Apologies in advance for a terribly long post. I think it’s important tho I’m not sure if it has been covered before. Here goes… —- A recent seed request asked for wild collected seed. I was thinking even if local laws are followed, it may not pan out well for the wild plants because climate conditions are becoming more erratic. The laws could have been created years ago when climate cycles were more stable which allowed plants to regrow consistently. If wild plants are over gathered they may sadly, no longer exist in the wild. Interestingly I chanced upon how indigenous people prevented over-gathering in a book by Robin Wall Kimmerer. She mentioned an etiquette for gathering: “...Never take the first. Never take the last. Take only what you need. ... Never take more than half. Leave some for others. Harvest in a way that minimizes harm. Use it respectfully. Never waste what you have taken. Share. Give thanks for what you have been given...” ― Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants <https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/24362458/> She also mentioned in other parts of the book that one should only gather when there is abundant supply. (Some plants need more time and space to regrow and reproduce, and we will have to let them rebound before gathering.) Indigenous folk will also leave a sign(eg. knotted strands of Sweetgrass) on the path to say that an area has already been gathered to prevent depleting the resource. It made a lot of sense, perhaps we could revive these useful practices or update them for our current lifestyle. For example, the practice of leaving of a sign to signify a location has been foraged, comes to mind. With modern technology, it could take the form of a useful app which may already exist. 😊 Best regards, -Elaine Jek. Book : Braidling Sweetgrass https://www.robinwallkimmerer.com/books/ I recommend the audiobook, read by the author who has a wonderfully calm voice. I listened to it free from my local library. _______________________________________________ pbs mailing list pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net http://lists.pacificbulbsociety.net/cgi-bin/… Unsubscribe: <mailto:pbs-unsubscribe@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net> PBS Forum https://…