A Touch of Nature

This is an archived newsletter. There may be some "dead" links. There may also be no link shown because it was removed when we "clean up" the dead links. We suggest you do a search on Google for the content in the segment if you want further information. Subscribe to the mailing list that replaced this newsletter.

*********************
A TOUCH OF NATURE
August 15, 2003 Issue
*******************************************

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

*******************************************
SEARCH previous issues and MANAGE SUBSCRIPTION

*******************************************
DONNA'S COMMENTS
*****************

Hi Folks!

I saw a hornworm while transplanting some lilac bushes over the weekend. It was filled with the parasitic wasp eggs that render it dead although it can still move. The tomato/tobacco hornworm is not a favorite in a garden, but when you see them with these white eggs all over them, do not destroy them since these beneficial wasps will lay eggs on more of the hornworms and nature will take care of itself.

Hornworms turn into huge moths which are sometimes called hummingbird moths since they feed on plants like hummingbirds, such as the one that has been visiting our huge pot of petunias at dusk. Our two kitties on the other side of the screen from the pot are very much entertained by it. I was on the deck one evening while it was feeding and it allowed me to come right up to it and watch. It had this long pencil-point thin "tongue" soaking up the nectar while it was inches back from the flower. Amazing to watch! There's always something to delight me in the yard and garden.

Don't Forget to Enjoy Your Own Backyard!
Donna

*************
CRITTER FACTS
*************

FLOWER GARDEN BANKS - CORAL REEFS

Flower Garden Banks is a national marine sanctuary, 115 miles off the Texas and Louisiana coasts in the Gulf of Mexico, is home to 21 types of corals, more than 250 reef invertebrates, and over 200 species of fish. Discovered a century ago by fisherman, the area contains the northernmost coral reefs in the United States.

So, if you want to experience coral reefs without leaving the continental US, you've got a spot.

www.flowergarden.nos.noaa.gov/about/intro.html - For more info, visit their website

GOING BUGGY

Insects have been called "the little things that run the world." They play crucial roles in our ecological systems. Do you know enough about how insects influence our world or have you just been taught to scream and swat!?

Take a little quiz on little creatures

*******************
THOSE AMAZING BIRDS!
*******************

BACKYARD BIRDERS

Ed and Dottie Noll, 84 and 86 years old respectively, began their passion for birding together on a trip they took a trip out West where they discovered the beautiful world of bird watching and from then on their knowledge and appreciation for birds evolved into a past time that keeps them actively involved with youth to seniors in their community.

WOODPECKER: Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker

This little guy drills rows of tiny wells through inner bark of trees, eats cambium, then uses his extensile tongue to lap gluid that fills the wells. Ants and beetles are enjoyed in his diet, along with berries.

Nesting preference includes birches, maples and aspens. Suitors drum to lure the females to the nest sites. Each pair goes through bobbing courtship dance. They drill a chamber in a dead or inwardly decaying tree, often near water.

Three to six eggs are laid and the parents stuff the little ones with sap and ants and other insects softened by pounding them on bark.

***************************************
GARDENING FOR WILDLIFE- Restoring the Balance
***************************************

COMMUNITY GARDENS

Neighborhood space that is thrown with trash and overgrown with weeds can become community gardens.

* Gardens help people to reclaim their neighborhoods turning filth into beauty

* Vegetable gardens produce fresh, organic and delicious food

* Gardens provide daily recreation and social interaction for retirees

* Gardening gives kid and young people a productive, educational and confidence-building activity

* Community gardens reflect the cultural identity of the people who create them

Read about Philadelphia's gardens and find links to other resources.

***********************
NATURE'S HEALTH BENEFITS
***********************

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:

ATHLETE'S FOOT

5 drops massage oil (olive, sunflower, safflower, etc.)
2 drops Tea Tree oil
1 drop Lavender oil

Mix in your hand and apply between toes and around nails morning and night.

*******************************
" GREEN" INFO- Making It a Way of Life!
*******************************

10 TIPS FOR ECOTOURISM

1. Leave only footprints, take only photographs and memories

2. Take the time to learn the customs, manners and culture of the area. Learn more about the environment of the area and its relationship with the culture and economy. Support and utilize environmentally friendly business.

3. Carry in carry out. Never litter. Always carry a bag for trash and help keep the place you visit cleaner than when you found it. This is a great way to say "Thank you for the visit."

4. Learn about the local conservation organizations and support their efforts. Take the time to volunteer during your stay. You may learn more in one day of volunteering than during your whole stay. Ask to see their "wish list". You may have something at home or at work that they could use that you don't need.

5. Respect the frailty of the environment. Realize that others will follow and that it takes all of us to preserve wildlife and habitats for future generations.

6. Always remain on designated trails. Do not disturb animal, plants and habitats. Always keep your distance from animals, they need their privacy and will leave areas if they are disturbed to much. Never try to touch wild animals.

7. Ask travel agents, tour operators, resorts and attractions to adopt and put into practice American Society of Travel Agent's Environmental Guidelines or other conservation codes, including recommendations for special regions like polar, desert and mountain regions.

8. Respect and support local cultures (religions, traditions, crafts, services and cuisine). Become part of the culture you are visiting instead of imposing your culture. Besides endangered species , loss of habitat and decrease biodiversity, the worlds diversity of human cultures are also in peril. Respect the privacy and dignity of residents, especially when taking photographs.

9. Do not buy products made from endangered and threatened species, such as ivory, whale bone, turtle shell, animal skins, feather and food. Read "Know Before You Go" from the U.S. Customs, a list of products that cannot be imported.

10. Remember we only have one planet and we must care how we treat it. For what is good for the planet is good for the human race. If we mistreat the planet we only mistreat ourself.

***********************
MUSINGS: POETRY & PROSE
***********************

" The great auk, slaughtered indiscriminately
across the centuries for it's flesh, feathers, and oil,
was vanishing, and the last birds, appearing now and then
on lonely shores, were granted no protection.
On the contrary they were pursued more intensively
than ever for their value as scientific specimens."
--Peter Matthiessen, 1959 Wildlife in America

***************************
GOOD NEWS ABOUT OUR PLANET
***************************

ELEPHANTS IN INDIA BEING FITTED WITH LIGHT REFLECTORS
by Amanda Katz

Approximately 30 domesticated elephants in Delhi, India are being fitted with light reflectors at night in order to prevent collisions with motor vehicles from taking place.

The reflectors, which hang from the elephants' backs, are being provided for free by the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) and Blackpool Zoo in England in response to reports of a number of recent collisions.

" Elephants are easily hit during late hours and the accidents can be equally damaging for humans, as the animals' swipes can be fatal," said WTI spokesperson Ashok Kumar.

Capturing elephants and using them for commercial purposes is legal in India. About 6,000 of the approximately 33,000 elephants in the country have been domesticated for use in wedding processions, temple rituals, providing entertainment and/or advertising.

Wildlife experts estimate that about 10 elephants are injured by collisions with motor vehicles in India each year. If the reflectors prove to be effective, the Blackpool Zoo and WTI will distribute more of them.

******************************************
If you enjoy this newsletter, please forward it on
to somebody you know. It's how we grow! Thanks!
***********

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.

Manage your subscription to A Touch of Nature.