Turning Point Nutrition

Last Stand for a Lost Art - The Sacred Gardener |By Steven Martyn| Herbalism, like many traditional skills that were essential to our very survival and our well being for thousands of years, has been reduced to a quaint hobby by industrialization. Yet, I believe many of us feel the pull of this ancient art in our bones. And with the toxicity of m...

Wildcrafting isn’t as simple as going out and digging an identified plant out of the ground in order to use it! Learning and teaching others how to harvest plants must be combined with a fair amount of instruction on why one should harvest in the first place, which plants to harvest, when to harvest, and how to do it in a sustainable way. Ethics and sustainability should always be in the forefront of our minds as we forage!

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While there is a lot of information we herbalists should pass on to wildcrafting newbies, perhaps the most important is teaching about at-risk plants and why we should not harvest them.

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At-risk plants are either naturally rare in the environment or becoming rare through human influence. Just as some plants reproduce and spread quickly and are often termed as “invasive” plants, there are those that are quite the opposite. These are naturally rare – due to slow growth habits, habitat incompatibility, population isolation, genetic incompatibility, problems with seed dispersal, loss of pollinators (can be caused by human influence), or by competition from or overpopulation of invasive plants and animals ... and so forth!

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As herbalists, our work revolves around plants, so it is important we use plants in a wise manner—protecting and preserving them with their long-term viability in mind, not just for our sakes, but for the sake of the plant and the ecosystem. We must ask ourselves if we truly need the plant we’re considering using and we must help others understand this importance, too.

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If you would like to learn even more about foraging and harvesting plants in a sustainable, ethical way, check out the Herbal Academy’s Botany and Wildcrafting Course for more detailed information ––> https://theherbalacademy.com/product/botany-wildcrafting-course/

Bring the healing herbs in your garden in to your table!

5 Common Edible and Medicinal "Weeds" You Need to Know • p.i.n.e. project As a nature-education organization, we at the P.i.n.e. Project know plants. We use them for food, medicine, fibre, shelter, fire, dyes, and teach others ho

Looking forward to a weekend of deepening my learning of plant wisdom. Hope to see you there!

Heartwood Gathering The Heartwood Gathering is about coming together to share our interests and passion for plants. Com