How NOT To Gather Birch Bark

[JonnyP]

I have seen birch in this Country ringed like that pic, by Scouts on their land. It had been done quite a few years ago, but you could easily see where it had been ringed.. It looked a very healthy tree still though.

[Adam Savage]

Interesting points of view from all of us. Steve (Marvel) has noted in the past, "if you need to take a knife to the tree, then you're causing unnecessary damage" and that he has "seen many birch dying, from this kind of activity". I agree, it is down to the area in which the trees grow, the specific species of the tree. I also agree, that the natives would have more cause to do this, and also (in most cases) fell the entire tree, as almost all of it would have been used for something and not wasted.

I apologise if my thread is inaccurate, or misinformed. I certainly didn't want to cause any upset among our great community of members.

Different strokes for different folks I guess, but it is not the way I would go about gathering bark, especially (as Bushwhacker points out) that there are more than enough fallen/dying/dead birch to harvest.

It's your call at the end of the day though.

Adam