The Art of Ethical Wildcrafting

So what is “ethical wildcrafting” anyway? I have always defined ethical wildcrafting as “the wild harvesting of plants, lichens, fungus, or other organisms from nature in a manner that reduces our impact as much as possible.” This covers both the ethical (to reduce our impact) and the wildcrafting (harvesting from nature) parts. When I used to teach a course on ethical wildcrafting 15-20 years ago, I always started with the same basic definition. The goal is to reduce, not eliminate, your impact. Your presence alone in any ecosystem has an impact. The whole ‘leave no trace’ movement, while I absolutely support it 150%, strictly speaking from an ecological perspective, is impossible. Fortunately, however, we do not need to “leave no trace”. We simply need to reduce our impact to a level that the ecosystem, population, or plant can recover in as short a time as possible.

When to Use the 1 in 10, 1 in 20, or 1 in 50 Rules of Ethical Wildcrafting

So when it comes to ethical wildcrafting, you may hear of the “1 in 10”, “1 in 20”, or “1 in 50” rules. So which one are you supposed to follow? First of all, this rule refers to the percentage of plants you can harvest from a healthy population. If there are 20 plants, then you can take one if you follow the 1 in 20 rule. So when do you follow which rule?

First and foremost, before considering ethical wildcrafting for any reason, know your plant ID! Be absolutely sure that you are harvesting the correct species. This will prevent the accidental harvest of rare or endangered species. It could also prevent you from getting very sick or even dying if you accidentally harvest and ingest a poisonous species. 

From an ethical perspective, 1 in 10 should only be used with extremely common native plants with many large, healthy populations. Alternatively, it can also be used with introduced non-invasive, non-native plants. The 1 in 20 rule works great for common native plants. If you harvest one in every 20 in a stable, healthy population, that population, in theory, should be able to recover. I say this in theory because you may not know if that population is already declining or otherwise threatened. That is why with wildcrafting, whenever it is possible, you should never harvest an entire plant. 

The 1 in 50 Rule for Rare Plants

The 1 in 50 rule was designed for the harvesting of rare plants. However, I strongly discourage anyone from ever harvesting rare plants. The only possible exceptions would be for emergency survival purposes (extremely rare) or, in some cases, if its harvesting is needed to help aid in its conservation. If it is for conservation purposes, then please leave that to the scientists who are specialists in that field and are tasked with that responsibility. I believe that 99% of the time, even for scientists, collecting rare plants is not necessary. As an Environmental Scientist myself, I strongly advocate the use of very thorough botanical descriptions, along with multiple well-done photographs showing all the floral parts, stem, and leaf features. In most cases, this will be satisfactory.

If further information is needed on a rare plant, then with the advances in molecular analysis seen today we can now take tissue samples for DNA and molecular analysis. Tissue samples generally involve the collection of a very small amount of live plant matter. There is no need to destroy the original wild plant. In fact, by doing this, we can even take those cultures to create clones of the original plant. The clones can then be analyzed in a laboratory or greenhouse setting or used to produce more plants for conservation or commercial uses, etc. This completely eliminates the need to potentially damage the entire population ‘for the sake of science’ or reproducing them for conservation or commercial purposes.

The problem is that if you harvest one rare plant, even if you think you are doing the right thing, you may be stealing the genetics that was going to allow that species to survive long-term. Especially in the face of climate change and the current extinction crisis, you literally may be dooming that rare species to extinction. That may sound dramatic, and in all likelihood, you will not be the cause of its demise, but you also may be. So why take the chance? That is why it is best to leave them alone and enjoy them in the wild or in photographs instead. I frequently return to the site of rare and endangered plants, even if they are only locally rare and common elsewhere. I would rather enjoy them in their natural setting. And even more frequently, I examine the photos of them that I took in their natural environment, whole and completely unharmed by my presence. That is my rant on rare plants; I will say no more.

Ethical Wildcrafting of Invasive Species 

And when can you ignore that rule of thumb completely? With invasive non-native species. If you are harvesting Himalayan Blackberry roots in coastal areas, for example, dig up as much as you want. Or maybe you want to harvest Japanese Knotweed – then have at it and take it all if you can. In both cases odds are pretty high that the population will still return with a vengeance the following year. Again though, know your plant ID before you do this! Be absolutely certain you know what you are harvesting.

