As Acacian discussed in a previous post, demand has lead to the unethical and improper harvesting of trees.

I routinely catalog locations of AC in my area, as well as intermittently inspect them for health and personal research. While on a random visit to an abundant area, I came across numerous instances of damaged trees exactly like or similar to the damage in the photo. This greatly disturbed me because this kind of harvesting is completely unnecessary, given the number of AC in the given area. This also good to show that most of the ACRB being sold is likely trunk bark, not root bark.

I take deep offense to this type of behavior. I have a special connection to AC because the gift it bestowed upon me that saved my life. Actions like this compromise the life of these trees, many of which are 20-30 years old if not older. I have seen this type of damage on some cataloged trees that are almost 100 years old, and frankly its getting ridiculous.

I suggest boycotting ACRB purchases from vendors selling from Hawaii, specifically the island of Oahu. If that's not possible, i suggest demanding Where Your vendor sources their acrb from, and prove they did it ethically. Its a lot to ask, but if you truly care about these trees and the medicine they provide, it should be worth it. Your continued support of these vendors businesses with their current harvesting methods will continue the type of damage being done to these trees, which may make them unavailable in the future.

That's messed up. I'll remember this.

And this is EXACTLY what I am slowly starting an entheogenic garden of my own. I hate thinking of how many trees are unethically harvested like this just for profit.
Always remember that our experiences are priceless and the least we can do is show some respect to the plants that allow us to experience them.

Same for myself. I will admit that I had no idea this is what was happening to trees even I first began my journey. After being well into my journey and deciding I wanted to source muy own material, I began researching on how to do so, which lead me to Acacian's and others posts about sustainable and alternative harvesting to protect these trees. After that, as well as the complexities of harvesting in public where I live, I decided the best thing to do way establish a private ethnobotanical collection that could be properly maintained and cared for, as well as properly harvested.

Thanks for this. OP, are you in HA and have good knowledge of what goes on there in regard to AC harvesting? I ask because I was told, with no way to check, that AC was considered invasive in parts of HA, and bark was being harvested from trees already felled. Does this sound true?

FYI, regarding Acacia confusa's invasive status on Hawaii:



https://www.ctahr.hawaii...sHI/W_Acacia_confusa.pdf

It is known to have a negative impact on Hawaiian floral biodiversity.

http://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/2191

AC is considered invasive in places where its not wanted. The trees being harvested are in places where they play a significant role in the prevention of soil erosion, are not causing mono- stands and were likely planted at least 20-30 years ago, based on trunk size and area history.

This is only true in areas where endemic flora and fauna remain established; definitely not the case for this particular area and other areas I have visited with similar improper harvesting.

The main purpose for these trees being planted since the 1920s was for aiding in reforestation and soil erosion prevention. Aside from these trees (in this specific area), there arent many native plants around. In fact, they are playing a significant role in controlling a far more invasive plant, leucens Lecocephela (we call it haole koa) which has destroyed entire ecosystems and created monostand forests.

The tree in the photo above continues to play a significant role in preventing soil erosion in its specific location. So regardless of its invasive nature, the trees being observed do play major roles in their particular area, and over harvesting like this can create voids which will be filled with other problems that have far greater circumstances.

Just as in any forest, management is key to prevent invasiveness and overcrowding for any species, and the management of AC can be done in a way that benefits both the ecosystem and explorers alike. The tree in the photo above is in an area where its not having a negative impact, and in fact plays a key role in that area, so this type of harvesting cannot be justified as essential management.

Of course it's better if it's an invasive plant being used, but as is being pointed out, this is a bit more complex since an invasive plant in one area may not be in another, and plants may have their own function in an ecosystem, sometimes functions that we are unaware of. I'm not sure what the real situation is there in Hawaii and in the different areas, I'm just trusting what Norsern_vind is saying to be true, but even if it was otherwise, we still believe growing your own or sustainably harvesting from local plants is the best

This is why here in the Nexus we decided to move away from discussing purchasing of dry plant material, which is often unsustainable (and sometimes mislabelled too! ) and focus on seeds and live plants, as well as offering information on finding and testing local plants for alkaloids of interest.

Relevant FAQ entry

Thanks for bringing this to people's attention, Norsern_vind