Intermediate~12 hours12 lessons

Wildcrafting Ethics and Dangerous Look-Alikes

The safety and ethics of harvesting from the wild

Twelve lessons on the practical and ethical practice of wildcrafting medicinal plants. You will learn the six verification methods for plant identification, the most dangerous look-alike pairs, the sustainability and ethical considerations of harvesting from the wild, and when wildcrafting is wrong.

Taught by Deidre Starner, Master Herbalist

What you'll learn

  • Apply six verification methods to confirm plant identification before any harvest
  • Recognize the most dangerous look-alike pairs (especially in Apiaceae)
  • Practice ethical wildcrafting that respects sustainability, ecology, and ownership
  • Document a wildcrafting practice with the rigor needed for safety
  • Recognize when wildcrafting is the wrong choice and use cultivated or purchased alternatives

Course outline

  1. 1

    Course Welcome — The Stakes of Wildcrafting

    25 minFree preview
  2. 2

    Ethical Wildcrafting — Sustainability and Permission

    50 minFree preview
  3. 3

    The Six Verification Methods

    45 min
  4. 4

    Apiaceae Lookalikes — Water Hemlock vs Edibles

    60 min
  5. 5

    Mushroom Foraging — A Different Game Entirely

    35 min
  6. 6

    Comfrey and Foxglove Confusion

    30 min
  7. 7

    Pokeweed and Look-alikes

    30 min
  8. 8

    Wild Lettuce and Look-alikes

    30 min
  9. 9

    The Yarrow Family Confusions

    30 min
  10. 10

    Wildcrafting Tools and Documentation

    35 min
  11. 11

    When Wildcrafting Is Wrong

    35 min
  12. 12

    Capstone — Document a Wildcrafting Practice

    60 min