"What Is...?" Wednesday

Wildcrafting

Wildcrafting is a term for the age-old practice of collecting plant materials in their natural habitat for food, medicine, and craft. Originally such activity was the only grocery store, medicine chest, and hardware store, available to man. But eventually the “found materials” became a source of income to buy what could not be “gleaned” from nature.

Opportunities for wildcrafting are not just found in the countryside. There are “wild” places in cities and in one’s own backyard. Many landscaping plants and trees have fruit that goes to waste every year. Crabapple and quince are just two examples. In your own yard or in your neighborhood may be native persimmons, walnuts, blackberries, dandelions and wild roses. In wildcrafting we are harvesting the bounty of the earth and should always approach collecting with respect and thankfulness.

Herbs are commonly collected by wildcrafters, who may sell them fresh, dry them, or distill them into essential oils. Some wildcrafters are also herbalists, offering a variety of herbal treatments to their clients including tisanes and infusions, and they may create specialized herb blends as needed. Many of these herbs are rare and they do not do well in gardens, so wildcrafters are needed to harvest these wild plants.

Your emotional state will greatly affect your plant and habitat locating abilities. Concerns, fears, and a constant replay of yesterday's traumas will cloud your awareness of the signs around you. When you're upset, you are more likely to miss obvious animal clues, get lost in thick shrubs of the ever spiny Devil's Club, Oplopanax horridum, or even fall off a cliff. Many places of power are inaccessible without a proper emotional state. No rock climber in their right mind would attempt a difficult ascent without a centered consciousness. The same applies to plant hunters. One must approach the earth with openness and respect if you expect to learn anything from it.



Guidlines For Wildcrafting:


~ Do you have the permission or the permits for collecting at the site?


~ Do you have a positive identification?

~ Are there better stands nearby? Is the stand big enough?

~ Are you at the proper elevation?

~ Is the stand away from roads and trails?

~ Is the stand healthy?

~ Is there any chemical contamination?

~ Is there any natural contamination?

~ Are you in a fragile environment?

~ Are there rare, threatened, endangered, or sensitive plants growing nearby at any time of the year?

~ Is wildlife foraging the stand?

~ Is the stand growing, shrinking, or staying the same size?

~ Is the plant an annual or a perennial?

~ Is tending necessary and what kind?

~ How much to pick?

~ Time of day? Time of year?

~ What effect will your harvest have on the stand?

~ Do you have the proper emotional state?

~ Move around during harvesting.

~ Look around after harvesting. Any holes or cleanup needed?

~ Are you picking herbs in the proper order for a long trip?

~ Are you cleaning herbs in the field? Do you have the proper equipment for in-field processing?

An excellent educational resource for both adults and children is a board game called Wildcraft made by LearningHerbs.com. I recently purchased this game and my kids absolutely LOVE it!

Honestly Speaking...

I am very honored to receive the Honest Scrap Award from Debra  at She Who Seeks, this award is in recognition of pursuing honesty in every aspect of living my life ( those closest to me just call me a real pain in the backside).
Thank you Debra!

Here's the official guidelines of this award:

1. Share 10 honest things about myself.

2. Present this award to 7 others who have encouraged me or whose blogs I find brilliant in content and/or design.

3. Let them know of the award and the guidelines.

Hmm... well, here it goes

1.) I believe one can never have too many cats.

2.) I detest discrimination in any form.

3.) Ask me and I will be glad to oblige, tell me and I'll show you where to go. ( with drawings too if you need)

4.) I suffer from post-traumatic stress.

5.) My youngest son has Aspergers Syndrome .

6.) My mother has not spoken to me in several years. (I've come to peace with that)

7.) My favorite perfume is "White Shoulders" by Este Lauder.

8.) I had a rare illness at age seventeen called "Kawasaki's Syndrome" (nothing to do with motorcycles...)

9.) I must go barefoot when I can.

10.) I wanted to be a teacher when I grew up.

Now for 7 fellow bloggers who inspired me or show brilliance in content and/or design......

1.) MXTODIS123 at Finding Fairyland

2.) Nydia at Bring Up Salamanders

3.) Suzie at Cat In The Moon

4.) Mrs. B at Confessions of a Pagan Soccer Mom

5.) Two Feathers at Gypsy Magic

6.) One Pink Fish

7.) Annette at The Ward House