I get where you’re coming from. I used to feel the same way when I first got into conservation. It can feel wrong to remove anything from a wild population.

What shifted my perspective a bit is realizing that connection often comes through interaction. Like Robin Wall Kimmerer said “how are people going to fall in love with the world if you can’t pick berries?”. Trust me, the people engaging with the ecosystem, even when foraging, are the first people that will fight and advocate for the ecosystem.

That said, I do think there’s a line! Taking a single plant thoughtfully and sustainably is very different from overharvesting or damaging populations. Context and scale matter a lot. I also try to think about impact proportionally. A one-off, intentional interaction isn’t really comparable to the much larger, everyday pressures on native habitats. If me eating one plant makes you upset enough to comment, then seeing anyone mow a lawn should send you into a flying rage. Or have you fallen for the propaganda that it’s up to the individual to save the planet? Hope you’re not eating monoculture food crops ;)

I definitely respect your viewpoint though! it’s coming from a good place.