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KIDS BACK TO SCHOOL

KEEP THE IMMUNE SYSTEM UP!

This is the time of year children are exposed to all kinds of germs and viruses. If you haven't noticed not every child gets sick! You can prevent it. We always kept immune-building herbs going in during the times our son was to be amidst the "battleground."

One of our favorites is VS-C, a formula for germs and viruses. It comes in liquid and capsule. When we needed a chewable we used Elderberry Plus. Read more about why these formulas work and keep your children well this year for school and all the holiday festivities.

Limiting sugar will make a big difference for the immune system also!

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A TOUCH OF NATURE
September 15, 2002 Issue

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This newsletter is sponsored by The Herbs Place.com
Natural Health Solutions for Adults, Children and Pets!
Newsletters, Online Classes & *Herbal Medicine Chest*

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Read or search for specific topics of previous issues.

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DONNA'S COMMENTS
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It's September which marks the entrance to another season of life. Not only the changing of the leaves and the temperature of the air, but we look forward to different gardens and wildlife in the Fall time of the year. Enjoy! It's a time to throw the windows up again and open the doors to let in the fresh air and wonderful views of nature!

Fall and early winter pose particular hazards for wildlife and motorists alike. Male deer, elk and moose are far more interested in courtship than in safely navigating roads and highways. Young squirrels are out on their own, looking for new territory and competing with older animals to find and bury the most nuts and acorns. Snakes are moving to winter hibernation. Bears travel from one berry patch to the next, trying to increase body fat as much as possible before a long winter of inactivity, while chipmunks, ground squirrels and pocket mice scurry to find and store food for the months ahead. All this activity increases the likelihood that animals will have to cross roads. Be alert for the large and the small!

More and more, it seems people are confronting black bears at uncomfortably close range. Our ever-expanding suburbia is largely to blame, but bears are also returning to regions from which they were displaced. For all their size and alleged ferocity, however, black bears tend to be peaceable creatures....Read more

Have a great cool September!
Donna

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CRITTER FACTS
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PEREGRINE FALCON

Peregrines were listed as endangered in 1970 (under a law that preceded the Endangered Species Act). Shooting, egg collection, climatological changes, habitat loss, human disturbance and egg shell thinning due to DDT and DDE nearly made peregrine falcons extinct. A survey conducted in 1975 recorded only 324 nesting pairs in North America. However, due to the success of ESA, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced in August 1999, that the peregrine falcon had sufficiently recovered to allow it to be removed from the endangered species list. While still considered endangered in some states, there are now over 1,600 breeding pairs living in North America.

For a picture of this magnificent bird and a heart-warming story, visit this site:

RELATIVES OF MICKEY MOUSE

Mice and rats have had a long history of living close to people. Their spread coincided with the construction of houses and barns which provided them shelter; with the development of agriculture which provided them with food; and with ship travel, which provided them with transport over water. They range in color from pale gray to brown, usually with lighter sides and underparts. Domesticated strains of house mice are predominantly white with black or gray markings. [House Mouse is an actual name of a type of mouse.] Wild mice and rats eat a variety of vegetable matter, insects and meat.

They build their loose nests of shredded paper and fabric behind rafters, in wood piles, in storage areas or other hidden areas where there is a nearby source of food. They breed continuously and have 5-10 litters per year. Litters average 5-6 young, born naked and blind. Fully furred after 10 days and weaned at about 3 weeks, mice reach sexual maturity between 5-6 weeks. Generally, there is a high mortality rate of young mice, and the average lifespan of adults is one year.

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CHARACTER QUALITIES IN NATURE
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DETERMINATION WITH ACHIEVABLE GOALS: Arctic Tern

The delicate features of the arctic tern give little hint to the extraordinary feat which it accomplishes each year of its life. Its name suggests a rugged bird, able to endure severe cold and privation, but such is not the case. Despite that, it has earned the reputation of being the champion of migratory birds.

In autumn it leaves its nesting grounds in the Arctic Circle near the North Pole and begins the journey to the opposite end of the earth. Each year it covers a distance of 22,000 miles of migratory flight. Considering side trips for food and other purposes, the actual number of miles is greater than this.

On its flight to the Antarctic Ocean near the South Pole, the arctic tern chooses one of two routes chosen for food-bearing currents. By the time the tern reaches the Antarctic, snow has begun to melt with the approach of Spring. A few short months later, the tern begins its long journey home. When it returns to its breeding grounds near the North Pole, it has literally flown around the world. To accomplish such a feat clearly demonstrates a significant aspect of determination. The tern completes this seemingly impossible task by concentrating on smaller, achievable goals. Each day it covers approximately 150 miles, and by doing so, flies around the world in 20 weeks.

