Sourcing

I practice RESPONSIBLE sourcing. I do not use the word "ethical" as this word means different things to different people. I use "responsible" instead because it describes how I personally view where/how I receive my specimens. Most of my organic products are sourced by only a handful of suppliers. For insects, I work with licensed importers who work directly with farm raised bugs. In this instance, the insects are captive bread and although a portion are culled, a large portion is also released into their native environments. By using this type of practice, insects are never taken from the wild and prevents any possible depletion of a species. As for bones, I work with a few domestic people/small businesses who either process from natural death and/or roadkill collection. A small portion is sometimes sourced from responsible trappers, meaning that the animals and humanely trapped and culled for meat, under the supervision of Fish and Wildlife, to prevent species from being over or under populated. Byproducts of this business such as pelts, bones, etc are often sold so the animal is used from head to toe. I understand that some may not view some or all of these methods as "ethical" and I fully respect this opinion. My art may not be for you when using specimens obtained in these ways and that's ok. But please know that the way I view sourcing is to make sure that I always leave natural environments the same, or better, than they were and I hope these beliefs can be respected. I do my absolute best to make sure that I am RESPONSIBLE in obtaining anything I use and maintaining transparency with my customers.