A TOUCH OF NATURE
April 15, 2003 Issue
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This newsletter is sponsored by The Herbs Place.com.

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SEARCH previous issues and MANAGE SUBSCRIPTION

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DONNA'S COMMENTS
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Earth Day is April 22, next Tuesday. It's a special experience to get together with others who care about the Earth and environment. Be sure to - DEAD LINK REMOVED - check out this site to find out what's available in your area.

We leave for Hawaii the day after Earth Day. It's a trip we earned or were awarded. Having our business in our home, it is always nice to take a break, so it will be fun to have some time to relax and see the flowers, birds, sunsets, ocean, mountains, and critters of Hawaii. We'll be on the island of Oahu.

If you haven't seen our ad for our recently added home business, here it is:

4.9¢ LONG DISTANCE WITHOUT MONTHLY FEES!
No contracts, no minimums, 6-second billing, low international rates This is
NOT computer-based long distance and no access numbers to call. 4.9¢
toll-free numbers available with no additional fees. Be an agent and build
an at-home residual income business.

We're excited to find an honest deal with no strings and have been thrilled with the response we've had in a month's time. If it beats the rate you're paying, check it out. If you want an at-home business without a big investment, click on the agent opportunity link.

Hope y'all are enjoying this weather. We've been getting a bunch of rain but it looks like it's going to be pretty nice again. Our house building project sure gets delayed with weather. Projection now is to move in September.

Aloha!
Donna

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CRITTER FACTS
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INTERESTING AND WILD FACTS

Butterflies taste with their feet.
A duck's quack doesn't echo, and no one knows why.
On average people fear spiders more than they do death.
Elephants are the only animals that can't jump.
It's possible to lead a cow upstairs ... but not downstairs.
A snail can sleep for three years..
All polar bears are left-handed.
An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain.
A crocodile cannot stick its tongue out.

THE WILD CYCLE OF NATURE

The sun shines down on the plants giving them energy to grow.  A squirrel eats the plant's seeds. The seeds give the squirrel  energy to grow and survive.

The squirrel becomes a meal for a goshawk and provides the energy the goshawk needs to survive. 

What's in It for the Plants?

The goshawk helps keep the squirrel population in balance.  If there were too many squirrels, they might eat all the plant's seeds!

As the squirrel gathers seeds, it stores some just below the surface of the ground, it drops some and loses others. When this happens, the squirrel is helping to spread the seeds of the plant to new areas.

Eventually the squirrel and the goshawk die.  Their decomposing bodies provide nutrients that make the soil richer and help other plants to grow.

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THOSE AMAZING BIRDS!
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DID YOU KNOW - ABOUT EAGLES?

* Adult bald eagles can weigh 10-12 lbs., have a wingspan of 7 feet, and live 15-20 years.

* Migrating eagles ride the thermals and average 30 mph.

* Before European settlement, researchers estimate that there may have been one eagle nest for every mile of shoreline along the Chesapeake Bay.

MAKING GOURD NESTING BOXES

People have been making gourd birdhouses to attract Purple Martins for a long time. Here is a fun habitat project for those who have already made traditional nesting boxes and are looking for a challenge.

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GARDENING FOR WILDLIFE- Restoring the Balance
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GARDEN MARKERS

Instead of buying those plant markers at garden and nursery stores to mark your garden rows, we go to the craft store and get a bag of large tongue depressors. They work just as well as the special plant markers but are a whole lot less expensive! From Pam

NATIVE PLANT INFO FOR YOUR REGION

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center's Clearinghouse offers a wide variety of native plant information. Whether you are thinking of using native plants in your home garden, around your business, or at your local school, the Clearinghouse has the information you need to get started.

The Clearinghouse contains native plant information from each of eight geographic regions. For each region, the Clearinghouse contains five separate publications: (1) Recommended Native Plant Species List, (2) Native Plant and Seed Sources List, (3) Native Plant Landscapers List, (4) Native Plant Organizations List, and (5) Native Plant Bibliography.

All Clearinghouse publications are in PDF format.

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HEALTH FROM NATURE
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MAKE YOUR OWN HOUSEHOLD, BATH AND BEAUTY PRODUCTS

Essential oils are not only highly aromatic, they also contain potent anti-viral, antibacterial, antimicrobial action. They can be used to make your own non-toxic pet and child-safe cleaning products.

Millions are spent each year on bath and beauty products. Essential oils can be used to make these also. Save money, have fun, and keep chemicals out of your home and off your skin. Make your own!

Read more how-to here and purchase essential oil kits too.

SOOTHING MIST FOR DOGS & CATS

Natural relief for hot spots, irritated skin, sores, excessive scratching, biting and more. Contains special health-promoting and skin-soothing nutrients and herbs, such as Aloe Vera, Zinc and Vitamin C plus Lavender, Chamomile and Marigold. Give your pet relief! Read more here.

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"GREEN" INFO- Making It a Way of Life!
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RECYCLING CD'S AND THER MEDIA

Option 1: If you are trashing a CD because it's skipping, Aural Tech has near-100% recovery for aged CD's. The charge is $3.50 each with a quantity discount if you've got a lot. It won't work if the CD is cracked - only works on scratches. For more info, call 1-888-454-3223 or visit the website.

If you have CDs, tapes, videos or computer disks, the same company will help you recycle them into new products. They also do the jewel cases and plastic video boxes. You can get quite a collection of CDs in the mail. They charge $.10 a pound with a minimum charge of $5.00. Call 1-800-305-DISK or visit the website.

They're located in Redmond, WA, so if you're in the area, you could collect them and drop them off to save the shipping.

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MUSINGS: POETRY & PROSE
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"If one advances confidently in the
direction of his dreams, and endeavors
to live the life which he has imagined,
he will meet with a success unexpected
in common hours." - Henry David Thoreau

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GOOD NEWS ABOUT OUR PLANET
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BUTTERFLIES STAGE STUNNING COMEBACK
by The Associated Press

Scientists are marveling at the impressive comeback of Monarch butterflies, which once again are carpeting the fir trees of central Mexico in a sea of orange and black wings ÷ despite a deadly freeze last year that killed hundreds of millions.

Monarch ButterflyHard rains and biting cold in the central states of Midocean and Mexico in January 2002 killed 75-80% of the Monarch butterflies that make a 2,000-mile journey from the eastern United States and Canada. The unprecedented numbers of deaths ÷ some estimated as many as 500 million butterflies perished ÷ followed by drought conditions last summer and decreased levels of butterfly sightings in the United States, prompted concern that fewer numbers of the insects would arrive south of the border this year.

But the butterflies came ÷ en massed. Scientists estimate anywhere from 200 million to more than 500 million monarchs are now hanging in enormous clusters in a 20-acre area of forest.

"That's at least twice what we expected," said Chip Taylor, an entomologists at the University of Kansas and director of Monarch Watch, a network of Monarch butterfly researchers based in Lawrence, KS.

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to somebody you know. It's how we grow! Thanks!

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DISCLAIMER:

The content, suggestions, and web links in this newsletter are for informational purposes only and not necessarily endorsed by 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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