Wild Crafting : Safety + Ethics
Getting to know the local plants and learning how to use them for food and medicine can be a great doorway to becoming a steward of the land. Hopefully, the more we learn about the benefits of wild plants the more we will be motivated to protect them and the surrounding ecosystem. These plants are integral to a whole ecosystem including the lives of many animals, bugs and birds.
WILD CRAFTING CHECKLIST
Proper Identification- Only harvest plants you are sure you have identified correctly and learn how to identify poisonous plants to know the difference.
Contamination Free- Harvest in areas that are free from pesticides, heavy metals and other contaminates. Don’t harvest along road sides, ranches, mines or heavily landscaped area.
Leave No Trace- Tread lightly to your harvest area with out damaging surrounding plants and ecosystems. Harvest in a way that doesn’t leave gapping holes and always fill in with dirt after a root harvest.
Harvest Less Than 5%- Find a place where the plant you are seeking grows in abundance. Many plants are essential to the lives of bees, birds and other wild animals. Harvest in a way that leaves plenty for the wild animals and allows the plant to continue to flourish.
Ask With Intuition- Take a moment to pause and ask to harvest the plant. Be open-minded and open-hearted to what your intuition says about harvesting a particular plant in a particular area. If you do harvest, take a moment to thank the natural world for providing us with such powerful medicine and our opportunity for wellness.
Tread lightly with your feet, take the beauty of our wilderness in with your eyes and be lead by an open, grateful heart that is listening to Mother Nature.
