland, and France; ancestors by marriage from Korea; and myriad plants, animals, fungi, microbes, waters, and rocks.

I live in Altadena, California – Tongva land with my partner Gregory Han. Our claim to fame is finding two previously unknown populations of tiny snails in our Los Angeles backyard. 🐌