Frustrated Ethnobotanists's topics - tribe.net

Lomatium dissectum

2009-06-03T02:29:22Z

What can you folks tell me about Lomatium dissectum, also known as Biscuit Root? I did a monograph on it, so I know something already, but I'm sure there is more and that one or more of you guys know it. I know it is under-researched, native to the Pacific Northwest, was used for food, kept people alive during the flu epidemic of 1918, and contains a chemical called suksdorfin (no kidding!!) that may have anti-HIV properties. Can anyone elaborate?

posted in Frustrated Ethnobotanists - 4 replies

Native Plants and Permaculture: A gathering of plant enthusiasts

2008-04-17T18:41:21Z

Native Plants & Permaculture
May 11-13, 2007 (Friday afternoon-Sunday)

Event details at www.lostvalley. org/nature2007ma y
Online registration form at www.lostvalley. org/nativeplants pc/registrationo nline
Mailable/emailable registration form at www.lostvalley. org/nativeplants pc/registration

We will be seeking common ground between the Native Plant and Permaculture communities in developing ecologically- integrated self-sustenance and native habitat preservation in the Pacific Northwest.

• Presentations about various perspectives on indigenous and exotic plants, including human uses and ecological relationships
• Facilitated panel discussions and discussion circles
• Guided plant walks
• Garden and Permaculture tours
• Resource tables and networking opportunities
• Music, games, and community-building
• Hands-on projects
• Meals made from organic, homegrown, and wildcrafted food
• Overnight lodging and camping available

Schedule overview:
Friday afternoon and evening, 3 pm on: informal tours, socializing, discussion circles, and activities.
Saturday and Sunday, 9 am-6 pm: scheduled walks, talks, discussions and activities related to the roles of native and nonnative plants in our cultivated and noncultivated landscapes.
Saturday evening, 8 pm: concert with Laura Kemp (see www.laurakemp. com) (by donation).

Topics:
• Native Plant-Animal Interactions and Relationships
• Indigenous Land Management
• Bringing Back Native Food Crops
• The Challenges of Native Habitat Conservation and Restoration
• What Is the Role of Nonnatives?
• Wildflower, Tree, and Shrub Walks
• Substituting Natives for Nonnatives in Home Landscapes
• Responsible Control of Exotics
• Economic Uses of Native Plants
• Ecologically Sustainable Foodsheds
• Invasion Biology: A Closer Look
• Preserving Diversity in Times of Environmental Change
• Evolving a Bioregional Permaculture
• and more.

Presenters:
• Ed Alverson (The Nature Conservancy)
• Rhoda Love (Native Plant Society of Oregon)
• David Theodoropoulos (author, Invasion Biology)
• Michael Pilarski (Friends of the Trees)
• Stephanie Schroeder (Walama Restoration Project)
• Toby Hemenway (author, Gaia’s Garden)
• Jude Hobbs (Agroecology Northwest)
• Rick Valley (Lost Valley Educational Center)
• Marcia Cutler (Native Plant Society of Oregon)
• Bill Burwell (Kalapuya researcher)
• Heiko Koester (Eugene Permaculture Guild)
• Sharon Blick (School Garden Project)
• Dave Bontrager (Lane County Audubon Society)
• Joshua Smith (Ecoscape Environmental Design)
• Pat French (Willamalane Parks and Recreation District)
• Nick Routledge (Seed Ambassadors Project)
• Tobias Policha (Institute of Contemporary Ethnobotany)
• and more.

This event is supported in part by Lost Valley Nature Center, Eugene Permaculture Guild, Friends of the Trees, Walama Restoration Project, Institute of Contemporary Ethnobotany, Mt. Pisgah Arboretum, Fern Hill Nursery, Living Tree Paper Company, and others. We are seeking additional groups to co-sponsor, as well as individuals willing to contribute financially to help this event happen.

Contact: Lost Valley Nature Center, attn.: Chris Roth, 81868 Lost Valley Lane, Dexter, OR, 97431, (541) 937-2567 ext. 116, nature AT (replace with @) lostvalley.org.

Why This Conference?

For many years, plant lovers have held widely varying opinions about the appropriate roles of native and nonnative plants in our ecosystems and cultivated landscapes. Native plant enthusiasts list some nonnative plants as dangerous invaders, while Permaculturalists may advocate the cultivation and spread of those same species. Some native botanists endorse the selective application of herbicides to eradicate aggressive weedy species, while Permaculturally- inclined gardeners seem more apt to embrace “weeds” and reject chemical means of control. Meanwhile, whatever our attitudes towards natives and exotics, all of our diets and many facets of our economy depend heavily on nonnative plants. Before the arrival of Europeans, however, native plants provided sustenance to indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest for thousands of years.

This weekend gathering will bring together plant enthusiasts of all stripes to learn from one another and explore common ground. We will examine current and potential ecological and economic roles of native plants, effects of exotics on ecosystems and how best to respond to those impacts, indigenous land management techniques, and more. We will use the 87-acre living laboratory of Lost Valley Educational Center, whose Nature Center features native flora restoration projects and extensive interpretive trails through largely native habitat, and whose Permaculture gardens and projects include both native and nonnative plants. We will assess how (and whether) the different outlooks and activities represented both at this gathering and on this land can form practical syntheses which will guide us into more sustainable ways of inhabiting our region. Please join us!

posted in Frustrated Ethnobotanists - 1 reply

Improper "Big Pharma" Influence in Medicine is VERIFIED!

2008-04-17T18:05:08Z

Improper "Big Pharma" Influence in Medicine is VERIFIED!

This is a BIG step in the right direction for health care in the USA! It has been no secret, but no one was talking about it since the monetary benefits that many doctors are receiving from these companies made this unlikely. I mean - if you were the type to only care about money (which is why many become doctors in the first place), wouldn't you want a free trip to Cancun by putting other people on basically unproven and even harmful chemical substances?

Catherine D. De Angelis, MD, MPH and Phil B. Fontanarosa, MD, MBA have submitted this timely (and likely unwelcome) article into the April 16, 2008 edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), entitled "Impugning the Integrity of Medical Science - the Adverse Effects of Industry Influence."

What is even more awesome is that this was broadcast on the same day on the morning edition of Talk Radio's "Paul Harvey" show, so this information has come to the attention of many Americans today!

I am happy to see that some doctors do in fact have some integrity. This may also be an opening for safer alternative methods to be approved by the AMA for doctors to use and not feel like they will have their medical licensing taken away if they recommend a proven herbal remedy (as an example) instead of the new designer drugs of the day. I hope this allows them the courage to step forward now that the door has been opened!

