Rosemary Gladstar is the founder of the California School of Herbal Studies and
The United Plant Savers, an organization dedicated to replanting endangered medicinal
plants. Her experience includes over 20 years as a healer, teacher and organizer of herbal
events |
The
Fundamentals of Ecological Herbalism
By Rosemary Gladstar
Our Responsibility as an Herbalist
- Our first and foremost responsibility as herbalists is preservation and protection of
the environment and the healing of the Earth Mother.
- To preserve the folk traditions of wildcrafting and herbal healing.
- To protect the environment so that there will be plants to wildcraft.
- To promote environmentally and ethically conscious methods of growing, collecting and
distributing herbal products.
- Practice bio-regional herbalism, which is defined as the practice of herbal medicine as
it pertains to the local environment and its community.
- We must involve ourselves for our own health, the health of the plants and for the
welfare of the planet.
- As herbalists we have the responsibility to regenerate the land, not degenerate it.
- Cooperate, not compete, with other environ- mentally conscious and ethically sound
businesses. Network.
- Support organizations that are dedicated to preserving nature, native plants, and the
animal and bird communities. And that promote world peace.
Ethical Responsibility in Herbalism
Our first and foremost responsibility as herbalists:
- Protectors and caretakers of the earth, the plants and one another.
- Caretakers of the earth, a direct link between Mother earth and humans.
- To serve humankind.
As herbs have become more mainstream and flourishes in "business America,"
are herbalists losing sight of the original purpose of herbalism. Herbalism is not about
our ability to produce tons of new products with fancy labeling, develop marketing
strategies that compete in world markets or to develop standards and incredible claims. It
is not about being first or having the best of anything.
It is easy to get caught up in the glitz and glamour of herbalism as it becomes more
and more in demand and to forget to see, live and support the roots of our work, which is
as caretakers of the earth and one another. The deepest roots of herbalism rest in respect
for the land, the community herbalist, bio-regional herbalism.
In the words of Charlie Will Jordon,
"Herbalism is an agreement between mankind and our earth in relationship to the
cosmos and the creator. It allows plants to express their purpose in serving humankind,
while devoting our existence to the continuation of all life and its regeneration."
Herbalists are first and foremost land stewards who, through wisdom and guidance, bring
the knowledge of plants to others so they may know health and partake in acknowledging
their purpose and connection with the earth and the universe.
What We Can Do
- Support the work of United Plant
Savers, a non- profit organization dedicated to the preserva- tion of endangered
medicinal plant species.
- Support small, ethically run businesses.
- Make your own products using herbs you've grown.
- Support bio-regional herbalism‹herbalism that supports the integrity of the
community in which you live.
- Support organizations, especially local ones or small chapters of organizations, that
are dedicated to saving the planet.
- Replant the Earth.
- Grow gardens and replant the woods and areas where you live with native species.
- Write to native plant societies and get lists of endangered species. Begin to plant
these in your gardens and to reintroduce them into the wilderness.
- Do not use endangered plants in your products or buy products that contain them:
Goldenseal, wild American ginseng, true unicorn root, lady's slipper, osha root, slippery
elm‹spread the word about these herbs and others that may becoming endangered.
Learn Ethical Practices of Wildcrafting & Collecting
- When wildcrafting, think about the plant community and how many plants it could manage
without, not how many plants you need to make so much product or so much profit.
- Wildcraft always with thoughts of beauty. Work spiritually in tune with plant and
community in which it grows.
- Cultivate as many of the plants you need as possible. Gardens are powerful ways to do
good for the earth.
- Do not wildcraft or disturb in any way undisturbed native soil; it is rare!
- When wildcrafting in the wild, treat the native plant complexes like the fine perennial
gardens they are.
- Watch and observe; do these plants regenerate and come back?
- Try to harvest from areas you love and know.
- Take only as many plants as you can reasonably use; no waste.
- Cascade says you can harvest 25% of weedy species (pioneer plants) from an area; 5% of
native species. Some herbalists feel this is a high percentage.
- Never buy, harvest or use endangered, threatened or susceptible plants.
If You Have Property
- Wildfarm - create wild flower/herb gardens on your land.
- Volunteer to plant endangered/threatened species on other's lands, in parks, etc.
- If you teach, make this a primary project. You can inspire others to help replant their
areas.
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