[MPWG] Public input requested by March 26, 2006: Initiation of 5-Year Rev...

Tue Mar 28 11:58:41 CST 2006

Hello,
I'd just like to chime in, not all wildcrafters are doing so for  market.  
Some (an undocumented amount) are doing so for medicine.  
Also, though Robyn makes some good points, I am wondering if it's true that  
"uncommon species may not look familiar to the wildcrafter, who is used to 
more  common related species."
Actually, every wildcrafter I know has a good knowledge of botany and local  
plant identification.  The wildcrafters I know are plant nuts and they are  
very familiar with the rare and unique plants of their locales.  I suppose  it's 
all dependent on local circumstances.   For example, here there  is no 
problem locating Lobelia inflata, it self-seeds and scatters  excellently.  Here, 
the wildcrafters are the members of the native plant  society and sierra club 
and rare plant forum and so on.  People who don't  know the plants just aren't 
out there gathering them.  People who don't  have that certain affinity for the 
plants don't know their value, at market  or as medicine. This is a rather 
affluent area, though, so perhaps  it's unique.
An additional point I'd like to make is that each plant has specific  use/s 
and a specific energetic.  If you need coptis, you need coptis.   If you need 
goldenseal, you need goldenseal.  There are of course some  applications where 
barberry might suffice in the stead of either but, generally  speaking the 
"law of specifics" counts for something, and at times  (frequently) it is the 
rule and not the exception.  
Additionally, though of course this varies as well, but in many cases, the  
wildcrafters are working to help the plant community sustain itself.   Steven 
Foster has a marvelous example of gentian collectors in Montenegro  replanting 
and attending to the resource BECAUSE OF their collection  activities.  
Here where I live -- and this too is perhaps because of the area's relative  
affluence -- it's not traditional wildcrafters but the nursery /  landscapers 
who are out there taking plants away seemingly without concern  for replanting 
/ reseeding.  We have (had) a wonderful wild azalea in  the woods here, all 
but gone now to nursery scavengers.  One giant stand of  hepatica I used to 
visit frequently around this time of year as the ephemerals  come into blossom is 
gone completely, the slope where they were growing is  now eroding badly 
right into the creek.  A good sized stand of rare bottle  gentian nearby also 
disappeared in the same week. Sorry but, that had to be  a landscaper.  
At any rate, I don't think it's fair to assume that wildcrafters are  
unfamiliar with their local flora, or that they are all commercial gatherers, or  
that they are not engaged in stewardship.  Also, it might be unwise to  assume 
that just because sundew is hard to find there are not commercial  wildcrafters 
out there seeking it specifically BECAUSE it is rare and might  therefore 
bring a better price.
Best regards everyone, Jennifer Chesworth

In a message dated 3/28/2006 12:25:00 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
Efletcher at skybest.com writes:

Hello Patricia,  Robin and all,

Robin brings up a  good point of the wildcrafter's logic about digging 'rare' 
and  
endangered  plants. They are 'rare' because there are not abundant,  which
makes them less  desirable for a wildcrafter to spend his/her time 
searching for and  digging for medicinal products. 

Medicinal  products are formulated with a certain amount of an herb in  them
but if the  companies can not obtain a consistent supply in the quantity  
needed,
they will  either drop the product or if a multi herb blend they will  
reformulate
and take the  'rare'(hard to get herb) out. Thus no demand for the 'rare'  
plants.

So now the 'rare'  plants are left alone to fend for themselves. So all  we
have to do is  protect them from the ever growing human expansion that  
destroys  their habitats. 
Once there homes  are gone there is no chance for them to propagate and grow 
on their  own!

Rare plants need  our help with Preservation of their native habitats and if 
necessary  cultivating them
to have them for  generations to come.

Genuinely,
Edward J. Fletcher
Strategic Sourcing,  Inc.
Botanical Division, C.O.O.
115 Snow Ridge Rd.
Banner Elk, NC  28604 USA
828.898.7642
Fax.898.7647
_Efletcher at StrategicSourcingInc.net_ 
(mailto:Efletcher at StrategicSourcingInc.net) 
_www.StrategicSourcingInc.net_ (http://www.strategicsourcinginc.net/) 

-----Original Message-----
From: rrr at montana.com
Sent:  3/28/2006 6:13 AM
To:  mpwg at lists.plantconservation.org
Subject: Re: [MPWG] Public  input requested by March 26, 2006: Initiation of 
5-Year Reviews of 56 Species  in California and Nevada

Hello Patricia and all,

In my  experience, most Endangered and Rare plant species are not likely
sought by  wildcrafters for use in producing medicinal products. It could
be that even  if these species have medicinal uses, they are too hard to
find because  they are not common. If a population is found, there may not
be enough to  make it worth the collection.

These uncommon species may not look  familiar to the wildcrafter, who is
used to more common related  species.

In any case, some years ago I perused the Plant Species of  Concern in
Montana (via the Montana Natural Heritage Program) and did not  find any
species that might be pressured by harvesters.

Lobelia, for  example, or Drosera are both difficult to locate, as well as
too sparse (in  Montana) to catch the attention of wildcrafters.

However, wildcrafters  have been known to dig Endangered or Rare species of
Echinacea during the  Echinacea boom in the 80s and 90s. I don't know of
any other  examples.

I suspect it is not the experienced wildcrafter that is a  threat. Rather
the inexperienced ones who don't realize they are losing  money by going
after small populations, if they can even key them out or  recognize them.

Best Regards,
Robyn Klein,  Montana

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