Wildcrafting is Stewardship of the Earth

Wildcrafting is the gathering of plant material from it's native "wild" environment. Wildcrafters need to be concerned about damaging or depleting our inheritance from nature. Wildcrafters are looking for a way to connect with nature for the day and finish with some plants for food, medicine, fiber or art. Here are some recommendations for wildcrafting with integrity.

• Always wildcraft with thoughts of beauty. Ask yourself how much more beautiful will this plant community be when I am finished gathering. (United Plant Savers 1998)
• Your first concern should be about the plant community and not how many plants you need.
• Do not upset undisturbed native soil because it is rare and precious.
• Strive for zero waste; take only as many plants you can reasonably use at one time.
• Leave mature seed producing plants to reproduce.
• Know which species are at risk in the bio-region.
• Approach natural ecosystems with thoughts of respect and be open to clues from the environment you are in.
• Don't be in a hurry! Be selective! Don't harvest at the first good area you see.
• To avoid overharvesting one area, move around.
• Before wildcrafting, ask yourself the questions on the wildcrafting checklist.

Wildcrafting checklist

(From: Wildcrafting for Beginners by: Howie Brounstein)

• Do you have permission or a permit for collecting at the site?
• Do you have a positive plant identification?
• Are there better stands nearby?
• Is the stand big enough?
• Is the stand away from the 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 wild life foraging the stand?
• Is the stand growing, shrinking, or staying the same size?
• Is the plant annual or perennial?
• Is tending necessary and what kind?
• How much do you need to pick?
• Time of day?
• Time of year?
• What effects will your harvest have on the stand?
• After harvesting, look around. Are there any holes that might need to be refilled or any clean up that could minimize impact?

The Problem:

Overharvesting is the collection of wild plants to the point where it interrupts the balance of a plant community. Due to expanding popularity and shrinking habitat and range many North American indigenous medicinal plants are at risk.

• Endangered plants are species in danger of becoming extinct in the foreseeable future.
• Threatened plants are likely to become endangered.

Once a species has been labeled as threatened or endangered we potentially stand to loose it's hidden secrets forever. Here in the Southwest there are many endangered plant species that are at risk of being overharvested. For example:

• Osha (Ligusticum porteri L.)
• Oregon Grape (Mahonia spp.)
• Yerba Mansa (Anemopsis californica)
• Yerba Santa (Eriodictyon californica)

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