Canada's Wild Medicine Forest

sacred forest

The Wildcraft Forest operates a collection of regenerative farm and forests located in the Monashee region of British Columbia including the Upper Shuswap and the Okanagan Highlands. We offer free Wild Tea Tastings to our visitors. Enjoy samples of our wild "iced" tea blends infused with fruits and wild honey. We also offer Wild Tea Tours and Workshops.

Our Philosophy

We raise our herbs and flowers organically in our gardens and as nature provides in the Wildcraft Forest. We use what we grow to make simple, natural products. Striving to care for our environment and set an example for leadership and responsibility.

At the Wildcraft Forest we encourage Wildcrafting through workshops and presentations and we teach and operate using permaculture principles.

Wildcrafting does not have to wait for something useful to grow in an area. We can add elements that will become productive over time. Herbs can be introduced to grow in right-of-ways; fruit or nut trees may be planted in wild areas. Any area of derelict or marginal land has the potential to grow things that are suitable for wildcrafting. While we do not necessarily wish to cultivate and farm these areas, scattering seeds of things we might wish to harvest to see if they will take advantage of a location is certainly permissible.

About Wildcrafting

Wildcrafting is the practice of harvesting and using wild materials for food, construction and craft. The kinds of things people might find are mushrooms, driftwood, flowers, feathers, rocks, shells, grains, saps, quills, clay, wicker, burls, seaweed, weeds, nuts, food, herbs, berries, seeds, cones, roots, bark, dye, antlers, fur, bones, leather, teeth, mosses and ferns. And, that list is just a good start. Wildcrafting is the art of using 'found' materials.

In wildcrafting we are gleaning the bounty of the earth and doing so with humility and thankfulness. Some guidelines might temper our approach:

Take only what you need

Ask first and plant in return

Perform a ritual of thanks

Use caution in your harvesting so as to not hurt the plants

Respect the boundaries of your harvest

Never take ALL of everything; collect in swatches

Don't take the best; leave the best seed stock for the future

Help the patch to grow; spread seed in vicinity

Harvest natural stands; bring some to cultivation.

Enhance natural stands; get seeds from as close as possible.

We are guided by the Wildcrafters Promise