Wildcrafting isn’t as simple as going out and digging an identified plant out of the ground in order to use it! Learning and teaching others how to harvest plants must be combined with a fair amount of instruction on why one should harvest in the first place, which plants to harvest, when to harvest, and how to do it in a sustainable way. Ethics and sustainability should always be in the forefront of our minds as we forage! 🍃
While there is a lot of information we herbalists should pass on to wildcrafting newbies, perhaps the most important is teaching about at-risk plants and why we should not harvest them. 🍃
At-risk plants are either naturally rare in the environment or becoming rare through human influence. Just as some plants reproduce and spread quickly and are often termed as “invasive” plants, there are those that are quite the opposite. These are naturally rare – due to slow growth habits, habitat incompatibility, population isolation, genetic incompatibility, problems with seed dispersal, loss of pollinators (can be caused by human influence), or by competition from or overpopulation of invasive plants and animals ... and so forth! 🌼
As herbalists, our work revolves around plants, so it is important we use plants in a wise manner—protecting and preserving them with their long-term viability in mind, not just for our sakes, but for the sake of the plant and the ecosystem. We must ask ourselves if we truly need the plant we’re considering using and we must help others understand this importance, too.
Becoming a responsible wildcrafter sometimes means not harvesting a plant if the population simply cannot support that impact and sustain itself, or whenever you are not sure what the impact of harvesting could be. This is why it’s so important to study foraging with a mentor or reputable school and to make sure you’re aware of sustainable guidelines before you start harvesting.
Species At-Risk List via United Plant Savers –– Sandalwood, Kava Kava, American Ginseng, Venus Fly Trap, Sundew, Maidenhair Fern, Cascara Sagrada, Squirrel Corn, Goldenseal, Lady’s Slipper, Orchid, Ramps, Lomatium, False Unicorn Root, Peyote, Stream Orchid, White Sage, Osha, Bloodroot, Virginia Dutchman's Pipe Trillium, Beth Root, True Unicorn Root, Blue Cohosh, Echinacea, Elephant Tree, Wild Indigo, Butterfly Weed, Stone Root, Wild Yam, Yerba Mansa, Black Cohosh, Eyebright, Pipsissewa, Chaparro, Pink Root, Mayapple, Slippery Elm, Lobelia, Arnica, Gentian, Goldthread
