Lesson 9-10: Wildcrafting
... with Howie... who, of course... is off camera some
Howie discusses wildcrafting ethics. So here is my take on it. 1) Know your plants. Don't harvest anything just because it looks similar. 2) Don't go on private property without permission. If you are on public land, obey the laws. (if you go there more than once, you will be seen and if you are breaking the rules, you will pay... yes, it sucks). It really helps to know those laws and even have them printed out with you, because the authorities often don't know the law. 3) Observe common sense and basic safety. 4) Never harvest endangered/protected plants. 5) In harvesting any herb, only take about 1/4th of what is growing. I you see 20 plants, take 5 and leave the rest alone. 6) Reseed or propagate from cuttings whenever possible. Ideally, only heavily harvest sites that ae about to be cleared and graded for construction and transplant most of what you find. 7) Always be aware of other people... wandering into another person's ginseng patch is as dangerous as wandering into a hidden pot farm.... 8) Leave no trace. By this, I mean no evidence you've even been there. Not only is this responsible ecologically, but if anyone learns that you know where to find valuable plants, they may follow your trail and wipe it all out after you leave.
Howie also emphasizes safety and permission on private land. He also emphasizes knowing the system - the laws and regs. Where he lives, one can get a $10 permit to harvest herbs on federal lands. Where I live, we are allowed 1 gallon per day... but nothing on the blue Ridge Parkway. Now that gets murky, as the Parkway weaves in and out of several national forests. So.... maybe you take a selfie with a time and date stamp when you are foraging in a certain area for "insurance"? We all have our own strategies. He discusses "incidental use"... state parks. It is all complicated but navigable... especially if you keep a low profile and avoid areas where a lot of tourists go.
Here is the link to the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine Course
https://www.swsbm.com/school/
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