What is The Difference Between an Introduced and Invasive Species?

There are introduced species all over the globe, and many have ‘naturalized’ and, in theory, reached a balance in our ecosystem and are not currently threatening native species. Take dandelions, for example, that mostly live in lawns that have already displaced native species. The dandelions feed our bees providing flowers that were otherwise replaced by lawns. Invasive species are aggressive and are currently outcompeting our native species for resources. Invasive species vary from region to region; check with your local Invasive Species group about the problem species in your area.

How to Ethically Wildcraft

So how exactly do you go about ethically wildcrafting for personal use? It depends on what you are looking for. Here is what I used to teach my students in my class for each situation. If you have another request I have not covered here or want further clarification, then please Contact Me, and I will add it to the list!  

General Ethical Wildcrafting Tips:

• Know your plant identification! I cannot stress this fact enough. Use a field guide, the internet, and my new Native Plant of the Week Blog to help aid you in your identification. Never ethically wildcraft a plant if you are not 100% certain of its identification.
• Do not harvest anything when wet. Wait until the sun has dried the rain or dew off the plant before harvesting. This helps prevent rotting and molding.
• Do not harvest in the heat of the day – the quality of your harvest will be poor. Harvesting a plant that is heat-stressed is also much more likely to damage the plant.
• When wildcrafting, it is best to place your harvest either in an open basket or loosely into paper bags. The paper bag method works well when you are wildcrafting multiple things so that you can keep them all separated. Leave the bag open on top. Or, if you must close it deal with them as quickly as possible to prevent molding. 
• Be sure the area you are harvesting from is either public land or private land that you have permission to wildcraft from. Never go ethically wildcrafting in a protected area or park of any kind.
• Be sure the area you are harvesting from is free of environmental toxins. For example, do not wildcraft from an area downslope from a garbage dump. Also, avoid any sources of industrial discharge, whether solid, liquid, or water. Finally, the side of a busy highway is not recommended due to contaminants from vehicle exhaust. I have wildcrafted from the side of a quiet paved or dirt logging road before, though, since there is much less traffic there.
• If the plant you are wildcrafting is poisonous (for example, Datura discolor or Phytolacca americana), even mildly so, wear gloves while harvesting to prevent absorption through the skin. Also, place the harvested parts into a paper bag labeled TOXIC IF INGESTED. While drying the plant parts, place another label on the tray with them so that it is clear, and again on the jar the dried product is stored in. Even if you think you are the only one using it, you never know when someone might come along and want to try something, maybe thinking it is something else, and they end up violently ill or worse. Also, of course, keep any toxic plants well out of reach of children.

The Essential Ethical Wildcrafting and Plant Propagation Tool Kit

I put my paper bags, digging tools, cutters, knife, alcohol, gloves, containers, and Sharpies in a tool bag that I took from a drill. I just leave it in the car, so it’s always there with me anywhere I go. I use this for wildcrafting medicinal herbs as well as wild seeds for plant propagation.

Tools You Should Have: 

• Gloves for digging or to deal with prickles, spines, and thorns. Also, you may want gloves if you plan on handling any poisonous plants.
• Sharp knife for cutting roots, tough leave stalks, flower stems, or bark
• Container of wood ashes to seal wounds
• Paper bags and or baskets to put your goods in
• Sharpie felt or pen to write on your bags what, when, and where you wildcrafted it from
• Digging stick for roots. A digging stick is a short, sturdy, pointy stick that will not break when you start sticking it in the dirt and scraping the ground with it. I usually just pick one up along the way. Never use a shovel for digging roots. Shovels are indiscriminate and will cut through everything, including what you are harvesting and what you intend to leave behind.

Specific Ethical Wildcrafting Tips:

Ethically Wildcrafting Flowers

If you are ethically wildcrafting flower heads, then harvest using the 1 in 10 for introduced non-invasive plants and 1 in 20 rule for common native plants. However, with a modification. Instead of 1 in 20 plants, I recommend 1 in 20 flowers. If there are only a few plants or a single plant, then leave them be. If there is a field of flowers, then use the 1 in 20 rule, but spread your harvest around. Never pick all the flowers from a single plant. Instead, pick a few here and a few there until you have what you need. Please always follow the 1 in 20 rule for native flowers like Arnica latifolia, for example. If it is an introduced species such as St John’s Wort, for example, you can always pick more. And, of course, if you are picking invasive plants, then by all means, pick to your heart’s desire. But always know your plant identification!  

