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A TOUCH OF NATURE
July 15, 2003 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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SEARCH Previous Issues and MANAGE SUBSCRIPTION

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DONNA'S COMMENTS
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We live in Virginia and we've sure had our supply of rain this year. The nice thing is that we've had a cool spring and even summer. At night we have the 60's and 80's in the day. It's allowed us to do some planting that we normally wouldn't do in July. We've finally discovered after a few years here what the deer will not eat so we're trying to stick to those plantings. When deer are hungry they eat just about anything so most of the items on the "deer won't eat these" list don't apply here in this community of over populated deer.

Don't miss responding to the Green Info segment on water conservation. I'm looking forward to hearing from you.

I hope you're enjoying plenty of time outdoors! There's nothing that refreshes the soul more than A Touch of Nature :-)

Critter hugs to you!
Donna

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CRITTER FACTS
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CONNECTED TO CONSERVATION

Want to find the best place to view wildflowers? Know more about conservation in your own state? Nature.org provides a free email newsletter monthly with information on your state and around the world. A very positive newsletter to let you know the good being done! Take a look

HORSESHOE CRABS
The Delaware Bay region supports America's largest population of horseshoe crabs. Not really a crab at all, the scorpionlike creature is an important food source for hundreds of thousands of migrating shore birds, which frantically feed each spring n spawning horseshoe crabs' protein-rich eggs. The spawning ritual is a spectacle itself. During the high tides of the new and full moon, a male clasps a female's shell with his glove-like claws and is pulled up the beach to the high tide line, where the female deposits as many as 4,000 to 5,000 pellet-size eggs that the male then quickly fertilizes.

Read more about horseshoe crabs

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THOSE AMAZING BIRDS!
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BIRDING MYTHS

Have you heard something about birds that you felt was an urban myth, but you did not know for sure? Check out our Birding Myths page to discover the truth about our feathered friends, such as purple martins eat thousands of mosquitoes a day, throwing rice at the bride and groom at weddings is dangerous for birds, parent birds will abandon their babies if you touch them or the nest, red dye is bad in hummingbird nectar, and many more.

More Birding Myths

HUMMINGBIRD NECTAR RECIPE
1 cup of boiling water
1/4 cup of sugar (white sugar works fine)

The basic recipe is four parts water to one part sugar. Use boiling water to dissolve them thoroughly and to remove the chlorine from the water. Remember to allow the water to cool sufficiently before hanging the feeder back in its position outside. Any left over sugar-water can be stored in the refrigerator for several days.

Nectar should be replaced a minimum of once a week and more often in the summer. If possible, its best to locate the feeder in the shade. Always clean your hummingbird feeder with mild detergent and rinse thoroughly each time you replace the nectar.

ORIOLE NECTAR RECIPE
1 cup of boiling water
1/6 cup of sugar (white sugar works fine)
Follow the same instructions as above.

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GARDENING FOR WILDLIFE- Restoring the Balance
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POISON IVY/OAK/SUMAC IN YOUR YARD?
INVASIVE PLANTS TAKING OVER?

Here's a simple recipe that will kill vegetation without chemicals. Keep in mind that if the poison plant is not in anybody's way, it's a great plant that feeds birds with its berries. Angora and Spanish goats love it too. If you absolutely must kill it or something else, here's a non-toxic recipe: Place 1 gallon of vinegar in a large pot and add 1 cup of salt. Heat till the salt dissolves. Cool and add 8 drops of liquid dish detergent. Put in spray bottle or pour on the poison ivy. This formula is not poison-specific. It will kill any vegetation you pour it on. Be careful where you spray or pour.

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NATURE'S BOUNTY FOR US
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Nature offers essential oils with potent properties that can be used in many areas around the home. For health, bath, beauty, and household cleaning supplies. Here's our featured recipe for this issue:

HEADACHES

Before you lay down in the bed, take refuge in a lavender bath. Lavender Essential Oil has now been shown to relieve tension headaches and some types of migraines. Fill the tub with warm water and add 8 drops of lavender oil as you enter. Close your eyes and breathe deeply as you relax.

Read more about the benefits of these oils, find other recipes, and purchase oils

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

1. Test for a leaking toilet by adding food coloring to the tank. If any color appears in the bowl after 30 minutes, your toilet is leaking. Leaking toilets wastes 200 gallons of water a day.

2. Use water conserving plumbing fixtures and water flow constrictors on sinks and showers. If you don1t have a low-flow toilet, place two half-gallon plastic bottles filled with water in your toilet tank. This saves one gallon of water each time you flush.

3. Run your dishwasher and wash clothes only when you have a full load. 4. Take short showers instead of a bath. Baths can use 30 to 50 gallons of water. Showers use 5 gallons of water per minute, less if a flow constrictor is installed.

5. Check your water meter while no water is being used. If the dials are moving then you have a water leak.

6. Don1t run water continuously when washing dishes, brushing your teeth, washing your hands and face, or shaving.

7. Avoid using a garbage disposal. Disposal use a great deal of water. Add your garbage to the compost or trash instead of putting it down the garbage disposal.

8. Choose plants that are native to the area you live or plants that are drought resistant for landscaping and gardens. Native plants are use to the natural amount of precipitation that occurs in the area they are found and normally do not require any additional watering This is known as Xeriscaping.

9. Water lawn and gardens during the coolest part of the day. Use drip irrigation to apply water slowly exactly where it is needed. Collect rain from the gutter system on a house in a rain barrel to use for watering.

10. Use a bucket of water and a spray head on the hose to wash your car. A running hose waste over 100 gallons of water in the time it takes to wash the car.

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MUSINGS: POETRY & PROSE
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"A single red mangrove tree in shallow water resembles a long-legged spider
on tip-toe, a rounded body of green perched atop thin, arching legs ...
Closer to the sea, however, mangroves grow in a wicker world of interlocking
roots and branches. It is difficult to tell where one tree ends and the
next begins." -- Connie Toops, The Everglades

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GOOD NEWS ABOUT OUR PLANET
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JANE GOODALL RECEIVES ENVIRONMENTAL AWARD
by The Associated Press

Jane Goodall has been honored with Harvard University's 2003 Global Environmental Citizen award.

"Jane Goodall's groundbreaking and captivating research with chimpanzees continues to change the way we perceive our animal cousins and ourselves," said Eric Chivian, who is the e-director of Harvard's Center for Health and the Global Environment, which presents the award.

Goodall was recognized for her work with environmental initiatives through the Jane Goodall Institute, including the Congo Basin Project, which aims to stop poaching; and Roots and Shoots, which supports students in projects to benefit animals and the environment.

Best known for her study of chimpanzees in Africa, Goodall now lectures on the threats facing primates and other environmental crises, and is working to curb a decline in chimpanzee populations.

"Every individual has a role to play in protecting our environment," Goodall said on Monday.

Last year, she was named a United Nations Messenger of Peace. Messengers serve as advocates in areas ranging from poverty eradication, human rights, peace and environmentalism.

Copyright 2003 Associated Press.
All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed

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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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