SUSTAINABLY

FORAGED &

MORALLY SOURCED SPECIMENS 

BUTTERFLY PIECES:

They are raised in butterfly aviaries all over the world. To keep the operations running females are brought in from the wild to lay their eggs inside a large enclosed habitat. This way she and all of her babies are protected from disease, parasites, and predators. One female butterfly can lay thousands of eggs. In the wild only a handful will survive into adulthood because of all of these obstacles. In captivity virtually 100% will survive. Once the butterflies reach adulthood many are released back into the wild to help increase the indigenous populations. The rest are kept in the butterfly house for the rest of their lives, which is only a week or so in most cases, after they hatch from their chrysalis. Museums, universities, and businesses like this one will purchase the deceased specimens to preserve and keep in a collection for the public, to study things like DNA/evolution of a species/mutations/disease, or to make artwork. The money we supply to the butterfly houses helps keep their operation running, which in turn saves the native species of insects and plants from becoming endangered or extinct. This financial incentive motivates governments in third world countries to maintain their natural flora and fauna.

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FLOWERS, FOLIAGE, & MUSHROOMS:

     There are important guidelines I honor when foraging for flowers, foliage, and mushrooms. These include:

Know state laws for ethical foraging

Don’t harvest it all

Never, ever, ever take the last of any wild plant

Don’t harvest at risk species

Only harvest what I will use

Don’t harvest from ditches, roadways or any other place that might be contaminated

Don’t trample the plants

Be able to identify what I am harvesting

Lastly,  growing my own “wild” species on my own property