To harvest, pick the flowers by pinching off the heads at the base. For those attached to tough stalks, you can use a knife to sever it from its stem. Never pull out the whole flower stalk, as you may damage the rest of the plant. Place your flower heads loosely in a paper bag or a basket. As soon as you get them home, dry them on a drying rack, an old window screen, or a table surface but be sure to turn them once a day to prevent molding. Once dry, store the heads in a glass jar until they are ready to use.

Ethically Wildcrafting Leaves

Leaves are best wildcrafted before the plant puts its energy into flowering. So, this means either spring or early summer, depending on the plant. Again use the 1 in 20 rule of ethical wildcrafting for leaves as you would flowers. Do not pick all the leaves off a single plant, or it will not be able to photosynthesize and complete its life cycle. Usually, you can simply pluck off the leaves by pinching them at the base with your fingers. Occasionally you will need a knife to cut off leaves with large or tough leaf stalks.

After picking, place the leaves loosely in a paper bag or a basket. Do not pack them in tightly. When you get them home, dry them in a single layer on a rack, screen, or table (turn daily if there is no ventilation). Once dry, store them in a glass jar. I recommend not crushing them too much until you are ready to use them. When you grind or crush them, it increases the surface area, which degrades the leaves faster than if left whole or in larger pieces.

Ethically Wildcrafting Needle-Like Leaves 

These are the same as regular leaves, only easier as they can be easily plucked from the branch. Using the 1 in 20 rule of ethical wildcrafting would be challenging if you had to count the needles, so there is a better way. Simply put, never strip the whole branch. Instead, take a small handful from each branch until you have enough.

Pluck your needles from the branch and place them in a paper bag. Then dry them on a rack or screen. Leave them for a couple of weeks until they are truly dry. Being tough and resinous, they may appear dry but are not until they become brittle. From there, they can be stored in a glass jar or used right away. 

Ethically Wildcrafting Aerial Parts 

If you are picking the whole stem and flowers, then you can follow the same rule as for flowers and leaves. Use the 1 in 20 rule of ethical wildcrafting by picking 1 in 20 stems in the population and spreading your harvest around. These are the easiest things to harvest because you take the whole stem.

When harvesting the whole stem, always use a knife to cut it from near the base of the plant. Never pull the whole stem out, or you could damage the entire plant, and it may not return the following year or complete its annual life cycle that year.  

You can bunch your stems together and tie them with a string or elastic band to hang dry. Be sure your stem bases are not covered with leaves that will rot and mold. If they are, remove the leaves and dry them separately. Alternatively, simply reduce the number of stems in your bunch significantly. Generally speaking, never put more than 10 stems in a bunch, sometimes less.  Once dry, you can cut them into shorter sections (but not too small!) and store them in a glass jar until you are ready to use them. As with leaves, do not grind or crush them until you are ready to use them.

Ethically Wildcrafting Berries, Drupes, Nuts, or Other Fruits

These are usually easy to pick; we all know how to pick berries and fruits. Please keep in mind that wildlife often depends on these fruits for survival. So be sure to follow the 1 in 20 rule and spread your harvest around so you do not remove all the fruits from a single area.  

After picking, place your fruits in a bowl or container if they are particularly juicy. Drier fruits like nuts or juniper berries (not technically an actual berry, botanically speaking!) can be placed in a paper bag. Fruits can be frozen or dried using the drying rack or screen method. You could even use a food dehydrator if they are particularly juicy. Do not use a table or cookie sheet, as berries and fruits can mold quickly.  Once dry, store them in a glass jar.

Ethically Wildcrafting Seeds

When ethically wildcrafting seeds for medicine, be sure the plant has fully matured. This is usually in the later summer or in the fall when the leaves have started to die back a little. You want to make sure they are fully ripened before harvesting. Simply pick the seeds, again roughly following the 1 in 20 rule for seeds. Spread your harvest around, being sure to leave seeds on the plant or the ground where they would have naturally fallen.

Once picked, place the seeds into a paper bag and then dry them on a drying rack or screen at home. If they are contained in pods of some kind and the pods are easy to open, you can do this right away. Sometimes though, you may need to dry them first in order to crush the ‘container’ holding the seeds. Once dried and any pods etc., are removed, they should be stored in a glass jar.

