John SirJesse, Founder of Herb Walker Tours, has been a resident of the Telluride region, and studying wild plants since the early seventies.

John studied herbology and natural healing with William La Sassier N.D. and Dr. John R. Christopher. His fascination with wild mushrooms began in the mid-seventies and lead to the start of Herb Walker Tours in the late eighties.

With a Special Use Permit from the Forest Service, John guides hikes in the National Forest lands.  As a foray leader for the Telluride Mushroom Festival since 1980, and its director from 2006 to 2008, John has shared his expertise with institutions including, the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies, Canyonlands Field Institute, Rocky Mountain Permaculture, Mesa State College, Colorado State University, Faraway Ranch, AH HAA School for the Arts and the Telluride Ski & Golf Club.

Over the years, John has hosted a radio show on plants and mushrooms, become a certified mushroom identifier for restaurants, written articles and co-authored “Hiker’s Guide to the Mushrooms of Telluride”.  John is currently writing a new book on Rocky Mountain plants, mushrooms, natural and human history.