We can help by showing this to our medical providers (if you have those) this article, and telling them about this, they can maybe take additional steps as doctors to become more able to practice alternative and natural techniques without risking their careers. Also, tell your friends in any way you can, so that they can demand alternative therapies be implemented or they will go elsewhere now that this article ought to free up other practitioners to use these methods. This also provides some validation for Alternative practitioners who have known about these dangers all along. Health care freedom (and responsibility) is up to all of us - please spread the message!

http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/reprint/299/15/1833 (download in case they remove!)
http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/extract/282/17/1609

posted in Frustrated Ethnobotanists - 0 replies

Fall Ecology and Harvest: An Intergenerational Exploration

2007-10-03T02:48:27Z

Scholarship and Worktrade available. Please call 541 937-2567 ext.116 or email nature@lostvalley.org for more information.

October 13-14, 2007 (Saturday-Sunday)
at Lost Valley Educational Center, Dexter, OR

We invite people ages 12 through 112 to join us to learn about fall ecology, indigenous tradition, and the harvest season here in the western Cascade foothills. Throughout this weekend of presentations, discussions, and activities, we'll explore how we can learn from one another and pass ecological wisdom and insights back and forth between generations. The schedule (subject to change) is as follows:

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13 morning: indigenous traditions and their modern applications
9-9:30 am: introduction/welcome circle
9:30-10:30 am: Esther Stutzman (Kalapuyan storyteller)
10:40-11:30 am: presentation and discussion circle featuring Bill Burwell (Kalapuya researcher), Jerry Hall (ethnobotanist, Lane Community College), Dharmika Henschel (ethnobotanist/musician), Jude Hobbs (Permaculture teacher and designer, Agroecology Northwest), and Rick Valley (Lost Valley land steward, Permaculture teacher and designer)
11:30 am-12:10 pm: break-out groups
12:10-12:30 pm: concluding morning circle
12:30-1:30 pm: lunch

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13 afternoon and evening: seasonal harvest activities, ecological restoration, ecovillage development, youth initiatives, and bioregional culture
2-4:30 pm: tour (Rick Valley) and hands-on harvest- and land-related activities
4:45-5:45 pm: Alison Rosenblatt (NextGEN--Global Ecovillage Network)
6-7 pm: dinner
7:30 pm on: music (Dharmika Henschel and others), sharing circle about traditional seasonal celebrations, stories, poems, networking

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 14 morning: school gardening, youth, and horticultural exploration
7:30-8:30 am: breakfast
9-9:30 am: morning welcome circle
9:30-9:50 am: Sharon Blick (former director, School Garden Project)
9:50-10:10 am: Jen Anonia (Food for Lane County Gardens Program Manager)
10:10-10:30 am: Heiko Koester (Permacultural landscaper, Eugene Permaculture Guild)
10:40-11:20 am: Sarah Kleeger and Andrew Still (Seed Ambassadors Project)
11:30 am-12:30 pm: discussion
12:30-1:30 pm: lunch

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 14 afternoon: autumn ecology and ethnobotany
2-4:15 pm: talks and walks with Dave Kofranek (lichenologist), Tobias Policha (ethnobotanist, Institute of Contemporary Ethnobotany), Heiko Koester, and others
4:30-5:30 pm: closing circle

Conference registration fees, including four organic vegetarian meals, are $105 for students 12 and above, $135 for non-students. Overnight lodging ($30) and camping ($10) are also available. We are offering a $10 discount/rebate from your registration fee for each paying registrant who first heard about the event through you, or who cites you as his or her primary influence in considering attending. A limited number of worktrade scholarships are available (for an application, follow the link within the online registration form at www.lostvalley.org/fallecology/registration). If space allows, we will also accept single-day attendees for $80 Saturday only, $65 Sunday only (or, for students, $65 Saturday only, $50 Sunday only.) See www.lostvalley.org/fallecology for updated event details, or contact Fall Ecology and Harvest Event, 81868 Lost Valley Lane, Dexter, OR 97431, (541) 937-2567 x116, nature AT lostvalley.org.

brochure: www.lostvalley.org/files/Fall%20Ecology%20and%20Harvest%20brochure.pdf
poster: www.lostvalley.org/files/Fall%20Ecology%20and%20Harvest%20poster.pdf

Cosponsors:
Lost Valley Nature Center
Lost Valley Educational Center’s 87 acres include oak savanna, natural meadow, stream and riparian areas, ponds, extensive forest lands in various states of maturity, gardens and orchards. Our diverse habitats and several miles of nature trails offer unique environmental education opportunities. Lost Valley Nature Center sponsors walks and public events (like May’s Native Plants and Permaculture Gathering) to help nature-lovers learn from the land and from one another.

NextGEN
NextGEN is a global network organized by young adults concerned with issues of sustainability. We hope to inspire you with examples of viable and positive choices for the future. We offer opportunities for action through conferences, educational workshops, and direct experience in communities. Our international support network develops connections among activists and encourages resource sharing.

Excerpts from May’s Native Plants and Permaculture Conference Proceedings:

Bill Burwell: At the start of each harvest season the Kalapuyans would have a first gathering ceremony. The spiritual leader of each winter village site would harvest a few articles of each resource, bring it back, prepare it in a ceremonial way, bless the plants or animals that were responsible, and then the regular harvest could begin. The first gathering ceremony was very important to them, and it was practiced all throughout the Kalapuya culture, religiously. Their belief was that all plants and animals, including humans, were part of the same format. As above, so below. Just like humans, plants and all animals had families, and then beyond the families they had communities.

There’s one word I know of that was utilized all the way up and down the Willamette Valley, the lower Columbia, and into the Salish area in Washington: Tamanawas. It’s been translated as spirit power. People who went out on a vision quest were looking for their Tamanawas. I think what it really related to was a person’s ability to interconnect with all the rest of nature. I’ve collected a number of tales of the people going out into the woods to find a particular medicine, and their ability to find this medicine came from the ability to plug into that certain plant and interact with it. The plant actually was the teacher of the person who was going out on the search.

Jerry Hall: When we started learning our language, songs began coming to us. There is the belief that songs are just in the ether or in the air, and they select somebody to come to at a time in that person’s life. … My experience is that singing evokes something from us that is beyond talking and gives expression to prayer.

I feel that nature is really part of the home and that people related that way five hundred years ago. People knew where everything was and they took care of it.

posted in Frustrated Ethnobotanists - 0 replies

BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!

