Striking a Balance: 20 Ethical Guidelines for Wildcrafting

Dandelion greens are a rich source of nutrients, with vitamins C and B6, thiamin, riboflavin,
calcium, iron, potassium, manganese, folate, magnesium,phosphorus, and copper.
Add to smoothies, soups, salads, and saute' with garlic and onions. 

1. Harvest in areas with abundance, and avoid areas where the plant community is young or not well established yet
2. Always gain permission from the landowner- this includes calling parks departments ahead of time for rules and restrictions at local parks and public lands
3. Leave rare, unusual, at-risk, threatened and endangered plants alone
4. Know your plants and positively identify them- when unsure, take a picture for identification later and leave the plant undisturbed 
5. Gather in small quantities, no more than 10% to avoid decimation of an area, with the understanding that sometimes even 10% is too much for that area and you will need to scale back 
6. Collect plants during their proper growing phase
7. Spread the harvest wide rather than concentrating on one bunch or area
8. Harvest away from areas of known herbicides, pesticides or chemical contaminants, roads and trails, industrial areas, areas with livestock, or downstream from livestock if collecting streamside
9. Always leave the area looking as good as you found it, or better
10. Gather on sunny days after the morning dew and before the hot sun comes out
11. Take only what you can use, and no more
12. Be willing to walk away with nothing if your harvest would injure the plants or the balance of the area
13. Always take the middle growth plants, leaving the smallest and largest members of the community
14. Ask the plants and land for permission- it may feel silly at first, but remember you are building relationships
15. Aid the plants in growing and flourishing by removing invasive weeds near them, picking up trash and litter in the area, thinning where needed, and taking dead, broken and fallen branches instead of live ones 
16. Be mindful of how the plants reproduce and harvest in a way that meets the plant community's needs
17. When collecting water plants, know where the water is coming from and be aware of environmental toxins
18. Bring the right tools
19. Always thank the plants, and share your bounty
20. Process your harvest immediately, either in the field, or as soon as you get home 

Lemon Balm growing wild between cement pavers. Lemon Balm is a member of the mint family, and is a wonderfully calming herb safe for even children.
It can help reduce stress, anxiety, promote sleep, improve appetite, and ease pain and discomfort from indigestion and colic.
Drink as a tea, dab fresh leaves on bug bites, and throw into culinary dishes.  

Wild Dandelion. Let the Dandelions grow!  The peak flowering time is March to May, though we will see these little yellow flowers well into Fall. Each flower is packed with nectar and pollen, making them a perfect early food source for pollinators just coming out of hibernation. A whole range of garden wildlife depends on Dandelions for food and survival. Bees, birds, butterflies, moths, and pollen beetles need them.

Harvested Dandelion roots can be dried, ground and made into a very tasty coffee substitute. Traditional herbalists use Dandelion root to support the healthy functioning of the liver, kidneys spleen and gallbladder. 

Wildcrafting

It's February and I'm out with my local industrious witches wildcrafting at a nearby park. We happen to have a newspaper crew following us for a local story, but we mostly pretend they aren't there and go about our business. They braved the rock climbing, swamps and deep mud with us to get their pictures and stories. Our wildcrating excursion was actually Saturday past, and the story ran yesterday, and it was lovely. 

Most of snow and ice have receded, and the days have warmed enough to remind us Spring is around the corner. The park is rich with plant diversity, as diverse as it gets in this desert-esque climate anyway. We got lucky. It was calling for rain all morning. We meet up at 11am hoping for the best, determined to stick it out regardless. Our luck holds. It's overcast, but it doesn't rain. 

One of the first treasures we encounter are a plethora of wild rose bushes, full of beautifully bright red rose hips. Some of us gather a few and thank the plants for their gifts.

Much of our three hour wildcrafting adventure is spent attempting to identify the plant life. By now I've been at this hobby for several years. One of our Witchy crew works with plants and weeds for a living, and between our small contingent, we mostly have a handle on things. At least we like to believe we do.

Recently I feel the wildcrafting bug is growing. I am ready to move beyond amateur and pursue the ranks of enthusiasts and experts. I know it will be more years still before I can confidently claim an expertise. For now I bumble about, correctly identifying a scant half of the plants I encounter. I have fun all the same.