Many already dry seeds not contained in a pod or other coating can be left in the paper bag. In the case of dry seeds, simply give the paper bag a shake once in a while to be certain they dry completely.

Ethically Wildcrafting Rose Hips

These must be wildcrafted in the early fall after they have matured but before the fall rains start the molding. If you wait too long, they also tend to get a lot of bugs in them. As always, follow the 1 in 20 rule of ethical wildcrafting and pluck them from the bushes by pinching them off at the base with your fingers. They can be picked and placed into a basket or a paper bag. Bring them home and process them immediately.

When processing rose hips, I always cut them in half or even quarters, as they can often be quite large. Because they are large, they dry slowly, making them prone to rotting. Also, once dry, they are very tough and almost impossible to cut, making them difficult to use later on. Once dried, store them in a glass jar until ready for use.

Ethically Wildcrafting Roots, Rhizomes & Bulbs

Roots of all kinds are generally best ethically wildcrafted in fall or spring. When digging roots from a fibrous root plant or a rhizome plant, try to harvest some of the roots without killing the whole plant. You can do this by gently digging around the base of the plant with your hands or a digging stick. Never use a shovel, or you will unintentionally damage other roots and sometimes other plants. If the plant has a taproot or a bulb, there is usually no way to save the plant, in which case, follow the 1 in 20 rule for whole plants.

Do not wash your roots unless they are already wet and muddy when harvesting, then quickly rinse them. Usually, however, simply brush the dirt off the roots. Then place them on a drying rack or a screen. If they are dirty, then wait a day or so, then brush them again to remove any remaining dirt. At this stage, you usually also want to cut your medicinal roots into more manageable pieces before allowing them to finish drying. Roots usually become incredibly tough and difficult to cut once allowed to dry fully. Once dried, store the cut pieces in a glass jar.

If harvesting bulbs or other roots for edible use, such as Lilium columbianum for example, once you bring them home and clean them off, they should usually be processed within a few days to ensure freshness and prevent mold from destroying your harvest.

Ethically Wildcrafting Root Bark

Follow the same rule when ethically wildcrafting roots in that you should not dig up the whole plant. For example, when I harvest Devil’s Club root bark, I dig gently around the base of the plant with my hand or a digging stick. Then I find a nice single root and sever it with a sharp knife, just a bit away from the base of the plant. If available, I rub ashes on the wound on the plant side to help prevent infection. Then I dig out the rest of the root and bring it home with me.  

When processing your root bark, brush the dirt off the root. Sometimes you may need to allow it to dry for a day first, if necessary, to remove all the dirt. Then before it dries out completely, take a sharp knife and scrape the bark from the woody root. Place these shreds of bark on a drying rack or screen and allow them to dry completely. Once dried, store the shredded bark in a glass jar. I like to save the twisted pale wood from the root for plant stakes in my houseplants or simply for decoration. 

Ethically Wildcrafting Bark

I typically do not encourage the wildcrafting of bark because of the permanent damage it does to the tree. The tree above is what you call a Culturally Modified Tree. It is a very cool ancient (over 1000 years) old-growth Yellow Cedar (Cupressus nootkatensis) that had some of its bark harvested long ago, possibly hundreds of years ago, by the Salish people on the Sunshine Coast of BC, Canada. It shows you that bark harvesting is permanent. But notice how they only took a couple of strips, and the tree is still alive. However, if it is common, short-lived, weedy, and especially if it is non-native and invasive, then by all means, please do. Sometimes, if a tree has lots of branches, you can cut off a small branch and harvest all of the bark off that branch rather than the trunk of the tree.

It is best to ethically wildcraft bark in the spring when the shrub or tree is in its active growing season. It grows new bark from spring to summer, making it easier to harvest and less damaging to the tree. The bark is easy to harvest, especially bark that peels vertically up the tree. Put a slice in the bark a little way up from the base (but never right at the base). Then grab the edge of that slice with your knife or hand and pull it up, stripping it off the tree. Never take more than 1 strip off a single tree, and use the 1 in 20 rule for the plant population. Cut your bark into manageable pieces the same day of harvest, then dry them on a drying rack or screen. 

