Sustainable Foraging: Foraging Ethics and Sutainabilty

Sustainable foraging should always be at the forefront of your mind when you go out to harvest wild plants.  Learning to forage ethically and sustainably is one of the first things any forager or wildcrafter should learn.

I’ve been a dedicated forager for more than a decade now, and I’ve checked off hundreds of plants on my forager’s bucket list.  I’m constantly asked about advice for beginning foragers, and my main concern is that people start foraging both ethically and sustainably right from the start.

Foraging is a great way to connect with the environment, improve your health and it’s basically a walking act of mindfulness that helps you stay present and even during casual walks in nature.  Unfortunately, foraging has gotten a bad reputation lately, as people get into harvesting wild plants…without any regard for the environment or it’s natural impacts.

It’s important to realize that people are a part of the natural environment, not separate from it.  A human harvesting buds in early spring is no different than a deer harvesting buds, and we both appreciate their tender, sweet flavor.  Humans, however, have the capacity for enlightened self interest and can constiously make a choice to harvest sustainably to ensure that those plants continue to thrive year after year.

Humans can make a choice to set aside a certain portion of the harvest for replanting.  They can also choose to harvest plants that are invasive or weedy, while leaving threatened or at risk species.

Every interaction involves choice, and harvesting mindfully is essential to our own health and well being, as well as that of the environment where we forage.

The Herbal Academy of New England had a particularly well written guide to sustainable and ethical foraging in the introduction to their Foraging Course, and I asked them for permission to reprint it.  They graciously agreed, and this work is just the beginning of their comprehensive foraging course.  I really appreciate how they took the time to start off on the right foot, and ensure that a new generation of foragers going out into the wild is setup to harvest mindfully, so we can all enjoy natures bounty for years to come. 

The course itself includes dozens of detailed plant identification guides, as well as recipes to use your harvest.  They cover both edible and medicinal species, allowing you to forage both food and medicine from wild weeds, shrubs, trees and more.  And I can guarantee, you’ll never look at a wild violet the same way again.

The following is an excerpt from the The Foraging Course by the Herbal Academy of New England. It is reprinted with permission, and has been edited slightly to fit the web.  They also have a Botany and Wildcrafting Course, which is truly excellent and is a perfect compliment to the foraging course.

Foraging Ethics and Sustainability

With an understanding of the many benefits of foraging, we hope that you are feeling inspired to get out into nature and start exploring wild plants! But before we lace up our hiking boots, let’s talk about the ethical and ecological concerns that come along with the territory of foraging. When we wildcraft, we take on the responsibility of maintaining the health of our ecosystems and ensuring our wild herbal allies are available for generations to come.

Removing plants from the wild is inherently a form of disturbance to natural habitats, and it is the wildcrafter’s obligation to minimize damage not only to plant populations, but also to the ecological systems in which they live. This makes the study of foraging ethics and sustainability of paramount importance to all who wish to engage in this craft. By following sound ethical guidelines and becoming conscious stewards of nature, we are able to honor and give back to the plants that give so much to us.

Permission and Scale

One basic ethical consideration is to get permission to harvest any time you venture from your own land. This applies to utilizing someone else’s private property as well as any public lands where you may consider foraging. In the United States, foraging laws exist on the federal, state, and local levels. National parks typically do not allow foraging of any kind, while some state and local parks may allow limited foraging; sometimes, a permit is required for legal foraging. Some cities ban foraging from urban parks and greenspaces altogether, imposing strict penalties on those who are caught picking berries or dandelion greens (Linnekin, 2018).

These laws vary from state to state, and the same holds true internationally. It’s important to do your research at the local level to discover the specific laws that govern your location. Also be mindful that different rules may apply when crossing state or national borders; research the laws beforehand so that your hard-earned botanicals don’t end up getting confiscated (McCoy, 2010).

Don’t be afraid to reach out to local authorities, such as the United States Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management, to start a conversation that will help you understand the laws in your area. You can also inquire about plants that are considered noxious weeds and whether there might be a scheduled removal of these plants in which you can participate (McCoy, 2010). The same concept applies when foraging from a neighbor’s or friend’s land; with proper communication and respectful inquiries, you may find plenty of folks who are thrilled at the prospect of you removing “weeds” or invasive plants from their grounds! You might also consider asking local, organic farmers for permission to forage weeds from their farmlands (mcdonald, n.d.).

The scale of your foraging operation is another important consideration; we might harvest a few plants for personal use, a few more for our family and friends, and even more to serve a community or clinical practice. Substantial amounts of plants are often foraged for commercial purposes, to sell to grocery stores, local herbalists, herb companies, etc. Commercial harvesting is one of the biggest factors leading to the depletion of plants in the wild (McCoy, 2010). Thus, those interested in commercial foraging have an even greater responsibility of maintaining wild plant populations; ecological concerns should always supersede commercial ones.