Source: Character Sketches, Vol. I, Institute in Basic Life Principles

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GARDENING FOR WILDLIFE- Restoring the Balance
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BAMBOO

The word bamboo gives rise to visions of dense forests on tropical islands, rickety huts on the beach (ala Gilligan's Island), and Panda Bears. The reality of this magnificent plant is that there are over 1200 kinds of "bamboo", many of which are extremely useful to mankind.

Bamboo is used for timber, food, furniture and more. I have a different picture of bamboo since I read this site. There are kinds that take over and there is clumping bamboo which does not. This is a very informative site to expand your knowledge of bamboo.

SILENT SPRING

Have you heard of the book, "Silent Spring," by Rachel Carson? An incredible book making people aware of the dangers of pesticides for people and nature. Although Rachel Carson is now dead, her legacy lives on. The Rachel Carson Council seeks to inform and advise people and institutions about the effects of pesticides that threaten the health, welfare, and survival of living organisms and biological systems. The Council promotes alternative, environmentally benign pest management strategies to encourage healthier, sustainable living. The Rachel Carson Council can answer specific questions about pesticides and alternative ways to control pests. Call 301-652-1877, or e-mail rccouncil@aol.com, or visit the above site.

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"GREEN" INFO- Making It a Way of Life!
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10 TIPS FOR STUDENTS

1. READ. Keep informed on environmental issues by reading newspapers or magazines.

2. WRITE. Contact politicians, lawmakers, and polluters. Let them know you're watching.

3. REDUCE. Cut down on the amount of trash you produce by using both sides of writing paper.

4. REUSE. Buy products that are reusable such as pens and pencils, sandwich containers, drink containers, and canvas lunch bags.

5. RECYCLE. Follow your school's recycling rules. Encourage your school to buy recycled paper. Start a composting pile on school grounds. 6. RID your school of toxics. Many schools now use "Integrated Pest Management."

7. GET INVOLVED. Join your school's environmental club or join an organization outside of your school.

8. CONSERVE energy -- walk, ride your bike, carpool, or take the bus to school.

9. ACT locally -- organize a clean-up of your school grounds, plant a garden, institute composting in your classroom.

10. SPREAD THE WORD -- Inform your peers about the importance of environmental issues.

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ESSENTIAL OILS - A GIFT FROM NATURE

The concentrated oils from plants are called "essential oils" and they are such a gift to us. Many are medicinal and many are simply wonderful to smell, such as the rose. When you smell thyme and lemons, you are smelling these essential oils. The scents are potent and the varieties provide relief from stress or a boost to the mind. Many are also antibacterial and antimicrobial so they can be used to make your own household cleaners. You can also use essential oils to make your own beauty products. They truly are a gift from nature. Read more about Essential Oils: how they work and if you use them, find out how to test your oils to be sure they are pure and not mixed with solvents.

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MUSINGS: POETRY & PROSE
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"To cultivate a garden
and grow flowers from the sod
Is to go hand in hand with nature
and walk very close to God."
Helen Steiner Rice

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GOOD NEWS ABOUT OUR PLANET
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"UNLUCKY 13" GRASSLAND BIRDS

Populations of many grassland bird species are in decline - among them the greater prairie chicken, scaled quail, mountain plover, long-billed curlew, burrowing owl, and lark bunting. The Nature Conservancy is working to save the "unlucky 13" by protecting crucial habitat across millions of acres of grasslands east of the Rocky Mountains from Canada to Mexico. They have mapped the places that need to be preserved - which span three countries, 10 states and 9 ecological regions - and is working with government agencies and other conservation organizations to protect the land and save the birds. Read profiles of the "unlucky 13" birds and learn about efforts to save them.

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DISCLAIMER:
The content, suggestions, and web links in this newsletter are for informational purposes only and not necessarily endorsed our sponsor "The Herbs Place.com" This is a personal publication by Donna Watkins. The ideas and information expressed in it have not been approved or authorized by anyone either explicitly or impliedly. In no event shall Donna Watkins or "The Herbs Place.com" be liable for any damages whatsoever resulting from any action arising in connection with the use of this information or its publication, including any action for infringement of copyright or defamation.

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