Note that if the bark peels horizontally, be very careful, cutting each side; never strip as you would vertical bark. If you ‘ring the tree’ in that you remove a horizontal patch all around the tree, the entire tree will die. Trees are really only ‘alive’ in their inner bark. The heartwood no longer grows or transports water or nutrients. If you remove its living bark from all around the tree, it will no longer be able to transport water or nutrients. 

Ethically Wildcrafting Plant Resin

Resin usually seeps from scars in the bark, or in some cases, the trees produce blisters of resin under their outer bark, as in the Abies amibilis shown above. Sometimes, you can obtain the resin from the fresh buds of a tree in spring before they produce new leaves. In most cases, it is collected in the spring. But resin blisters under the bark can be harvested anytime.

To wildcraft resin, you can scrape it off the tree from scars already in the bark. Or you can create slits in the bark to release resin and come back a few days later to collect it. When cutting bark to release resin, this must be done in the spring. With fresh buds, simply pick them off the tree in the spring following the 1 in 20 rule. For resin blisters, do the same; pick off 1 in 20 blisters. Place your resin into a glass jar. Buds can be placed in a basket or bag. I recommend you collect resin with your bare hands because if you use gloves, you will likely never get them clean again. I use my bare hands and then clean them with vegetable oil and orange or lemon essential oil that will cut through the resin.

Storage is easy for straight resin (not buds – see below). Simply leave your resin in the glass jar until you are ready to use it. To keep it extra fresh, I store it in the fridge until I am ready to use it. It can often last a couple of years stored that way. If harvesting buds, however, these could be prone to molding or rotting. So with buds, you would want to dry these on a screen as you would flowers, bark, leaves, etc.

Ethically Wildcrafting Lichens 

Most lichens can usually be harvested any time of year since they don’t really ‘go to seed’ and usually have multiple dormant cycles throughout the year. When harvesting, choose a large healthy population and follow the 1 in 20 rule of ethical wildcrafting. Whenever possible, with lichens that grow in trees, choose specimens that have already fallen to the forest floor. Alternatively, find a recent blowdown tree and ethically wildcraft from that. Because these are epiphytes with multiple dormancy cycles, they can remain healthy and viable on the floor for months or even years. Leave the tree lichens in the living trees to continue growing and spreading.

After collecting the lichens, dry them on a rack or screen. Once dry (when it becomes brittle to the touch), they can be stored in a glass jar. When ready to use, simply pulverize in a blender or a coffee grinder. The powder will separate from the hyphal threads, which can then be sifted out using a fine-mesh strainer.

Ethically Wildcrafting Mushrooms

These obviously must be harvested in the mushroom season, which is usually, but not always, in the fall. Be sure you are spot on with your identification when harvesting for human consumption; some mushrooms, like the pretty ones in the picture above, can be lethal if ingested.

Pick the mushrooms by gently snapping them off at the base. Please follow at least the 1 in 10 rule. Many unethical harvesters go in and clear out the entire patch because they believe they will just keep coming back. This is true to a point because most of the fungus by far is located beneath the ground. The mushroom is the equivalent of a flower on a large plant. However, over-harvesting repeatedly from the same patch will degrade the mycelial network beneath the soil. Also, repeated trampling on the dirt above the ground will also damage the fungus below the ground. 

After picking the mushrooms, brush any dirt or debris off and use them immediately when used for culinary purposes. When they are for medicinal purposes or long-term storage of edible mushrooms, they should be dried. Smaller mushrooms can be dried whole on a rack, screen, or on low heat in a dehydrator. Larger mushrooms should be either sliced or diced before drying to make them easier to use at a later date. Once dried, store them in a glass jar.  

Conclusion

Now you have the tools and skills that you need to go out and ethically wildcraft your own ingredients to make natural medicines. Please be ethical, be educated, and be safe. And most of all, know your plant ID! Happy ethical wildcrafting! 

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask, Contact Me and I will do my best to reply within 48 hours.

References and Resources

Dictionary of Botanical Terms: Lyrae’s Nature Blog Dictionary of Botanical Terms is now online.

Eflora – for more information on plant identification for North America: http://www.efloras.org/browse.aspx?flora_id=1

Emerson, Lyrae 1998. Ethical Wildcrafting. Unpublished Booklet from a course on Ethical Wildcrafting taught by Lyrae Emerson (Willis) from 1998-2009.

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