Some specimens are just photographed. I didn't collect any from this one. Not all plants get wildcrafted. I might leave a plant because I don't know what it is; I do know what it is and I have plenty already; don't need it; or it's otherwise unsuitable. Sometimes it's an endangered or sensitive plant that needs to be left alone, or it's there solely to be admired, and not removed. 

I encourage those who venture into wildcrafting to take photos so you can identify the plants later and do your research. Make a note of where you found them in a pocket journal so you can return at a later time to harvest if desired. Note the date for future reference. It will come in handy the following year when you want to remember when and where to find that plant again. 

I believe the picture above is of cedar or juniper berries, which I have oodles of. I harvested these little guys elsewhere in the early to late Fall last year, when they were fairly abundant. 

Juniper berries are traditionally used in making Gin. I dry them and grind them for incense making. I use the berries, needles and small branches. Juniper is excellent at protecting against theft, unwanted spirits, evil forces and malicious people. A great smudging plant for house blessings, purification and cleansing. It can be used to break hexes, in exorcisms, aid in psychic workings and attract healthy energies. 

Juniper can be burned as an incense, made into a 'tea' for your ritual bath, or made into a sachet. This is only a small list. Do your research to learn more ways that Juniper can aid in Witchy endeavors.

There are medicinal uses for Juniper, often in the form of oils, teas & ointments. I have never ingested this plant and can not give a recommendation on that front. Better to do your own research and consult a licensed herbalist before trying any new plant topically or internally.

Some beautiful orange lichen. 

A bit of swamp. Living in this sagebrush filled land, the swampy bits are a welcome reprieve from the flat fields and usually dusty vegetation.

Above are the wintered fruits of the Russian Olive tree. The fruits are sweet and edible, though I would only do so after properly identifying them with an expert. In other parts of the world where these trees are native, such as Persia or Iran, the fruits are used in religious traditions, and are often dried & powdered and used in healing potions for joint pain and arthritis. 

A witchy friends holds some purslane she collected. 

I have my eyes on the prize in this Poplar tree. These are just out of reach. I use the large buds to make Balm of Gilead. Wildcrafting today came after a series of high wind storms, leaving many fallen branches to easily collect from the ground. Below, the harvested buds.

Multicolored moss being ultra-productive on a rock. 

A small cave for me to ponder over. 

Bright green ground cover that I am not confident enough to identify. I think it's maaaybe chickweed. Maybe. Probably not. 

Enjoying the view of the columnar basalt rock structures in the canyon where the park sits.

Velvety Mullein is one of the easiest plants to identify. Also called Cowboy Toilet Paper, it has too many beneficial uses to list here. This specimen was harvested from high above the trails among the tall rocks thanks to an adventurous and daring Witchy wildcrafting partner. Read up on all the medicinal uses Mullein has, and try it for yourself. 

Magickally, Mullein is a powerful aid in Dark or Left Hand undertakings, as well as otherwold Witchy adventures. The stalks (from their flowering parts) make great DIY candle wicks, or burn all by themselves. Some traditions burn Mullein to ward off evil spirits. Mullein is a crossroads herb that acts as a key AND a door. I use it in Rootwork and conjure and when dried and powdered, it can be substituted for graveyard dirt. I've used the bright yellow flowers to dye fabric and paper with happy success. I like this herb for seeing and interacting with spirits, necromancy, astral, prophetic and lucid dream work.   

A magickal grove of Russian Olive trees seems haunting on this dismal Winter day. It's glorious.

One would think February would not yield many things for the wildcrafter. But they would be wrong! There are wild and native plants everywhere if we just look. When I wildcraft regularly, even once a month, I start to get a feel for when plants are in season and when they are dormant. I can begin to anticipate harvest times and plan for ingredients accordingly. It's a special experience to witness the changes of local ecosystems through the turning of the Wheel. 

It's still Winter a few weeks more. It's never too late or too early to start wildcrating. Start with just one plant, and build from there. Wildcrafting doesn't have to take you far from home, either. You probably have something growing wild in your own backyard or driveway!