United Plant Savers
Encyclopedia
United Plant Savers is a group founded to protect native medicinal plants of the United States and Canada and their native habitat while ensuring an abundant renewable supply of medicinal plants for generations to come.
Founded in Orange, Vermont in 1995, by US herbalist Rosemary Gladstar
, the Vermont
-based nonprofit is all about plant conservation. United Plant Savers has about 2,000 members nationwide. The group started, as herbalists realized that with the increased interest in herbal medicine, pressure was growing on medicinal herbs. According to executive director Lynda LeMole, plants were being harvested in the wild, and the supply was beginning to dwindle. For instance German pharmaceutical companies were buying up large stores of wildcrafted old growth black cohosh for menopausal remedies.
UPS publishes a list of wild medicinal plants which are at risk
because of the impact of human activities. The intent is to increase the abundance of medicinal plants which are currently in decline due to expanding popularity and shrinking habitat and range. The focus is on its "at risk" list, about 20 plants in danger of disappearing due to habitat loss and over-harvesting. From the well-known American ginseng
to the lesser known lomatium
, the group is keeping watch and educating people about the problem.
UPS has not asked for a moratorium on the use of these herbs but has initiated programs designed to preserve the important plants including seed distribution so that at-risk plants can be cultivated either in botanical reserves or for trade to reduce dependence upon wildcrafted stock, herbal education conferences, internships, cirricula on plant conservation for schools of herbal medicine, a listing of internet resources and establishing medical botanical sanctuaries.
UPS is in the process of establishing a network of medicinal botanical sanctuaries throughout the country. Its goal is to help establish Botanical Sanctuaries that not only serve as rich depositories for `at risk' North American medicinal plants, but also serve as educational centers for plant conservation and organic cultivation. In Orange, Vermont, herbalist Betzy Bancroft manages the United Plant Savers offices on Knox Mountain where the organization has created a botanical sanctuary where plants such as ginseng, bloodroot
and goldenseal
thrive in their natural habitat.
Across the country, members have created private sanctuaries to preserve indigenous plants which range in size from a quarter acre to hundreds of acres. In Rutland, Ohio United Plant Savers has one of its largest sanctuaries, a 378 acres (1.5 km²) botanical sanctuary. In 2001 the group received a grant for $22,000 from the Outagamie Charitable Foundation of Appleton, Wisconsin was for building a selfguided medicine trail at UPS's Ohio botanical sanctuary. The Medicine Trail Project promotes the preservation and cultivation of native medicinal plants of the Appalachian region by improving the accessibility and the educational utility of The Medicine Trail: a system of trails and footpaths that incorporates natural woodlands and reclaimed mining lands and shows extensive populations of at-risk native medicinal plants from the modern North American pharmacopoeia. The Medicine Trail provides visitors and researchers access to these plants as they exist in nature.
A second grant for $20,000 in matching funds from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
was used for the Native Plant Harvest and Regeneration Project, also located at the botanical sanctuary in Ohio. Three native plants were studied in terms of population dynamics and sustainable wild harvesting, goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis), black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa), and bloodroot
(Sanguinaria canadensis). This is part of the mission to partner with the herbal products industry to transition from using wild medicinal plants to using cultivated native plants.
Founded in Orange, Vermont in 1995, by US herbalist Rosemary Gladstar
Rosemary Gladstar
Herbalist Rosemary Gladstar has changed the practice of American herbalism during her 35 year career. She began her career in California, where after study she founded the California School of Herbal Studies in Forestville, California in 1978, which was the first herbal school in California...
, the Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
-based nonprofit is all about plant conservation. United Plant Savers has about 2,000 members nationwide. The group started, as herbalists realized that with the increased interest in herbal medicine, pressure was growing on medicinal herbs. According to executive director Lynda LeMole, plants were being harvested in the wild, and the supply was beginning to dwindle. For instance German pharmaceutical companies were buying up large stores of wildcrafted old growth black cohosh for menopausal remedies.