2007-05-02T23:02:29Z

Pollinator decline

It has to do with calcium transport affected by acidic rain in the soil and the availability of heavy metal made available to plants that thrive on heavy metals and do not need a high amount of calcium to survive. Most invasives are nectar producers not pollen producers. Heavy metals are stored in nectar.
I. ATMOSPHERIC EFFECT ON SOIL AND PLANTS
Rain reacts with carbon dioxide in the atmosphere which makes it slightly acidic, usually around pH 5.6.
The acidification is mainly caused by sulphur dioxide, which is a product of burning fossil fuels predominantly emitted from power stations. Also various oxides of nitrogen are emitted from the vehicle exhausts which react with water vapour and forms sulphuric acid and nitric acid.
The acid rain increases the acidity of soils in many areas.
• The acid leaches out important minerals needed by plants for growth. For example calcium, magnesium, and potassium.
• Toxic materials become mobilized, for example aluminum and lead
• Decomposition in the soil is inhibited by acid.
• Most invasive plants thrive on heavy metals and acidic soils
• Many native plants need calcium as a vital nutrient
• Native plants and pollenators can’t survive in calcium deficient soils
Red acid soils exhibit both low fertility and potential toxicity to native plants. An acid red soil lacking in soil organic matter can solubilize large amounts of metals, notably aluminum and manganese. When these metallic ions dominate the soil solution, they block the absorption and activity of essential nutrients such as calcium.
Soils are becoming more acid as a result of the removal of the cations calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium through leaching. As the cations are removed from the soil colloids, they are replaced with acid-forming hydrogen and aluminum

II. NATIVE PLANTS AND POLLINATORS
Calcium
• acts as a regulator of balance of micro nutrients.
• regulates non-essential trace elements.
• prevents excess uptake of many of heavy metals
• keeps them from having adverse effects when their levels get high. (1)http://www.hmhgypsum.com/why.htm
In order for a pollen tube to grow it requires calcium ions and cell adhesion proteins
Butterflies and other pollinators need calcium or they won't seek out the females.

Pollinators

• affected by heavy metals passed through nectar and pollen.
Some of the problems caused by acid rain are presented with emphasis on the effects on bees, especially in the Northeast. Trace minerals are being leached out of the soils and nectar that lacks calcium is being passed by when the bees forage. The first plants to show the effects will be the wild varieties of the legumes, such as clover. This leaves only plants on the extreme end of the acid scale such as the blueberry for bee forage. This leads to the side effect of the movement of calcium in nectar which will be restricted due to a lack of calcium. (2)http://www.osti.gov/energycitations/product.biblio.jsp?osti_id=6151818
It is shown that the nectar-plants of adult butterflies are much more sensitive to heavy metals than the nectar-plants of moths and other pollinating insects. It is hypothesized that the butterfly decline is a secondary effect of heavy metal stress on local plants, not resulting in a decrease in the number of host-plants, but in a selective pressure of pollutants on the plant vigour, subsequently affecting their pollinators (3)http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=16828457
Pollinators are at risk because they absorb heavy metals from the necter sources.As the soil becomes more acidic, metals become more soluble. As metals become soluble they can be more easily transported to surface and ground waters(4).http://www.deq.state.mi.us/documents/deq-swq-nps-sm.pdf
INVASIVE PLANT TOLERANCE
NNIPS THRIVE IN ACIDIC SOILS THAT HAVE BEEN LEACHED OF NUTRIENTS. NNIPS can fix nitrogen, THUSLY MAKING THE SOIL MORE ACIDIC. Native plants won’t survive. NNIPS ABILITY TO ABSORB HEAVY METALS THAT HAVE BEEN FREED UP DUE TO ACID RAIN POSES A MYRIAD OF PROBLEMS AS WELL>
• Invasives that spread through vegetative growth thrive.
• Invasive plants that require pollinators will not survive when pollinators are gone.
• The problem is not the invasives, It is pollution, heavy metal and human caused soil disturbances

Crownvetch has growth characteristics that help it to succeed where other plants fail. It grows well on infertile, sandy, gravely-rocky, clay or shale soils that range in acidity from 5.5 to 7.0 and lack organic matter. These soil conditions are often encountered on highway embankments. (5)http://www.propertyrightsresearch.org/2004/articles/crownvetch.htm

Lespedeza cuneata will grow on strongly acidic to neutral soils. (6)http://www.invasivespecies.net/database/species/search.asp?sts=sss&st=sss&fr=1&sn=&rn=virginia&hci=-1&ei=-1&x=10&y=13

Multiflora rose is commonly found on marginal sites or poorly managed
agricultural lands and tolerates adverse site conditions [7,8,9]. It
is found with greater frequency on acidic soils, but will establish on
all soils except those that are poorly drained. It favors disturbed or
open sites and aggressively colonizes streambanks, field edges,
pastures, and reclaimed strip mines [8,9]. Multiflora rose is also
found on prairies and savannahs
(10)http://reference.allrefer.com/wildlife-plants-animals/plants/shrub/rosmul/all.html

Stiltgrass appears to prefer moist, acidic to neutral soils that are high in nitrogen
(11)http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/mivi1.htm

Conclusion

Soils are becoming more acid as a result of the removal of the cations calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium through leaching. As the cations are removed from the soil colloids, they are replaced with acid-forming hydrogen and aluminum.
• Acid rain raises soil acidity
• Prime nutrients are leached
• Native calcium dependant ecosystems die off
• Invasive tolerants move in increase nitrates in soil
• Soil becomes more acidic and supportive of various NNIPS
• Heavy metals become mobil in soil and plants
• Remaining native fauna are poisoned and extripated
• Most aggressive invasives create a monoculture stand

What can be done….save seed…Suppliment pollinators with feeders, that have nutrients required. Treat ground with same. Remove non-natives. Consistent stewardship. Petition to congress to regulate emissions on factories.

(1)http://www.hmhgypsum.com/why.htm
(2)http://www.osti.gov/energycitations/product.biblio.jsp?osti_id=6151818
(3)http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=16828457
(4).http://www.deq.state.mi.us/documents/deq-swq-nps-sm.pdf
(5)http://www.propertyrightsresearch.org/2004/articles/crownvetch.htm
(6)http://www.invasivespecies.net/database/species/search.asp?sts=sss&st=sss&fr=1&sn=&rn=virginia&hci=-1&ei=-1&x=10&y=13
(7)Hindal, Dale F.; Wong, Man Sek. 1988. Potential biocontrol of multiflora rose, Rosa multiflora. Weed Technology. 2: 122-131. [11092]
(8)Hughes, H. Glenn. 1989. Use of native shrubs on strip-mined lands in thehumid East. In: Wallace, Arthur; McArthur, E. Durant; Haferkamp,Marshall R., compilers. Proceedings--symposium on shrub ecophysiologyand biotechnology; 1987 June 30 - July 2; Logan, UT. Gen. Tech. Rep.INT-256. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service,Intermountain Research Station: 70-73. [5925]
(9)Hughes, H. Glenn. 1990. Ecological restoration: fact or fantasy on strip-mined
(10)http://reference.allrefer.com/wildlife-plants-animals/plants/shrub/rosmul/all.html
(11)http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/mivi1.htm

posted in Frustrated Ethnobotanists - 0 replies

belladonna

2007-03-03T04:44:06Z

does anyone know about belladonna oil?
a friend gave me a vile of the essentail oil[?]
it smells so heady
perfumey
and deadly..
i dont really know what to do with it,,,should i rubb it on a broomstick and fly away?
im open to expierementationn....

