Update: How Can We Protect Osha Root?

Take only what you need and leave the land as you found it.

- Arapaho proverb

Mountain Rose Herbs is honored to partner with the American Herbal Products Association’s Foundation for Education and Research on Botanicals, also known as AHPA-ERB. In collaboration with the Missouri Botanical Garden and the Rio Grande National Forest Service, they are raising funds to continue a study that will help determine the range, availability, and recovery rate of Osha (Ligusticum porteri) after harvesting from the wild. 

During the month of February, Mountain Rose Herbs will match your donation dollar-for-dollar up to $2,000 to fund this study!

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An update about the Osha Sustainability Study from our friends at AHPA:

Data from the Cumbres Pass area in the Rio Grande National Forest in southern Colorado shows that changes in habitat light availability can have considerable effects on Osha populations. A robust meadow population with low canopy cover that exhibits approximately 10% cover of osha will have on average 52.2g dried root weight per 1m² area (around 465lbs/acre), while a forest population with a 9% cover will have on average 13.7g dried root weight per 1m² area (122lbs/acre). Find the first year report here.

Next Steps: The subsequent stages of the study will provide considerably more insight regarding the status of Osha populations, including:

• Monitoring re-growth to estimate the resiliency or susceptibility of Osha to harvesting pressures will be critical for determining whether current wild-harvesting practices of this species is sustainable.
• Expanding the study over a broader area in variable locations and habitat types will provide a more accurate representation of Osha’s abundance at the landscape scale.
• After three to five years of study, we will be able to determine the impact of root harvest on Osha populations, their reproduction and regeneration, and what the optimal rate of harvest should be to maintain the long-term viability of this important species.

Help support this study now!

Learn more about the Osha Sustainability Study.

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