April 4, 2023 KATHRYN CANNON
Hello forager friends!
Does the prospect of free food from Mother Earth excite you too?! Have you been out in your neighborhood or local woods to see what is around you?
Getting into foraging feels exciting, but you may have noticed, it immediately raises a lot of questions. What is safe to take? What is safe to eat?
This checklist from fellow plant-lovers at Columbines School of Botanical Studies offers an overview of what responsible stewardship looks like when foraging.
The guidelines outlined here focus on protecting your health, as well as the health of the plant or fungi stand you are collecting from.
The first rule of foraging, do not make assumptions with identification. You must have a positive ID before harvesting.
Mushroom foragers often say you need a positive ID from three different people - not books. Some mushroom foragers even say, "There are old mushroom hunters, and there are bold mushroom hunters, but there are not old, and bold mushroom hunters."
Take note of the environment when you are out. Note that being familiar with a plant in one state, does not mean knowing if it is safe to harvest in another state.
A good example of this is knowing if trees or lawns have been treated with chemicals. These treatments often leave no trace behind so you need to ask parks about management practices. Do not harvest from treated trees, or lawns.
Another great reason to get to know the area you are foraging in, is that a plant may be abundant in one area, but environmentally 'at-risk' in another.
Please note, foraging is not a beginner's 'sport', but there are beginner plants (and fruits) that are considered easier to positively identify. It is best to start there.
Sign-up for plant walks and forays with the local native plant society, or mushroom club. Notice how experienced foragers assess the surroundings. You will notice most clubs have an experienced member, or expert identifier, with them on these trips. What wonderful places to learn!
Depending on what circle you are in, you might hear the term wildcrafting. This term is often used for responsible foraging and earth stewardship.
It is common practice among wildcrafters to bring a bag with them to collect trash found along the trail.
Responsible stewardship is about being a partner in nature, not staying away from it, so check out this list from Columbines School of Botanical Studies.
If you are looking for more experience wildcrafting, contact Kathryn Cannon at terra.uma.contact@gmail.com about upcoming events, and private excursions.
Columbines School of Botanical Studies Wildcrafting Checklist
- Who are the indigenous people of this place? What is their contemporary situation?
- Do you have the permission or the permits for collecting at the site?
- Do you have a positive identification?
- Are there better stands nearby? 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? Is the stand big enough?
- 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?
*Wildcrafting is Stewardship*
©HB 1995, 2012, HB & HB 2019. Feel free to reprint and distribute this checklist, as long as it remains intact with the headers and footers attached. For more information contact us at 541-687-7114 or write PO Box 50532, Eugene, Oregon 97405 admin@botanicalstudies.net, or visit www.botanicalstudies.net
In addition to observing this checklist, please reference the United Plant Savers "At-Risk" Plant List here before you harvest wild plants.
United Plant Savers (UPS) is a wonderful nonprofit organization that protects native plants. Their mission, which they actively uphold is "to protect native medicinal plants, fungi, and their habitats while ensuring renewable populations for use by generations to come."
Each time we interact with nature, we have an opportunity to protect the places we love most.
Which places will you be visiting? Which wild places will you be protecting with your care?
Photo: Cantharellus formosus, Pacific Golden Chanterelle by Kathryn Cannon
Kathryn Cannon is an experienced forager, organic gardener, clinical herbalist, and advocate for patient rights. She founded Terra Uma LLC in 2017 to empower clients to optimize performance and mental health by incorporating plants and fungi into their everyday routines. Kathryn was co-founder of an urban farm and community center in Portland, OR. She currently runs a wellness coaching practice in the Washington, DC area where she assists clients in finding relief with herbs and wellness tools.