10 Rules for Wildcrafting

 

1. Know the plant

• 100% Positive botanical ID

• Observe the plant in all life cycles

• Educate yourself about ecological relationships, dispersal methods, etc.

• Know how to harvest with the lowest negative impact possible

• Know when the best times to harvest it for specific parts

• Have an understanding of where it likes to grow and why

• Know what it will be used for, how to make medicine out of it

• Get to know the specific stand as well as and the surrounding area

• A great way to understand the plant in a way that respects its sentience and also provides the tools for a regenerative harvest is to learn about the indigenous peoples who's land you occupy, and learn their ways of working with the plant. All of the native "wild" staple foods and medicines were at one time wildtended (propagated) by native peoples.

2. Know where to harvest safely

• Avoid environmental pollutants - roadsides, farms, etc.

• It is illegal to harvest in certain places

• Always get permission before harvesting on private property

3. Get to know what plants are threatened in your area

• Resources: Local Forest Service, United Plant Savers, local community members

• Learn about analogs that you can use in place of a threatened plant

• Understand which herbs are used in commerce and how the market affects their status

4. Have a harvest plan

• Do you have everything you need to harvest?

• Do you have the ability to carry it, without damaging it?

• What will you do after you harvest?

• Do you have the time and ability to process the medicine?

5. Never harvest from small, isolated stands

• Only harvest from stands where you’d have to go out of your way to do damage 

• Only harvest from stands that are thriving

• Also remember that just because there is a single large stand of it in a certain location does not mean that its an abundant species

6. Gather small

• Whenever possible, base  this amount on the specific plant, not a hard and fast rule

• Only gather as much as you need

• Start small with new plants while you get to know it

• The more you get to know a stand, the more you’ll know how much that area is visited by other plant-savvy people who might also be harvesting form that area

7. Gather thoughtfully

• How are you feeling? Are you rushing?

• Never harvest from the first spot you find

• Tread lightly

• When possible without doing too much damage to the surrounding areas, don’t harvest all in one spot - move around and thin the stand consciously instead of leaving bald areas

• Take good records

8. Ask permission before you harvest

• Let the question guide your intuition

• Be honest with yourself if the answer is “no”

• Use mindfulness as ceremony: asking permission is your reminder to do your mental checklist

9. Express gratitude

• Providing an offering

• Harvesting techniques that minimize harm or create a positive impact, such as harvesting roots when the plant has gone to seed and replanting the seed

• Propagating & cultivating (wildtending) within the region you're foraging from

• Picking up trash

• Be an advocate for the land and fight to protect it 

10. Just because it’s there, doesn’t mean you need it

• Examine your need

• Maybe sitting with the plant or taking a small amount for a medicine pouch, etc. is all you need

• When in doubt, don’t harvest

• Maybe you need to steward an area for a period of time before you harvest

• It’s ok to walk away empty handed

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