American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius)

At Risk and vulnerable Plants

The commercial demand for some plants, especially those with global popularity, has caused them to be over harvested to such an extent that they are now much less common or even rare in the wild. Many of these plants have become endangered or are considered “At-Risk” by United Plant Savers (UpS), an organization dedicated to the preservation of botanicals native to North America. UpS has created lists of “At-Risk” and “To-Watch” species that are the most ecologically sensitive to over harvesting (United Plant Savers [UpS], 2018).

These often include plants that have roots that are used in herbal preparations, since digging roots often requires killing the plant during harvest. Many of these botanicals, such as American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) and goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis), also have lengthy growing cycles, requiring many months to germinate and several years to mature. Meanwhile, these plants also have a limited growing range and suffer from increasing habitat destruction due to human activities like development and logging (Gladstar, 2000). We suggest familiarizing yourself with the UpS lists and becoming aware of any plants that are endangered in your area. UpS has even developed a Species At-Risk Assessment Tool that can be used to evaluate any plant for its potential vulnerability to being overharvested; this tool is freely available for download on the UpS website and is a great way to start thinking critically about particular plants in your bioregion (Castle et al., 2014).

While a plant may appear to be abundant in your local bioregion, this does not necessarily mean it is sustainable to harvest that plant. Local abundance does not equal the overall abundance of a species, especially when compared to the global demand for certain plants. Although it might be tempting to harvest at-risk plants, UpS and its supporters suggest leaving these plants alone in the wild and opting for cultivated or substitute herbs instead (Gladstar, 2000).

Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis)

Of course, very few wildcrafters consider themselves to be unethical, even when (sometimes unwittingly) contributing to species depletion. As UpS founding president and beloved herbalist Rosemary Gladstar (2000) eloquently states:

“No matter how ethical or sustainable our wildcrafting techniques, and how heartfelt our prayers, if evermore people and greater numbers of companies continue to depend on our wild resources, the supplies will diminish as surely as did the great herds of buffalo that once graced the plains and passenger pigeons that once darkened the sky (p. 6).”

While some at-risk plants are listed as endangered or vulnerable species and may be illegal to harvest in some areas or in large amounts, others remain completely unprotected by the law. In the United States, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is responsible for deciding which species are granted federal protection (Brounstein, 1995). Yet as herbalist and wildcrafting teacher Howie Brounstein (1995) explains, “Unfortunately, they are very slow in reviewing candidate species. Many have become extinct while waiting to be listed” (para. 10). Thus, it is our responsibility as foragers to educate ourselves about endangered, vulnerable, and at-risk species.

Additionally, some plants may not have a protected status and may not yet be listed as vulnerable by UpS, but are nevertheless highly sensitive to disturbance due to their particular ecology. These include parasitic or saprophytic plants like ghost pipe (Monotropa uniflora) and broomrape (Orobanche spp.) that lack chlorophyll and rely on their relationships with other plants via mycorrhizae to survive (Brounstein, 1995). Brounstein (1995) advises against the harvest of any member of the Orchidaceae (orchid) family, and many plants within the Liliaceae (lily) family, as both contain members that are sensitive to disturbance and may perish simply from being jostled too much. Also be mindful when harvesting around these plants to avoid damaging them (McCoy, 2010).

At this point in the course, there is a video with forager Alexander Meander as he discusses sustainability issues with regard to ramps (Allium tricoccum), a plant that was recently added to the UpS “To-Watch” List.  The video is not available unless you’re enrolled in the course, but you are welcome to read the transcript here.

What to Harvest

Now that we’ve learned about some plants not to harvest, you might be wondering which botanicals to focus on instead.

One great group of plants to consider for your foraging adventures are the “weedy” species that grow in abundance in many parts of the world. Various plants have followed human civilization across the globe, thriving on the disturbance and compacted soil created by humans (Blair, 2014). This makes them abundant enough to harvest even in amounts large enough for food without threatening wild populations; as an added benefit, they are easy to find in a variety of locales (Brounstein, 1995). As you will see, this course covers many plants in the widespread, “weedy” category.

You might also consider learning about plants that are considered invasive in your area. Invasive plants are those that have been spread by humans into foreign ecological systems where they outcompete native species and spread in a way that threatens local biodiversity (United States Department of Agriculture, n.d.). Many of these plants have herbal and edible uses (Scott, 2010), and foraging them contributes to the restoration of ecosystem balance while also filling up our herb baskets—it’s a win-win! As mentioned above, some forestry management authorities hold noxious weed removal events that the public can attend.