posted in Frustrated Ethnobotanists - 2 replies

a warning to all of you beautiful souls

2007-01-18T13:02:00Z

TRIBE AND THE DEA ARE MONITORING ALL OF THE DRUG RELATED POST, A FRIEND OF MINE JUST GOT BUSTED BECAUSE A TRIBE MEMBER POSTED HIS NAME AND ADDRESS WHICH TRIBE GAVE THE INFO TO THE DEA AND THE RAIDED HIS HOUSE.
THATNK GOD HE WASNT DOING WHAT THE GIRL HAD SAID BUT JUST GOES TO SHOW THAT THEY ARE EYEING EVERYTHING
AND WILL NO HESITATE TO SEND THE AUTHORITIES YOUR WAY PLEASE BE ADVISED.....IM LOOKING OUT FOR YOU.... IF YOU WANT I HAVE OBTAINED A COPY OF THE PDF OF THE POST..AND THE COOL PEOPLE WHO TAGED HIM BECAUSE THE DIDNT LIKE HIM FOR NOT AGREEING ON SOMETHING, MAN HATERS LOOKING TO HURT THEY ARE.. THE DEFAMED HIM YET TRIBE KICKED HIM OFF AND NOT THEM, JUST TOOK DOWN THE POST.. SO IF ANY ONE WANTS THE PDF TRUTH JUST WRITE TO

me at quetzalbird@hotmail.com and I will have someone e-mail you the pdf copy with the truth. if tribe tosses me please spread the message around so everyone can take action against the truth of the 2 who still remain here and are trouble. thank you. please be advised this is not a joke.....

posted in Frustrated Ethnobotanists - 0 replies

Mexican Medicinal Plants

2006-08-21T02:42:29Z

Blessings to you all...

My name's Femi. I am a Yoruba priest in the SF Bay Area. Part of my practice is herbal medicine. I am on my way back to Veracruz, Mexico to collect medicinal plants and products from midwives and shamen.

If you, or someone you know is interested in traditional Mexican herbs/herbal products associated with pregnancy or childbirth, please contact me ASAP and I will happily acquire them for you. I also have access to traditional West African herbal medicines. In any case, may it be well with you.

Femi
510-485-2336
YorubaSchool@yahoo.com
www.geocities.com/yorubaschool

posted in Frustrated Ethnobotanists - 0 replies

Deadly Nightshades

2006-06-21T19:04:13Z

I luv the tribe pic of the black Datura, I use to grow those along with the yellow variant. They are sacred to Kali Mah. I love Nightshades, as food, as medicine and for its magickal properties. Atropa belladona has some of the most beautiful flowers and the berries are nice in poppy wines ( in small amounts of course ) I've been the most frustrated trying to cultivate Mandrake ( Mandragora sp ) I had a nice one but it withered ): My Salvia d. is currently flowering and I hope to get some pics taken * grin *

posted in Frustrated Ethnobotanists - 2 replies

Germinatin

2006-05-29T10:52:12Z

Does anyone here have experiance with growing Banisteriopsis cappi from seeds??
i'll tell you what i have done so far - on warm mat, in a humid container i placed the seeds head up(what part you consider as the head of the seed?) in a moist soil. keeping the pot wet it dosend seems to have any progress.... any idea?? how long did it take you to germinate?
Thanxx in advance.....

posted in Frustrated Ethnobotanists - 0 replies

moxa & mugwort

2006-04-16T06:27:58Z

just a random ethnobotanical reference: my Korean acupressurist sometimes burns what looks like incense, but is actually compressed Korean mugwort, on special points of the body. he leaves it there for about a minute, then wipes a yellow-brown residue off your skin where it was. supposedly it brings toxins to the surface, as well as stimulates energy with heat and maybe other chemicals

the smoke has a unique musky smell, quite pleasant

first time he did it on my skin, i started crying for no reason

i also hear that California mugwort (a different breed) has healing properties, including being good for poison oak welts. anyone know more about these?

posted in Frustrated Ethnobotanists - 6 replies

venus fly trap

2006-03-03T02:08:01Z

i am looking for information about venus fly trap extract. any experts out there

posted in Frustrated Ethnobotanists - 1 reply

I'm looking for alternative practitioners and clients to share their experiences in alternative practice.

2006-03-02T04:56:13Z

Hello all.

I've asked this on some other Tribes dealing with herbalism & natural medicine and thought I'd ask here.

I’d like to hear from others about your thoughts and experiences, both practitioners and people who have used natural health approaches. Anyone can feel free to chime in. I’d like to hear from anyone who practices in the alternative field, massage, naturopathy, herbalism, Reiki, etc, or anyone who regularly uses a practitoner’s services.

Do you have your own practice or do you work with a group, a mainstream medical practice, wholistic clinic, etc? (In my area many of the practices are group endeavours or “clinics” to make the operating economics work.)

Are you more mainstream and allopathic in your approach or passionate about being wholistic? (Again where I am there is a tendency for most of the successful alternative practice to be much more of the “allopathic” philosophy - treat conditions without addressing the underlying cause - because that is what customers demand.)

Have you had to compromise your beliefs and style of practice to obtain or maintain a client base?

Is your wholistic practice part time or your full time occupation? Is it profitable - does it cover its costs - or do you put money into it and consider it being of service to your community or an outlet for your talents and a way to help people? (Locally the number of people who feel they have a gift that should be shared for free - and another source of household income - outnumbers those who charge for services.)

What reasons do you find are those that cause people to seek out wholistic practitioners? Are they interested in addressing their underlying wellness or just a specific manifestation of a root condition?

Is the fact that insurance doesn’t cover alternative therapies viewed as a barrier by many who are used to $20 copays? (It is one of the primary complains I hear irregardless of income levels.)

posted in Frustrated Ethnobotanists - 0 replies

Lecture- "Perfect Order: A Thousand Years in Bali" in SF

2006-02-14T17:48:48Z

This was on the Shipyard email list, I thought it looked interesting... It's put on by an orginazation called, "The Long Now Foundation" (http://www.longnow.org/). I didn't have the energy to figure out what they're all about, but Brian Eno is on their board, so it must be something worthwhile!

Friday, February 17, 02006

Stephen Lansing - "Perfect Order: A Thousand Years in Bali"

Doors open 7:00pm, talk at 7:30pm
Free, seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. The talk will take place at The Cowell Theater, Fort Mason Center, San Francisco

Anthropologist/ecologist Stephen Lansing tells a gorgeous tale of how spiritual practices in Bali have finessed over 1,000 years the most nuanced and productive agricultural system in the world. Cutting edge complexity theory spells out how the highly complex, highly adaptive system emerged.

