.:. Ethical Harvesting.:.

Written By Melissa Plotkin


.:.With WildCrafting becoming more and more prevalent, it is extremely important (more than ever) to be extra mindful of the ways in which we harvest and tune in with the plants.:. 



I love the following Honorable Harvesting Guidelines that was shared by the Wolf Camp and School of Natural Science, as well as the crucial Wildcrafting CheckList written by the Columbines School of Botanical Studies.



Honorable Harvesting Guidelines for every plant we collect (the Wolf Camp and School of Natural Science):


  1. Do you need it? Harvest with a purpose or plan in mind, not just for the fun of it.


  2. Harvest only as much as you will use and process it as soon as possible (don’t waste it).


  3. 1 in 20 rule. It is ok to harvest a plant if there are 20 others available to maintain the population.


  4. Leave Grandmother. Allow the biggest and best plants to remain so they can continue to propagate the healthiest population.


  5. Leave damaged plants and consider the critters. Select quality material for your food and medicine. If a creature makes its home there, choose another. If harvesting flowers, leave at least 2/3 for pollinators. Remember that squirrels and jays (& more creatures than we are aware of) need nuts, too, and honor that…


  6. Harvest with a caretaker attitude so the plant or tree or patch or forest can continue to survive and thrive.


  7. Avoid polluted areas.


  8. Make sure you have permission from the land owner(s) and abide by the law.


  9. Offer appreciation and bring positive energy to your harvest.


  10. Never put anything in your mouth unless you are 100% sure it is safe to ingest

 

Wildcrafting Checklist by the Columbines School of Botanical Studies:

  • Who are the indigenous people of this place? What is their contemporary situation?

  • Do you have the permission or the permits for collecting at the site?

  • Do you have a positive identification?

  • Are there better stands nearby? Are you at the proper elevation?

  • Is the stand away from roads and trails?

  • Is the stand healthy?

  • Is there any chemical contamination?

  • Is there any natural contamination?

  • Are you in a fragile environment?

  • Are there rare, threatened, endangered, or sensitive plants growing nearby at any time of the year?

  • Is wildlife foraging the stand?

  • Is the stand growing, shrinking, or staying the same size?

  • Is the plant an annual or a perennial?

  • Is tending necessary and what kind?

  • How much to pick? Is the stand big enough?

  • Time of day? Time of year?

  • What effect will your harvest have on the stand?

  • Do you have the proper emotional state?

  • Move around during harvesting.

  • Look around after harvesting. Any holes or cleanup needed?

  • Are you picking herbs in the proper order for a long trip?

  • Are you cleaning herbs in the field? Do you have the proper equipment for in-field processing?

*Wildcrafting is Stewardship*

©HB 1995, 2012, HB & HB 2019. Feel free to reprint and distribute this checklist, as long as it remains intact with the headers and footers attached. For more information contact us at 541-687-7114 or write PO Box 50532, Eugene, Oregon 97405 admin@botanicalstudies.net, or visit www.botanicalstudies.net




Melissa Plotkin