However, it’s important to note that forestry authorities will sometimes employ chemical herbicides as a method of noxious weed removal, so before consuming these plants, it’s important to find out if the area has been contaminated. Also, be extra cautious when harvesting an invasive plant so that you do not inadvertently spread it to a new location; watch for seeds that might cling to your clothing and end up taking root elsewhere.

St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum)

Understanding Ecology

Now, let’s dive into some hands-on advice for how to harvest sustainably while in the field. One of the first steps is taking the time to observe the area’s ecology and population dynamics. Many beginners are tempted to immediately pick from the first stand of plants they come upon, but making a broader sweep of the land allows you to get a better sense for how prolific the plant is and where the most robust, populated stands are located (McCoy, 2010).

Be on the lookout for any animals that might make their homes in or near the plants you’re foraging; try not to disturb nesting, foraging, or mating grounds for animals, especially endangered ones (McCoy, 2010). Also be mindful if your desired botanical might be a major food source for local fauna. For instance, truffles (which include Tuber spp. and other genera), are underground fungi that are popular among foragers in the United States and Europe; in some regions, an industry has developed around these edible fungi. In the Pacific Northwest region of the United States, truffles are an important food source for various species of squirrels, which in turn provide sustenance for the northern spotted owl, a threatened species (Duncan, 2004).

This highlights the broad-ranging ripple effects that our actions can have upon ecological systems. As Rosemary Gladstar (2000) reminds us, “Indigenous people have long recognized that all things in life are connected through a great web and that disturbing one small plant in the ecosystem, in the great web of life, can cause the whole to become unbalanced” (p. 3). Some of these effects aren’t immediately apparent to foragers even after observation of a plant within the context of its habitat, so it’s important to research individual plants for any ecological impacts foraging might have in your area.

Less is More

Another crucial aspect of sustainable harvesting is to remove only a small percentage of plants from any given area. Harvesting 10% or less of a given plant stand is a good general rule, even for plants that are abundant, as this leaves most of the population behind to reproduce and meet the needs of local wildlife (Brounstein, 1995). However, there is no universal rule that works for all scenarios, as even modest harvesting may create significant setbacks for slow-growing, slow-to-reproduce species or when harvesting roots.

It is critical to use your knowledge of the plant, observation, instincts, and ethics to decide what is appropriate. The best way to be sure that you’re not negatively impacting the ecosystem is to choose a stand of plants that is much larger than your needs so that your harvest impacts the stand minimally (Brounstein, 1995). Be sure to leave some of the most robust, largest, and healthiest plants behind to ensure strong genetics for the plants’ future generations (McCoy, 2010).

Also ensure that your harvest does not exceed the amount that you will actually process and use within an appropriate length of time. This may seem like a no-brainer, but it’s fairly common for beginners to get excited in the field and overestimate their ability to process gathered botanicals. Keep in mind that plants can take much longer to process than to harvest, and it’s a shame to take plants out of their habitat only to watch them grow mold in the refrigerator.

Also consider how much of the finished product you will actually use before it exceeds its shelf-life and loses potency. For example, if you dry 8 ounces of yarrow (Achillea millefolium) leaves and flowers for tea, will you actually consume that much within its recommended shelf life of a year?

Replanting and Seeding

Another good sustainability practice is to encourage the reproduction of the plants you harvest. As discussed above, the first step is to simply leave a sufficient number of plants behind to reproduce on their own. However, you can also take a step further into the realm of stewardship by giving the plants a helping hand when needed. This can be done by gathering and sowing seeds from wild plants nearby to the location where you harvested them, or, in some cases, replanting a section of root or root crown close to the original stand of plants. In order to understand the best method to encourage plant populations, it’s important to first discern what type of plant you are working with. Plants are grouped into three basic growing patterns:

• Annual plants go through their entire life cycle within a year or less, from germination to the creation of seeds, soon after which they die. While annuals are typically fast growers, harvesting these plants before they go to seed means that they are not able to reproduce. That being said, many of the more abundant, weedy plants such as chickweed (Stellaria media) and purslane (Portulaca oleracea) are annuals that reproduce prolifically and are not in danger of being overharvested (Thayer, 2010). Thus, it’s always a good idea to research the status of the particular species you plan to forage.
• The life cycle of biennial plants is 2 years long. They germinate and grow foliage for a season, often staying low to the ground in what is called a basal rosette of leaves. After the first winter, they send up a flower stalk, bloom, and set seed before completing their life cycle. Harvesting aerial parts from biennial plants can hinder their ability to set seed, and harvesting the root does, of course, kill the plant.
• Perennial plants are more long-lived, returning year after year after dormancy during the winter. Many perennials can be propagated by root division, especially those that send out underground runners or produce a crown of roots. Other perennials must reproduce via seeds. Also, certain plants, such as St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum), are considered short-lived perennials and tend to die off after a few years (Groves, 2019).