(from the email:)
"Anthropologist Stephen Lansing spent 30 years delving into how Balinese water temples regulate an island-wide irrigation system of such highly evolved complexity and nuance he came to describe it as "perfect order." In the same environment western techniques of the "Green Revolution" have proved to be crude and destructive.

Lansing's richly illustrated story is first-rate anthropological field work and an elegant application of complex-adaptive-systems analysis to otherwise mysterious cultural practices. It is also a vivid demonstration of the uses of deep time. In Bali, ecology and culture are well immersed in each other."

posted in Frustrated Ethnobotanists - 0 replies

Lose your frustration at the Society of Ethnobiology 29th Annual Conference

2005-10-23T18:41:48Z

The dates will be March 8-11, 2006.
The location with be The Pennsylvania State University
in University Park, PA.

Further information will be posted at: http://ethnobiology.org/2006/

What is the Ethnobiology Conference?

The annual Ethnobiology Conference brings together people from an extraordinarily rich variety of backgrounds, disciplines, and geographic locations, all seeking to understand the myriad interactions of human cultures with plants and animals, past and present, worldwide. It attracts academics, students, museum staff, government and non-governmental agency personnel, interested laypeople, and Native/indigenous community members. Relevant fields go from Anthropology to Zoology: animal husbandry, agriculture, archaeology, botany, chemistry, cuisine, ecology, education, ethnology, evolution, forestry, linguistics, mycology, nutrition, pharmacology, taxonomy, and much more. Participants come from around the globe—the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, Britain, Europe, China, Indian, Australia, Southeast Asia—to enjoy what for most is the most exciting and energizing conference they attend all year.

Sponsored by the non-profit Society of Ethnobiology, the conference is held in the spring, in a different location each year. Meetings are usually hosted by university campuses or museums in the United States, although they have been held twice in Mexico and once in Canada. The conference begins with an evening reception and registration followed by two days of invited and contributed papers, poster presentations, and many opportunities for discussion during and between sessions. Oral presentations, lasting 15 minutes with time for questions, are scheduled in both plenary and concurrent sessions.

In addition to the formal papers, demonstrations of traditional cultural arts with an ethnobiological flavor have included basketmaking, acorn cooking, agave roasting, fiberwork, wood carving, making musical instruments, spinning wild silk, and more. The conference culminates with a Friday evening banquet, usually featuring local indigenous foods, a keynote speaker, and native music and dance traditions of the region. On Saturday the conference is followed by various optional field trips to sites of cultural and biological interest.

The number of people attending varies from year to year, usually from 150 to 250 but sometimes over 400. The relatively intimate size of the Ethnobiology Conference encourages participants to get to know one another and discuss their research and other mutual interests in depth.

More than 100 California Native people attended the 27th Annual Ethnobiology Conference in 2004, a level of indigenous participation unprecedented in the Society's 28-year history. Scholarship support for Native people to participate in the 2006 Ethnobiology Conference is being sought from The Christensen Fund, with the goal of building and sustaining relationships between Native people and academic researchers, promoting creative solutions to environmental management issues and preservation of biocultural diversity for the future.

posted in Frustrated Ethnobotanists - 0 replies

Water.

2005-07-24T17:57:25Z

I am passing this on to you all from http://www.jonathancainer.com/

World of Alternatives by Mark Winter
Japanese scientist Masaru Emoto believes that water has a message for us all, to look inside ourselves for answers. His amazing photographs of water have had a profound effect on all those who understand their implications. Water, he has demonstrated by photographing microscopic frozen crystals, can store and communicate both message and meaning. His pioneering work began decades ago. Whilst pondering the fact that no two snowflakes are alike, he decided to probe the nature of water to see if you could unlock a similar mystery.
In London, this week, Dr Emoto told me he knew he had a "message for the world" when his pictures revealed that water not only responded to prayer, but was also structurally affected by music, photographs and even individual words. He is dismayed at the scepticism shown by fellow scientists for his breathtaking photographs. "My aim is to get other researchers to replicate my experiments so that they can understand their significance.
"At the moment I have had to choose the path of art instead of science, and people have been moved by the beauty of water. We are made mostly of water and the truths I have unlocked resonate in people."
He takes heart, though, from the great physicist Albert Einstein whom he quotes, 'Within mysterious beauty, there is truth'. Emoto says: "Water is a mirror. It reflects our state of mind." He believes water will unlock a new medicine for the new millennium where non-invasive vibrational medicine, like homeopathy, will turn us all into natural healers. Dr Emoto's team have used their research to help heal thousands of people by tuning into the frequencies of their ailments and neutralising them with healing energy. For more information, visit: www.hado.net

posted in Frustrated Ethnobotanists - 9 replies

Medicinal plant exhibit in SF

2005-03-17T06:37:44Z

Conservatory of Flowers, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco
http://www.conservatoryofflowers.org/

Nature's Pharmacy: The Healing Power of Plants
February 25- October 16

Did you know that almost 75 percent of the world population relies solely on botanical remedies as their primary medicine? With the new exhibition Nature's Pharmacy: The Healing Power of Plants, the Conservatory of Flowers takes visitors on a fascinating journey to Africa, Asia, South and North America to learn about the many plants that find their way into our medicine cabinets. Giant interactive models of important plants like the Calabar Bean and culturally themed markets from throughout the world's tropics will create a fun and information-rich environment. Visitors will also be able to view living specimens of many of the plants and learn how they are cultivated and processed into medicines.

posted in Frustrated Ethnobotanists - 1 reply

frustrated by CODEX

2005-03-05T01:58:47Z

I'm not sure how many people have heard about this, but it keeps coming up for me and I've heard about it for atleast 6 years. I just want to pass this information on to as many people as I can. I feel like informed and aware people can make a difference.

Please contact your Senators and Representatives and tell them toOppose bills S.722 and H.R.3377. These support the CODEX restrictions with US laws, changing the DSHEA law, Support H.R.1146

Subject: Assault on our rights re: supplements

February 2005

Your life could be severely affected if this law passes.
PLEASE READ CAREFULLY.

Read this very important health message below and contact everyone you know to try to prevent this.

Your right to choose your vitamin, mineral, herb, and other supplements may end in June of this year (2005).

After that, US supplements will be defined and controlled by the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

It is called the CODEX ALIMENTARIUS (food code) and it is setting the supplement standards for all countries in the WTO. CODEX met secretly in November, 2004 and finalized ‘Step 8 (the final stage)’ to begin implementation in June, 2005, severely restricting the use and availability of numerous vitamins, minerals and other supplements.

The US president and congress agreed to the takeover when the WTO treaty was signed, therefore these supplement standards WILL BE ENFORCED BY THE WTO AND WILL OVERRIDE US LAWS. CODEX violations are/will be punished by WTO trade sanctions.

