By Patti Wigington
In addition to growing your own magical herbs in your garden, in many areas you can harvest herbs from their natural environment — in the wild. This is known as wildcrafting, and is becoming a popular pastime. If you’re one of the many Pagans or Wiccans who enjoys working with herbs, you may want to look into wildcrafting. However, much like any other natural resource, herbs must be harvested responsibly — otherwise, a once-plentiful plant can quickly end up on the endangered list! An ethical wildcrafter should never cause damage, nor should they deplete a resource. Here’s how to be an ethical wildcrafter.
Get Permission:
First, be sure you have permission to wildcraft in the area you’re visiting. Some public lands require you to have a permit before you may harvest any plants. If you’re on private property, get permission from the landowner. Also, be sure you check your local Department of Agriculture extension to see if there are plants that are on the endangered list in your area. That wild ginger may seem inviting, but if it’s being depleted in your region, you need to pass on it.
Read the original article at: Pattis Paganism