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)

When harvesting annuals or biennials, which most often reproduce by seed, it’s important to leave plenty of individual specimens to set seed and repopulate the area the following year. You can also take this a step further and return to the site while the plants are seeding in order to collect seed and propagate the plant by hand. This is especially important if you notice a particular plant struggling to retain its population over the years. Because such efforts are intended to help maintain ecosystem balance rather than alter the natural composition of vegetation, plants should only be seeded near to the location where the seeds were gathered.

Many perennials can reproduce from sections of root that are replanted into the ground. Plants like dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) or blackberry (Rubus fruticosus) can resprout from even the smallest section of root left in the ground (Brounstein, 1995). For plants that produce a root crown or spread via underground runners, you can divide the root into several pieces with rootlets attached, and put them back into the ground to sprout anew; daylilies (Hemerocallis spp.) are one example (McCoy, 2010). For larger plants, it may be possible to take only a section of the root, such as an offshoot of the main root, and leave the growing portion of the plant in the ground (mcdonald, n.d.). Hardy perennials like yarrow (Achillea millefolium) and nettle (Urtica spp.) can take a great deal of harvesting of their aerial parts and keep resprouting from the roots (Brounstein,1995).

Some perennials, however, cannot be easily propagated by root division; this is especially true for those with a large, single taproot as well as those with many stems arising from a single root crown. In these cases, collecting seeds and replanting them nearby is the best way to help the plants reproduce. Two examples of perennials that don’t tolerate root division well are butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa), a plant on the UpS “To-Watch” List, and bleeding heart (Dicentra spp.) (The National Gardening Association, n.d.).

Becoming a Steward

One way to become a steward or caretaker of the land is to make a commitment to return to the places where you forage in subsequent years to observe how your harvesting affected the ecosystem (McCoy, 2010). Are the wild populations of species you harvested still available in abundance, or have their numbers lessened? If they have lessened, it would be best to avoid harvesting from the same location for at least a season, and consider some of the above replanting methods to help the plants reproduce. Even better is to visit and steward that land several times before harvesting!

It’s also a good practice to be aware of your emotional state while harvesting. If you feel harried or rushed, you are more likely to make misjudgments about where and how much to harvest at a given time (McCoy, 2010). You are also likely to miss some of the important lessons from nature and the plants around you (Brounstein, 1995). Move slowly and enjoy the process; time spent in nature is never wasted! Approaching the plants with a clear mind and open heart is the best way to ensure good judgment, maximize your learning, and show your respect for the plants.

In general, try to leave no trace of your presence, minimizing disturbance to the habitat as much as possible. Also consider other humans who may enjoy the same space and refrain from harvesting in visible locations such as right next to trails. Brounstein (1995) suggests walking until you are out of sight of hiking trails and trying to make fewer marks of your passage than a foraging animal.

Gathering Rituals

In addition to asking permission to harvest from landowners, it’s also a common practice among foragers to ask permission directly from the plants they harvest. As Gladstar (2000) notes, “Prayer and a sacred connection with the spirit of the plant are an important part of our gathering ritual” (p. 6). Tune into your gut feelings and intuition, and honor any impressions or messages you receive from the plants. This practice allows us to embody both a left-brained, logical approach to harvesting as well as a more right-brained, intuitive approach, so that our decisions are made from a well-rounded state of consciousness.

In his book The Herbal Medicine-Maker’s Handbook, herbalist James Green (2000) offers a lovely harvest ritual that involves quietly sitting with a plant prior to harvest in a practice that fosters mindful relationships with the plants we use. As Green (2000) points out, such rituals are not necessarily intended to impress the plants, but rather to align ourselves with them:

“To receive what you want, you merely have to tap into natural enchantment in a nonresistant fashion. Ritual helps you allow yourself to function at an altered state of knowing and receptivity. In ritual you focus precisely on what you want and hold your attention on the vibrations you choose to harmonize with—at present, the vibration of plant spirit (p. 44).”

It’s also nice to find ways of giving back to the plants that feel good to you. One of the best gifts you can give is your own sense of gratitude for these botanical beings. You may also choose to leave an offering in exchange for the plant material you forage. This gift can be anything that is meaningful for you, such as a bit of food or a song; another common gift is to water the plants that remain. A final nice touch is to do the whole ecosystem a favor by carrying out any trash or litter found during wildcrafting excursions.

Recommended Resources

If you’re new to foraging, all of these resources provide an excellent foundation, and they are all recommended as further reading by the Herbal Academy of New England’s Foraging Course :

Edible Wild Weeds

Edible wild weeds are one of the most sustainable foraging options, and all of these are great choices for beginning foragers:

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