CODEX Includes:
No supplement can be sold for preventive or therapeutic use. Any potency higher than RDA (recommended daily allowance, aka minimal strength) is a ‘drug’ requiring a prescription and must be produced by drug companies. Over 5000 safe items now in health stores will be banned, terminating health stores as we now know them.

CODEX regulations become binding internationally. New supplements are banned unless given very expensive CODEX testing and approval. CODEX now applies to Norway and Germany, among others, where: Zinc tablets rose from $4 per bottle to $52. Echinacea (an ancient immune-enhancement herb) rose from $14 to $153. Both examples above are now allowed by prescription only. They are now ‘drugs’. Vitamin C above 200mg? Banned for over-the-counter. Sold as a prescription drug only. Niacin above 32 mg? Banned for over-the-counter. Sold as a prescription drug only. Vitamin B6 above 4 mg? Banned for over-the-counter. Sold as a prescription drug only. Same for Amino Acids like arginine, lysine, carnitine, etc.

Same for the Omega Essential Fatty Acids and many more supplements including DMEA, DHEA, CoQ10, MSM, beta-carotene, etc. The CODEX rules are not based on real science. They were made by a few people meeting in secret (see web sites below); not necessarily scientists. In 1993 the FDA and drug companies tried to put all supplements under restriction and prescription, but over 4 million Americans told congress and the president to protect their freedom of choice on health supplements. The DSHEA law was passed in 1994 which does so, but this will be overruled by CODEX and the WTO..

Virtually nothing about it has been in the media. What the drug corporations have failed to do through congress, they have gotten by sneak attack through CODEX with the help of a silent media.

So…what can be done at this late hour?
Spread the word as much as possible. Inform yourselves fully at www.ahha.org <http://www.ahha.org/> <http://www.ahha.org/> and www.iahf.com <http://www.iahf.com/> <http://www.iahf.com/> and www.illiance-natural-health.org <http://www.illiance-natural-health.org/> <http://www.illiance-natural-health.org/> .
Oppose bills S.722 and H.R.3377. These support the CODEX restrictions with US laws, changing the DSHEA law. Support H.R.1146 which would restore the sovereignty of the US Constitution over CODEX, etc. Express your wishes ASAP to the president, senators and representatives (they got us into this!).
Contact multi-level health marketing groups that can get their members to inform the government. Send donations, however small, to the British Alliance for Natural Health (see website above). It has succeeded in challenging the CODEX directives in World Court later this month or next. They need help financially, having carried the fight effectively for everyone.

CODEX claims to wish to protect us the same way the FDA protects us from prescription drugs. To accomplish this, they used a study of prescription drugs (not supplements) by three medical scientists as reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association, April 15, 1998-Vol. 279, No. 15, p. 1200, "…Incidence of Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs) was found to be extremely high." Covering 30 years from 1966 to 1996, it was found that in the US, an average of 106,000 hospitalized patients per year die from ADRs. That’s equivalent to 290 people per day. 2.2 MILLLION need more hospitalization for recovery. And these were FDA approved drugs, properly administered by competent professionals in hospitals…yet none were considered malpractice. ADRs represent the number four cause of death in the US. When combined, they account for 7% of all hospitalized patients. This is equivalent to a 9/11 attach every ten days.

Contrary to pharmaceutical drugs, there are few fatalities from supplements. Can you just imagine the news coverage if vitamins and supplements created the amount of death that drugs do?

There is no need for more FDA control of supplements than is already in place, which is substantial. Instead of drastically restricting supplements, why doesn’t the FDA better control and restrict the extremely dangerous pharmaceutical drugs which are now killing us at the rate of a major airline crash per day?

Wallace G. Heath, PhD.

1145 Marine Drive Bellingham, WA 98225

pulseplus@earthlink.net <mailto:pulseplus@earthlink.net> <mailto:pulseplus@earthlink.net>

______________________________________________________________________
Article #2 - The formation

The Sinister Truth Behind Operation Cure All
Date: 10/11/01 5:58:22 PM Eastern Daylight Time

Dear Friends,

I know it's long, but it's quite educational and pertinent to our personal lives and times.

Codex -

IAHF Webmaster: Breaking News, Codex Oversight,

New Section: Operation Cure All

IAHF List: Ruth James is like me, she has a serious medical condition for which she cannot afford to lose her access to dietary supplements. She has taken the time to thoroughly examine the

Federal Trade Commission's so called "Operation Cure All" in a broad context. http://www.ftc.gov/opa/1999/9906/opcureall.htm <http://www.ftc.gov/opa/1999/9906/opcureall.htm> <http://www.ftc.gov/opa/1999/9906/opcureall.htm > <http://www.ftc.gov/opa/1999/9906/opcureall.htm >
Although she recommends pushing for a GENUINE oversight hearing on the Codex vitamin issue, I am of the opinion that corruption on Capital Hill is far too entrenched for that to ever happen unless our backs are eventually put to the wall. Unless that happens, most consumers will remain with their heads in the sand due to the deliberate slowness with which the Codex issue is proceeding. "Operation Cure All" should serve as a wake up call to people, but its effects have been largely unfelt by consumers, so it is being ignored- but it should not be.

The Sinister Truth Behind Operation Cure All

What's really behind Operation Cure.All? Is it just the FDA and FTC taking their power too far? Or is there a deeper, more sinister purpose to this campaign?

How could a country that prides itself in its freedom of speech, freedom of choice, and freedom of information be facing such severe restrictions in health freedom and dietary supplements? Haven't the people made their will known? Didn't our government pass the Dietary Supplement Health &Education Act of 1994 to insure our right to health supplements?

Indeed, our government did. But the FDA and FTC have found ways to get around that. The laws put in place to protect us are being ignored. And what's worse, is that those laws are about to be superseded, if the powers that be have their way.

Operation Cure.All Is Just One Means to an End. You see, Operation Cure.All is just a tactic, a vehicle, in a much bigger overall plan. It is a result of "Codex Alimentarius" (meaning food code) -- a set of regulations that aim to outlaw any health information in connection with vitamins and limit free access to natural therapies on a worldwide scale.

What's Behind Codex?

Behind the Codex Alimentarius Commission is the United Nations and the World Health Organization working in conjunction with the multinational pharmaceutical cartel and international banks. Its initial efforts in the US with the FDA were defeated, so it found another ally in the FTC. Now Codex, with the FTC and the pharmaceutical cartel behind it, it threatens to become a trade issue, using the campaign of Operation Cure All to advance its goals.

Codex began simply enough when the U.N. authorized the World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization to develop a universal food code. Their purpose was to 'harmonize' regulations for dietary supplements worldwide and set international safety standards for the purposes of increased trade. Standardize labeling and regulatory requirements between countries to facilitate increased international trade.

Pharmaceutical interests stepped in and began exerting their influence. Instead of focusing on food safety, Codex is using its power to promote worldwide restrictions on vitamins and food supplements, severely limiting their availability and dosages.

