Bob Otis Stanley

Bob Otis Stanley is a co-founder, Senior Garden Steward and Pastor for Oakland’s Sacred Garden Community. He was the founding Chairperson of the Decriminalize Nature group responsible for the initiatives in Oakland CA. Bob is an invited Senate advisory member for the California decriminalization initiative and is a founding Steering Committee member for the Sacred Plant Alliance, incubated by the Chacruna Institute. He has enjoyed growing sacred plants and exploring traditions independently and with mentors for over 35 years. Lifetime interest in diverse wisdom traditions builds upon the sincerity and depth of his Tennessee family’s Quaker/religious, medical, and wild-crafting traditions. Family medical mission work in Asia, Central and South America exposed Bob to non-Western healing traditions at an early age. Transformative personal and group experiences with sacred plants guide his passion for working with what he considers to be sacraments. Following Psychology and Religious studies degrees from the University of California Santa Cruz, Bob earned a Masters degree in Divinity from University of Chicago. Post-graduate cognitive science studies at New York University led to professional work in life science, clinical and molecular informatics research. In addition to sacred plant learning, teaching and conservation through gardening, Bob’s passions include epistemology, bicycling, and playing his Grandma’s violin. Bob is committed to growing respectful access to traditional plant sacraments and to their newly recognized relatives. He recognizes these plants as healing sacraments, properly venerated by ancient, living and emerging syncretic traditions.