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NATURAL HEARTWORM PREVENTION - AVOID DRUGS

No drugs, only natural supplements. Avoid costly and heartbreaking treatments.
Prevent heartworms while nutritionally supporting your pet's health in other areas
with the Herbal Heartworm Prevention Program. It's working for others.

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A TOUCH OF NATURE
June 1, 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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If any of you take Southern Living you may have seen a feature on the Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail. Randal and I are real excited about this project. They have produced guides for the three areas of our state of Virginia. These guides include many loops for each section that will take you by wildlife and birding areas. They have in effect made a trail of many different hot spots for birds and wildlife.

If you live in Virginia, or if you're in a neighboring state and take advantage of Virginia's diverse habitats, you may be interested in getting one of the free guides. The project is not yet complete, so you may have to check back if the section you're interested in is not available; however, you can see the information on the website and print what you need from there if you've got a trip scheduled soon. Virginia Wildlife Trail

Kids are out of school, day time is longer, nature is alive everywhere. Use - DEAD LINK REMOVED - eNature's Park Finder to locate a park or wildlife refuge near you. There's also photographs and checklists for birds, butterflies, critters and more. Plan a weekend in nature - the whole family will feel better for it.

Summer's on its way! Enjoy!
Donna

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CRITTER FACTS
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ARMADILLO SPOTTED IN NEBRASKA
by The Associated Press

Mel Wiens was a little confused when an employee called to ask if armadillos were native to Nebraska. "I don't think so," the general manager of a Holdrege irrigation equipment dealer said. "And he said, 'I'm looking at one.'"

"The sighting in Nebraska, about 25 miles southwest of Kearney, is confirmation that the animals common to the southern United States are migrating northward," said Dr. Hugh Genoways, a natural sciences professor with the University of Nebraska State Museum.

Armadillos first showed up in extreme southern Texas in 1850 and have moved north since. They are now reproducing in central Kansas. It's not a wholesale invasion into Nebraska, however, since only a few sightings are reported yearly.

BIODIVERSITY

The term "biodiversity" refers to the variety of living things that make up our environment. Each different life form is connected in some way to the survival of all other life forms in a given area.

Because biodiversity is all around us, we tend to forget the many conditions biodiversity requires. Watch a discussion of just a few of these ingredients -- healthy soil and water, native species, and strong forests -- in an online video. Look around the website for more details and resources.

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THOSE AMAZING BIRDS!
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BIRD FACT: Pileated Woodpecker

This is the large species of woodpecker seen in forests. Beetle larvae draws this woodpecker to dead trees. Occasionally they visit feeding stations to snack on suet. They nest in tall branchless stubs in dense forest within canopy of live trees. They return to the same vicinity each year but make a new nest for 3-5 eggs which take 18 days to hatch. Male and female share incubation, with the male usually at night. They vacate the nest in 26 days and the hole is used by owls or flying squirrels or a wood duck in some areas. They may also use it themselves as a roosting hole for winter.

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GARDENING FOR WILDLIFE- Restoring the Balance
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BUILD YOUR OWN CHEAP GARDEN POND

On this site you'll see how somebody into frugal living has built ponds "dirt cheap." The little goldfish pond was the first project and now there's a bigger pond being put in. Follow the step-by-step picture gallery and before you're done, you'll be picturing a pond in your own back yard.

LEARN TO RECOGNIZE INSECTS

Some of the insects featured eat other insects, which may be pest species, and others are important pollinators of flowering plants.

Learn which birds to attract to your habitat to control the insect populations.

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DISEASES: THE EMOTIONAL ROOTS

Yes! Medical research links 80% of diseases to an emotional root. "A More Excellent Way" by Henry Wright shows what emotions go with many of today's health problems. Read more

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HEALTH FROM NATURE
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HAVE YOU HEARD OF MORINDA?

Morinda Citrifolia is more commonly known as Noni. Noni is a fruit about the size of a potato and has nodules similar to those you see on a pineapple. It grows in abundance on the Morinda Citrifolia tree in the Tahitian Islands and has only been available to the public for the last two years. It has been successfully used for over 2,000 years in Polynesia, China, India and elsewhere.

Like Aloe Vera, Kelp, Papaya, Grape Seed Extract and other botanicals, the extract of the Noni plant has been demonstrated to improve a wide variety of health conditions because of its many amazing plant properties.

Learn more or purchase here.

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"GREEN" INFO- Making It a Way of Life!
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TIPS ON REUSING POLYSTYRENE

Here are some tips regarding polystyrene reuse and recycling that were submitted by readers in response to San Diego-based Charles T. Hardman's recent Question of the Week.

1) Take the peanuts to your nearest UPS shipping store. We recycle ours at Mailboxes, Etc. They're happy to get them, we're happy for the easy drop-off.

2) Consider asking your vendors to package their shipments with biodegradable cornstarch peanuts.

3) Check with local nurseries and landscaping companies to see if they can use the polystyrene. Peanuts are sometimes used in the bottoms of pots to encourage water drainage, and composted sawdust, dirt and styrofoam ground together can be used as potting soil.

4) The California Materials Exchange (www.ciwmb.ca.gov/CalMAX/) site lets organizations and businesses post information about used materials they have available or need. A current listing on the site is from a small business that wants used packaging materials.

Get information on other waste exchanges and recycle sites.

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MUSINGS: POETRY & PROSE
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"The mountains are fountains not only of rivers and fertile
soil, but of men. Therefore, we are all, in some sense,
mountaineers, and going to the mountains is going home."
-- John Muir

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GOOD NEWS ABOUT OUR PLANET
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SARS PROMPTS CRACKDOWN ON WILDLIFE TRADE
by Amanda Katz and Sarah Wahlert

Speculation among scientists that the virus responsible for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) can be contracted by consumption of wild animal meat recently prompted Chinese officials to raid thousands of restaurants, hotels and animal fairs.

"The operation was aimed at stopping the trade in and consumption of (members of) protected species," said a police spokesperson. During the raids, which were conducted by nearly 170,000 officers, approximately 838,500 animals were seized and more than 1,400 suspects were arrested.

Individuals found guilty of participating in the trade of members of endangered species in China can be sentenced to as many as 15 years in prison.

"We have a law that says consumers must also be punished," the spokesperson stated. "This law has been around for a while, but we have never punished anyone for consuming. We will punish them from now on."

"Even if the SARS virus did not evolve from animals in the markets, the conditions present an ideal environment in which other unknown or new viruses may incubate and emerge," said Animals Asia Foundation Veterinary Director Gail Cochrane, DVM. "The only way to minimize the threat of new viruses being transmitted is to close the markets down."

Sources
The Associated Press
story.news.yahoo.com/newstmpl=story&u=/ nm/20030430/sc_nm/sars_animals_dc_1
SARS Virus Hits China Trade in Endangered Animals by Tan Ee Lyn
Animals Asia Foundation
Press release, May 14, 2003
Urgent Calls to Close Down China‚s Wild Animal Markets Escalate
© 2003 Animal News Center, Inc.

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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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