Real Goals of Codex

This is to bring about international 'harmonization.' While global harmony sounds benign, is that the real purpose of this plan? While the stated goal of Codex is to establish unilateral regulations for dietary supplements in every country, the actual goal is to outlaw health products and information on vitamins and dietary supplements, except those under their direct control. These regulations would supersede United States domestic laws without the American people's voice or vote in the matter.

How Can it be Possible?

Americans gasp at the thought. It goes against everything America stands for. Many believe this can't be possible. The truth is, it's not only possible, it's required by the Codex agreement.

In fact, under the terms of the Uruguay Round of GATT, which created the World Trade Organization, the United States agreed to harmonize its domestic laws to the international standards. This includes standards for dietary supplements being developed by the United Nation's Codex Alimentarius Commission's Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Use.

The Uruguay Round Agreements carry explicit language clearly indicating that the U.S. must harmonize to international standards: "Members are fully responsible under this Agreement for the observance of all provisions.... members shall formulate and implement positive measures and mechanisms in support of the observance of the provisions.... by other than central government bodies." [WTO TBT Agreement at Article 3.5]"In other words, the federal government must NOT ONLY CHANGE FEDERAL LAW, but must ALSO require state and local governments to change their laws as well to be in accordance with international law.

Not only that, but Codex is now enforceable through the World Trade Organization (WTO). If a country disagrees with or refuses to follow Codex standards, the WTO applies pressure by withdrawing trade privileges and imposing crippling trade sanctions. Congress has already bowed to this pressure several times and so have the governments of many countries.

While the exemption clause (USC 3512(a)(1) and (a)(2) was created to supposedly protect our laws from harmonization to international standards, it has proven to be totally ineffective. The United States has already lost seven trade disputes despite the exemption clause. Due to the enormous pressures put on them by lobbyists from multinational corporations (who contribute millions to congressional campaigns), Congress bowed to pressure and changed U.S. laws.

It appears our government is being manipulated one way or another to serve the goals of the UN, the World Health Organization and the World Trade Organization. Food control equals people control -- and population control. Is this beginning to sound like world government and one-world order? Could this be the real goal behind Codex?

The United States, Canada, the Europeans, Japan, most of Asia, and South America have already signed agreements pledging total harmonization of their laws including food and drug laws to these international standards in the future.

What Codex Will Bring

What can we expect under Codex? To give you an idea, here are some important points:

- Dietary supplements could not be sold for preventive (prophylactic) or therapeutic use.

- Potencies would be limited to extremely low dosages. Only the drug companies and the big phytopharmaceutical companies would have the right to produce and sell the higher potency products (at inflated prices).

- Prescriptions would be required for anything above the extremely low doses allowed (such as 35 mg. on niacin).

- Common foods such as garlic and peppermint would be classified as drugs or a third category (neither food nor drugs) that only big pharmaceutical companies could regulate and sell. Any food with any therapeutic effect can be considered a drug, even benign everyday substances like water.

- Codex regulations for dietary supplements would become binding (escape clauses would be eliminated).

- All new dietary supplements would be banned unless they go through Codex testing and approval.

- Genetically altered food would be sold worldwide without labeling.

According to John Hammell, a legislative advocate and the founder of International Advocates for Health Freedom (IAHF), here is what we have to look forward to:

"If Codex Alimentarius has its way, then herbs, vitamins, minerals, homeopathic remedies, amino acids and other natural remedies you have taken for granted most of your life will be gone. The name of the game for Codex is to shift all remedies into the prescription category so they can be controlled exclusively by the medical monopoly and its bosses, the major pharmaceutical firms. Predictably, this scenario has been denied by both the Canadian Health Food Association and the Health Protection Branch of Canada (HPB).

The Codex proposals already exist as law in Norway and Germany where the entire health food industry has literally been taken over by the drug companies. In these countries, vitamin C above 200 mg is illegal as is vitamin E above 45 IU, vitamin B1 over 2.4 mg and so on. Shering-Plough, the Norway pharmaceutical giant, now controls an Echinacea tincture, which is being sold there as an over the counter drug at grossly inflated prices.

The same is true of ginkgo and many other herbs, and only one government controlled pharmacy has the right to import supplements as medicines which they can sell to health food stores, convenience stores or pharmacies."

It is now a criminal offence in parts of Europe to sell herbs as foods. An agreement called EEC6565 equates selling herbs as foods to selling other illegal drugs. Action is being taken to accelerate other European countries into 'harmonization' as well.

Paul Hellyer in his book, "The Evil Empire," states: "Codex is supported by international banks and multinational corporations including some in Canada, and is in reality a bill of rights for these banks and the corporations they control. It will hand over our sovereign rights concerning who may or may not invest in our countries to an unelected world organization run by big business.

The treaty would make it impossible for Canadian legislators either federal or provincial to alter or improve environmental standards for fear of being sued by multinational corporations whether operating in Canada or not.
This will create a world without borders ruled by a virtual dictatorship of the world's most powerful central banks and multinational companies. This world is an absolute certainty if we all sit on our hands and do nothing."

This is the future the FDA and FTC are striving to bring us via Codex harmonization. Is this a future we are going to willingly accept or prevent?

Why Target the Internet?

It is no accident that the FDA and FTC are targeting internet health sites through Operation Cure.All. We are standing in the doorway of an unprecedented revolution -- the information revolution brought about by the Internet.

Now all people everywhere have the ability to learn about anything that interests them with just a few clicks. History has shown that informed, educated people change civilizations -- they change the flow of thought and they change the flow of money. They can even change the direction of a country. When similar transitions have happened in the past, the powers that existed did not give up willingly. The Catholic Church fiercely protected its practice of selling 'indulgences' as a forgiveness of sin. When the practice was abolished, the Catholic Church lost a great deal of power and money.

When the printing press was invented, books were banned and printers were imprisoned by the authorities, who feared an educated public could not be governed. In the same way, the medical monopoly (and the UN) now fears that a public educated in health and privy to the shortcomings of modern medicine could not be controlled. Loss of control means loss of revenue and loss of power. And they are doing everything they can to stop progress so they can contain their losses and strengthen their power.

The printing press changed the world. Can you imagine what life would be like today if the book banners had their way? But because the printing press won out, society progressed and freedom was embraced. The internet is changing the world in an equally significant way. While the entire internet can hardly be suppressed, the pharma-cartels and their backers are looking to protect their interests by restricting as much information as they can on the internet.

Will we, the people, win out again -- or will the UN and the World Health Organization agenda and the pharmaceutical cartel change the course of history and take us back to the "dark ages" of medicine?

What Can We Do?

