Wildcrafting - the practice of harvesting plants from their wild habitat - is an ancient tradition that connects us to the land and our ancestors.
But with this practice comes great responsibility.
The Ethics of Wildcrafting
Never take more than you need. This seems obvious, but enthusiasm can get the better of us when we find an abundant patch of something wonderful.
Never take more than 10% of what you find. Leave plenty for the plant to regenerate, for the animals who depend on it, and for other herbalists who may come after you.
Know what you're harvesting. Misidentification can be dangerous. Learn from experienced foragers, use multiple field guides, and when in doubt, leave it alone.
Know where you're harvesting. Avoid areas that may be contaminated - roadsides, industrial areas, recently sprayed lands, polluted waterways.
Harvest at the right time. Different parts of plants are at their peak potency at different times. Roots in fall, leaves before flowering, flowers at their peak, bark in spring.
Give thanks. Acknowledge the gift the plant is giving. Many traditions have prayers or offerings. At the very least, harvest with gratitude and presence.
We Are Stewards
When we harvest wild plants, we enter into relationship with the land. We become part of the ecosystem, not separate from it.
This is not just taking - it is tending. Careful harvesting can actually encourage growth and health in plant populations. We become stewards of the wild places.
In a world of packaged, processed everything, wildcrafting connects us to something real. It reminds us that medicine grows from the earth, that we are part of nature, not above it.
Go slowly. Pay attention. Give back.