{"id":9414,"date":"2021-09-04T10:36:30","date_gmt":"2021-09-04T10:36:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/?p=9414"},"modified":"2021-09-04T10:52:19","modified_gmt":"2021-09-04T10:52:19","slug":"how-to-harvest-birch-bark","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/how-to-harvest-birch-bark\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Harvest Birch Bark [Without Killing The Tree]"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Birch bark is known for its white, papery appearance; but did you know that it also has many practical uses? In this article, we\u2019ll talk about how to harvest birch bark without <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/how-to-save-a-dying-birch-tree\/\">killing the tree<\/a>, as well as why people harvest birch bark in the first place. We\u2019ll also discuss how to store your bark once you\u2019ve harvested it. Ready to get started?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why Harvest Birch Bark?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"854\" src=\"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/paper-birch-3184470_1280-1.jpg\" alt=\"why harvest birch bark\" class=\"wp-image-9397\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/paper-birch-3184470_1280-1.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/paper-birch-3184470_1280-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/paper-birch-3184470_1280-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/paper-birch-3184470_1280-1-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>You may have heard about people harvesting birch bark. If you\u2019ve got birch trees on your property, maybe you\u2019d like to find out what it\u2019s used for&#8211;what, exactly, do people do with the bark of these pretty white-trunked trees?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Birch bark has many different applications. It is commonly used for medicinal purposes as well as building and crafting activities.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Birch bark is sometimes used to treat various medical conditions, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><strong>Joint pain<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>Kidney and bladder stones<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>UTIs<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>Skin problems<\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition to its medicinal properties, birch bark is lightweight, waterproof, and beautiful. It can be used for a wide variety of arts and crafts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ojibwa Indians have used birch bark for hundreds of years, forming it into canoes, baskets, dishes, floor mats, wigwam coverings, and many other common items. The bark is easily workable when softened in warm water, and it will dry hard and strong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Does Taking the Bark off a Birch Tree Kill It?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>According to the <a href=\"http:\/\/nrd.kbic-nsn.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/GatheringHarvestingUseofBirchBark.pdf#:~:text=Removal%20of%20birch%20bark%2C%20when%20done%20correctly%2C%20does,can%20be%20harvested%20from%20dead%20or%20fallen%20trees.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Bureau of Indian Affairs<\/a> in Michigan, removing bark from a birch tree won\u2019t harm the tree as long as you do it correctly. It should only be collected from live trees during the spring, when the bark is already loose and easily peels away from the wood underneath.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>If you\u2019re concerned about harming your trees when collecting bark, it\u2019s important to note that you don\u2019t have to collect from live trees.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Look for dead or fallen trees in your area. Birch bark lasts a long time even after a tree has died, so it\u2019s entirely possible you\u2019ll be able to find usable bark on a dead tree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Do You Harvest Birch Bark Without Killing the Tree?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>To keep from harming a live birch tree, you\u2019ll want to collect the bark right after sap season&#8211; usually during April through June depending on your specific region. Bark will come off easily during this time thanks to moisture in the wood from the recent sap flow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>For craft purposes, you should only remove the outer bark, which is about \u00bc inch thick. Take care not to damage the inner bark, as this may kill the tree.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re planning to collect the bark for medicinal purposes, you will need the inner bark. <strong>In this case, it\u2019s best to cut down a small sapling or take the inner bark from large branches that have been recently pruned away.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Again, do not take large sections of inner bark from the trunk of a live tree. The inner bark is where the medicinal properties are most concentrated, but removing this inner layer greatly weakens the tree and leaves it susceptible to disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Even when harvesting the outer bark, take no more than you need and, if possible, collect it from more than one tree.<\/strong> You should only choose thriving, healthy trees, as these have the best chance of recovering without being injured or stunted.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Before removing a large section of bark, cut away a small piece to make sure it is suitable for your needs&#8211;strong and flexible, thin or thick enough, etc. The exact properties of the bark will vary from tree to tree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Keep in mind that younger trees will have thinner bark, while older trees will have thicker bark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Do You Remove Birch Bark From a Tree?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>First, check out a tutorial video like the one below. It really helps to have a good visual&nbsp; of the process before you start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"container-lazyload preview-lazyload container-youtube js-lazyload--not-loaded\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=iQDPWSCQs7g\" class=\"lazy-load-youtube preview-lazyload preview-youtube\" data-video-title=\"How I harvest Birch Bark\" title=\"Play video &quot;How I harvest Birch Bark&quot;\">https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=iQDPWSCQs7g<\/a><noscript>Video can&#8217;t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=iQDPWSCQs7g\" title=\"How I harvest Birch Bark\">How I harvest Birch Bark (https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=iQDPWSCQs7g)<\/a><\/noscript><\/div>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>After you\u2019ve selected your tree, <strong>score the bark with a sharp knife<\/strong>, making sure to cut through the bark\u2019s outer layer without slicing too deep. You may have to score it a couple of times to cut deeply enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The score mark should run lengthwise along the tree\u2019s trunk&#8211;it should be perpendicular with the ground. Make small horizontal marks at the top and bottom of the long perpendicular mark to create an i-shaped cut.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In one of the corners, insert your knife and gently pry the bark away from the wood along the score mark. Once you have the edges lifted away, <strong>slide your hand under the bark and continue lifting it away from the wood as you work your way around the tree.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The bark should peel up fairly easily during mid to late spring. If it doesn\u2019t, you may need to find a new tree to harvest from.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Do You Store Birch Bark?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"853\" src=\"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/schalbirke-4077322_1280-1.jpg\" alt=\"how do you store birch bark\" class=\"wp-image-9395\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/schalbirke-4077322_1280-1.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/schalbirke-4077322_1280-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/schalbirke-4077322_1280-1-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/schalbirke-4077322_1280-1-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Once you\u2019ve collected your birch bark, you\u2019ll need to store it in a cool, dry place until you\u2019re ready to use it. There are a couple of ways you can do this.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you want to store it flat for use in various craft projects, spread it out on a table and place weights at each corner. Any objects heavy enough to hold it down will work as weights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you don\u2019t need the bark to be perfectly flat before using it, you can simply store it in rolls. The bark tends to come off the tree in rolls, so this is its most natural form.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The bark will dry out naturally over time. For best results, keep it in areas of low humidity.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When you\u2019re ready to work with it, soften it up by soaking it in warm water. Though birch bark is waterproof, the heat and moisture from the water will make it more pliable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>For medicinal uses, you may want to powder the bark when it\u2019s dry. You can then put it in capsules, use it to make tea, or mix it in with food or juice.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>You can also preserve the bark by making a tincture. <\/strong>Place pieces of the bark in a jar, cover them with a quality alcohol such as vodka, secure the lid and place the jar in a cupboard or pantry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The tincture will be ready to use in a few weeks, at which time you can strain and discard the pieces of bark. The tincture will store in a cool, dry place for up to three years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Birch bark is used medicinally as well as for arts and crafts. Harvesting bark from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/birch-tree\/\">birch trees<\/a> is easy and harmless to the tree, as long as you follow the guidelines discussed in this article.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Birch bark is known for its white, papery appearance; but did you know that it also has many practical uses? In this article, we\u2019ll talk about how to harvest birch bark without killing the tree, as well as why people harvest birch bark in the first place. We\u2019ll also discuss how to store your bark &#8230; <a title=\"How To Harvest Birch Bark [Without Killing The Tree]\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/how-to-harvest-birch-bark\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about How To Harvest Birch Bark [Without Killing The Tree]\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":9395,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[99],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9414"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9414"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9414\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9429,"href":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9414\/revisions\/9429"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9395"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9414"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9414"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9414"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}