Step number one is learn as much as possible about this issue. Here are some websites where you will find a great deal of information:

John Hammell's International Advocates for Health Freedom website: http://www.iahf.com/index2.html <http://www.iahf.com/index2.html> <http://www.iahf.com/index2.html > <http://www.iahf.com/index2.html >
'Codex Alimentarius Commission: A threat to mankind'- article from Dr. Rath's website: http://www.drrath.com/mr-publishing-internet/uk/codex/codex.htm <http://www.drrath.com/mr-publishing-internet/uk/codex/codex.htm> <http://www.drrath.com/mr-publishing-internet/uk/codex/codex.htm > <http://www.drrath.com/mr-publishing-internet/uk/codex/codex.htm >
'The Nature of the Pharmaceutical Industry' - article on Dr. Rath's website:http://www.drrath.com/mr-publishing-internet/politics/pc/uk/index.htm <http://www.drrath.com/mr-publishing-internet/politics/pc/uk/index.htm> <http://www.drrath.com/mr-publishing-internet/politics/pc/uk/indexhtm > <http://www.drrath.com/mr-publishing-internet/politics/pc/uk/indexhtm >
'U.S. and European Leaders Agree on Principles to Harmonize Dietary Supplement Regulations:' http://www.crnusa.org/shellnr112000.html <http://www.crnusa.org/shellnr112000.html> <http://www.crnusa.org/shellnr112000.html> <http://www.crnusa.org/shellnr112000.html>
Federal Register where the FDA states its intention to harmonize with Codex standards: http://iahf.com/codx-fda.txt <http://iahf.com/codx-fda.txt> <http://iahf.com/codx-fda.txt> <http://iahf.com/codx-fda.txt>
Read, "WHOSE TRADE ORGANIZATION? Corporate Globalization and the Erosion of Democracy" by By Lori Wallach and Michelle Sforza,
Public Citizens Global Trade Watch: http://www.tradewatch.org/publications/wtobook.htm <http://www.tradewatch.org/publications/wtobook.htm>
Sign the petition - Click on 'Sign Health Freedom Petition:' http://www.iahf.com/index2.html <http://www.iahf.com/index2.html> <http://www.iahf.com/index2.html> <http://www.iahf.com/index2.html>

Also sign the European Anti-Codex petition at: www.laleva.cc <http://www.laleva.cc/> <http://www.laleva.cc/> Signing petitions is fine, but not nearly as effective as writing to your congressmen and congresswomen. Write to them insisting we hold a PROPER Oversight Hearing on Codex. An oversight hearing was held in March, but the truth was not allowed to come out. Witnesses who could have exposed what was going on, and who wanted to testify, were denied the opportunity to testify. Congress is strongly resisting another Codex hearing, telling their constituents it is not necessary. This could not be further from the truth.

Also urge congress to pass the American Sovereignty Restoration

Act HR1146, as introduced by Congressman Ron Paul. This will pull us out of the UN completely and out of Codex. As radical as this seems, it may be the only way out of Codex and back to health freedom, and the freedom to make our own choices.
Contact information for representatives: http://www.house.gov <http://www.house.gov> <http://www.house.gov/> <http://www.house.gov/>
Contact information for senators: http://www.senate.gov <http://www.senate.gov> <http://www.senate.gov/> <http://www.senate.gov/>

<http://www.incredimail.com/index.asp?id=54475> <http://www.incredimail.com/index.asp?id=54475>

posted in Frustrated Ethnobotanists - 1 reply

Welcome to Frustrated Ethnobotanists

2005-02-21T18:41:20Z

Little bit about myself...one of those gals with lofty ideals and a lot of knowledge about herbs, botany, healing arts and the like...my friends come to me to get their ailments treated holisticly. Although, I whore myself in government-funded medical research, I aspire to form organic gardens and art cooperatives.

posted in Frustrated Ethnobotanists - 10 replies

How to react to the Quackery claim

2005-02-02T22:46:14Z

I believe in all sorts of powers that a lot of people in Medical society reject, call quackery, make fun of. Yet, this weeks New Week magazine is about praying and medicine. How do you react when faced with the option of defending, sharing, or hiding your beliefs?

posted in Frustrated Ethnobotanists - 6 replies

Landscapes and Peoples: Linking the Past and the Present

2005-01-04T20:06:56Z

Society of Ethnobiology
28th Annual Conference

University of Alaska Anchorage
Anchorage, Alaska
May 11-14, 2005

Landscapes and Peoples:
Linking the Past and the Present

Discussions will include:

• Indigenous and academic perspectives on Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK)

• Indigenous and Western perspectives on resource management and the conservation of biocultural diversity: understanding differences, integrating understanding

• Valuing wildlife: subsistence, economy, and spirituality

• The latest research findings in all aspects of ethnobiology

We want especially to solicit and encourage papers and symposia on people and animals from the perspectives of TEK, ethnozoology, and zooarchaeology, but all subdisciplines are welcome.

Field trips are planned to visit the Seward Sealife Center and observe whales, sea lions, sea otters, sea birds, and archaeological sites in Resurrection and Aialik Bays, Kenai Fjords National Park, and to visit the Musk Ox Farm and Old Knik Archaeological Site in Palmer/Wasilla, Alaska.

Banquet will be held at the Alaska Native Heritage Center.

Tours of Portage Glacier will also be available.

For further information, please contact: David R. Yesner, Department of Anthropology,
University of Alaska, 3211 Providence Drive, Anchorage, AK 99508
Tel. (907) 786-6845; Fax (907) 786-6850

or send an email to 2005@ethnobiology.org

posted in Frustrated Ethnobotanists - 0 replies

Eden Project

2004-07-08T09:01:00Z

Thought of you, Eve, when I read an article about this place!
http://www.edenproject.com/

Has anyone been??

posted in Frustrated Ethnobotanists - 2 replies

garden pics

2004-06-12T01:19:51Z

for a bunch of ethnobotanists, our photo album sure is hurtin. and that frustrates me.

i have added a couple portraits of my pet cacti to help alleviate our communal suffering.

posted in Frustrated Ethnobotanists - 1 reply

Buffalo Grass

2004-04-11T00:55:11Z

Does anyone know of a nursery or seed bank that can supply Buffalo Grass?

posted in Frustrated Ethnobotanists - 0 replies

Humm - why all the frustration?

2004-03-24T15:01:09Z

How does your garden grow? I'll post some pics of mine.

posted in Frustrated Ethnobotanists - 0 replies

ethno botany and big ass mules

2004-01-07T00:02:57Z

peace! yah, i was married to one of those ethno botanists. she is college trained. we lived in a commune in ky, by a river. she gardened and wildcrafted/studied, while i learned how to drive a pair of draft mules for farming larger tracts of land. it was a good combination. i sure do miss her. the gift of ethno botany will stick to my bones for ever. i got the cream of the gossip of whats going on, and from a close distance loved to see what went on in that world. anyway, hats off to all you wonderful ethno botanists. say hi if you wanna gabb about spirituality, life or nature ! peace :)

posted in Frustrated Ethnobotanists - 0 replies