UPS publishes a list of wild medicinal plants which are at risk
At Risk
At Risk is a 1994 film about a woman name Lara, after spending a year in Mexico unsuccessfully trying to save her marriage to Steven, returns to the U.S. to find Max, her lover in this AIDS cautionary tale.-Starring:*Elana K. Pyle as Lara Wade...
because of the impact of human activities. The intent is to increase the abundance of medicinal plants which are currently in decline due to expanding popularity and shrinking habitat and range. The focus is on its "at risk" list, about 20 plants in danger of disappearing due to habitat loss and over-harvesting. From the well-known American ginseng
American Ginseng
American ginseng, Panax quinquefolius, is a herbaceous perennial plant in the ivy family, commonly used as Chinese or herbal medicine.It is native to eastern North America, though it is also cultivated in places such as China....
to the lesser known lomatium
Lomatium
Lomatium is a genus of 70 to 80 perennial herbs native to western North America.Several species, including L. cous, L. geyeri, and L. macrocarpum, are sometimes known as biscuit roots for their starchy edible roots. These are or have been traditional Native American foods, eaten cooked or dried...
, the group is keeping watch and educating people about the problem.
UPS has not asked for a moratorium on the use of these herbs but has initiated programs designed to preserve the important plants including seed distribution so that at-risk plants can be cultivated either in botanical reserves or for trade to reduce dependence upon wildcrafted stock, herbal education conferences, internships, cirricula on plant conservation for schools of herbal medicine, a listing of internet resources and establishing medical botanical sanctuaries.
UPS is in the process of establishing a network of medicinal botanical sanctuaries throughout the country. Its goal is to help establish Botanical Sanctuaries that not only serve as rich depositories for `at risk' North American medicinal plants, but also serve as educational centers for plant conservation and organic cultivation. In Orange, Vermont, herbalist Betzy Bancroft manages the United Plant Savers offices on Knox Mountain where the organization has created a botanical sanctuary where plants such as ginseng, bloodroot
Bloodroot
Bloodroot is a perennial, herbaceous flowering plant native to eastern North America from Nova Scotia, Canada southward to Florida, United States...
and goldenseal
Goldenseal
Goldenseal is a perennial herb in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae, native to southeastern Canada and the northeastern United States. It may be distinguished by its thick, yellow knotted rootstock. The stem is purplish and hairy above ground and yellow below ground where it connects to the...
thrive in their natural habitat.
Across the country, members have created private sanctuaries to preserve indigenous plants which range in size from a quarter acre to hundreds of acres. In Rutland, Ohio United Plant Savers has one of its largest sanctuaries, a 378 acres (1.5 km²) botanical sanctuary. In 2001 the group received a grant for $22,000 from the Outagamie Charitable Foundation of Appleton, Wisconsin was for building a selfguided medicine trail at UPS's Ohio botanical sanctuary. The Medicine Trail Project promotes the preservation and cultivation of native medicinal plants of the Appalachian region by improving the accessibility and the educational utility of The Medicine Trail: a system of trails and footpaths that incorporates natural woodlands and reclaimed mining lands and shows extensive populations of at-risk native medicinal plants from the modern North American pharmacopoeia. The Medicine Trail provides visitors and researchers access to these plants as they exist in nature.
A second grant for $20,000 in matching funds from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation protects, sustains and restores the wildlife, plants and habitats of the United States. Established by Congress in 1984, the Foundation directs public conservation dollars to critical environmental needs and matches those investments with private...
was used for the Native Plant Harvest and Regeneration Project, also located at the botanical sanctuary in Ohio. Three native plants were studied in terms of population dynamics and sustainable wild harvesting, goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis), black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa), and bloodroot
Bloodroot
Bloodroot is a perennial, herbaceous flowering plant native to eastern North America from Nova Scotia, Canada southward to Florida, United States...
(Sanguinaria canadensis). This is part of the mission to partner with the herbal products industry to transition from using wild medicinal plants to using cultivated native plants.