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Since 1986 and even before I joined a club, I was out collecting trees and plants for bonsai. The area around my residence proved to contain some of the finest material from the "wild". In the Coastal range there are Redwood trees and multiple species of Oak trees. In the Sierra range there are Sierra Junipers and more Oaks, In the Desert there are California Junipers and more Oaks. In the valleys and flat lands there are Olives and Tamarisk and more oaks. I don't have to look too far beyond my "backyard" to get good plant material.

For me, collecting has a number of facets that combine a lot of other outdoor interests in life. I can go camping, hiking, backpacking and four wheeling. Don't overlook the travel aspect as well, collecting has and will continue to take me all over the world. It seams that when you are a collector, other collectors find out about you and hosted collecting trip opportunities are easily exchanged. I really enjoy taking folks to show them my "backyard".

I'm, blessed to have a core group of enthusiasts in the club I belong to that I can call my friends. These people are willing to set the bar of excellence higher and strive for better Bonsai. (Something so noticeably missing in a majority of bonsai communities) We get together outside the regular club meeting for a study group once a month. Occasionally we will go collecting as the meeting event, and regularly plan 1-4 day events to gather plant material at other times as well. These trips will be either local or away to the mountains or desert. When we stay local we call it a "City Dig"; these are usually just one-day events. The overnighters have taken us as far as New Orleans.

I want to share a few thoughts and concerns about collecting. I believe that collecting is one of the fastest ways to acquire and develop all sizes of premium quality plant material. That is not to say that people cannot collect bad material, unfortunately all to often, inferior material is gathered for use as bonsai, this happens for a lot of reasons, none of which are acceptable in my world. Nature does such a wonderful job of dwarfing trees. Anyone who collects has a responsibility to set the bar higher for the quality of trees you are taking whether they are for yourself or are used for sale to others. Collecting often requires being on someone else's property. Please take the time to research and gain permission to access the property. Most property owners (Including the government) just want to know who is on their property and what they are doing; they gladly give up trees and shrubs when they find out that the use is for bonsai. If insurance becomes an issue, look to your local club to help with a "certificate of insurance", this can be issued directly to the landowner and he can be named as additional insured usually at no additional cost. Now once you get on the property, tread lightly. The privilege to gather plant material is a resource that is slowly "drying up" and collectors that litter, do not fill in their holes, deface rock, leave gates open and drive off of the designated roads put a strain on that privilege. I hope the opportunity to collect material from the land and countryside will be available for generations to come. I believe that conservation balanced with modest use and light impact can coexist. We need to protect our access to federal and public lands, treading lightly certainly helps that cause.

I look forward to seeing you at the top of the next mountain on the side of the next cliff or trompin' in the swamp.

Let's go collect the best trees.

Moving Rock

HOME   OLIVE-HEAD CENTRAL   TRIDENT TRUNK   COLLECTING   JEEP STUFF   STUMPEZE   FOR SALE
ZZYZXX   NEWS & NOTES   CONTACT ME   BIOGRAPHY   HARLEY   STUDY GROUP   LINKS