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A TOUCH OF NATURE
December 15, 2003 Issue
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DONNA'S COMMENTS
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I love reading these kinds of stories and finding places all around the world that are working to make life better for the animals and people of the world!

RACE HORSES GET A NEW CHANCE AT LIFE

For thoroughbred racehorses coming off the track for the last time, the non-profit Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation is very often the difference between life and death. This rescue organization has been providing lifetime haven to these gallant equine athletes when they have nowhere else to go.

Hundreds and hundreds of horses -- many of them marked for death in the slaughterhouses -- are instead alive and lovingly cared for in our steadily growing network of retirement facilities. 

TRF experience and resources now play important roles in vocational training, education, and research activities undertaken by a growing number of both public and private sector organizations, such as riding programs for the mentally and physically challenged. 

There are now programs at state correctional facilities where prison inmates and juvenile offenders derive emotional, as well as educational, benefits from horse care and management. 

Besides learning marketable skills, the horses' caretakers develop responsibility, pride, and  self-esteem -- life skills that are reflected in the glowing condition and spirited affection of the horses in their care.

" There's something about the outside of a horse that's good for the inside of a man." -- Sir Winston Churchill

Get more info.

If you know somebody looking for a horse, pass this along!

Have a great and peace-full holiday season!
Donna

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CRITTER FACTS
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LIFE ON A LEAF IN PANAMA

Too cold for you this winter? Take a virtual trip to Panama and warm up a bit!

In the middle of the world‚s most famous shipping lane, more than 1,300 types of plants shape, feed and shelter an island paradise. The Panama Canal is a strange marriage of nature, science and technology.

Encircled by a channel that hosts scores of ships and tugboats every year, the 4,000-acre Barro Colorado Island is a modern-day Noah‚s Ark for hundreds of species of birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles and insects supported by the island‚s rich plant life. Read the entire enchanting article and see beautiful pictures of some of the wild beings in Panama.

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THOSE AMAZING BIRDS!
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FOR YOUNG BIRDERS

The American Birding Assoc. offers events and educational programs especially for young birders. There's also a newsletter edited by young birders for young birders, which accepts contributions such as articles, poetry, artwork, etc. about birds.

Winter is a good time to for indoor projects. You may be able to stimulate some interest in your children to learn more about birds or to submit some creative work your child has done to this site.

Find out about workshops, birdathons, scholarships and more.

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GARDENING FOR WILDLIFE- Restoring the Balance
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GROW YOUR OWN AIR CONDITIONER FOR FUTURE SUMMERS

Trees are the lungs of the Earth, and many of them grow very easily from seed. Every year there is a natural harvest of acorns and conkers, hawthorn berries, crab apples and a host of other fruits and seeds. They're out there waiting to be gathered, sown and grown into the forests of the future.

The BBC has a great article about planting a tree from a seed gathered. Some of the hundreds of thousands of people who are taking part of the program have chosen the oldest tree they know.. Others have made a much more personal selection - a tree they climbed as a child or a familiar family favorite, a local landmark or perhaps a tree their parents planted years ago.

What a nice tradition. Trees have served us in so many ways. Trees can be a nice holiday gift for those who have everything. Especially a shut-in that can watch it grow if they spend a lot of time by the windows. Watching something else "live" seems to create more of a desire to be alive yourself. There are so many advantages from a tree --- I encourage you to - DEAD LINK REMOVED - read the article and be inspired.

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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:

DRY CHAPPED SKIN

Lavender Essential Oil - Make a massage oil using 40 drops of Lavender to four (4) ounces of carrier oil. Use daily on problem skin areas.

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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CAN JUICE BOXES BE RECYCLED?

Juice box packaging, which is called "aseptic," was originally invented to safely ship foods without the need for refrigeration and for use by recipients who lacked refrigeration. In fact, the invention has helped feed many needy people in the developing world. In the United States, the boxes are mostly a convenience, and their environmental impact is a mixed bag.

- DEAD LINK REMOVED - Read the entire article.

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MUSINGS: POETRY & PROSE
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" Once they are gone, the trees and the grasslands, the screaming waterfowl,
the beavers and the antelope, we can only remember them with longing. We are
not God. We cannot make America over again as it was in the beginning, but
we can come to what is left of our heritage with a patriot's reverence." --
Anonymous

Participate in a tree program in your area and if you skipped the tree article above, go back and get inspired!

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GOOD NEWS ABOUT OUR PLANET
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FREE PICNIC FOR WILD ANIMALS IN GEORGIA
by Sherry Morse

Biologists in Georgia have embarked on a project to discover the favorite plant-foods of a range of wildlife species.

In an ambitious experiment at the Pigeon Mountain Wildlife Management Area, a five acre test area has been planted with soybeans, sunflowers, sesame, Egyptian wheat, switchgrass and five other plant varieties.

Once scientists have determined what kinds of foods the various wild animal species prefer, they can create new environments which incorporate those particular plants and animals and thus increase biodiversity.

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the University of Georgia are working together on the project, which they hope will result in a guide to show farmers and enthusiasts which plants attract which species of wildlife.

" People putting food plots on their property are helping wildlife, and a lot of people who plant food plots don't hunt; they just like to look," said Jennifer Tarvin, vice president of the Pigeon Mountain chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation.

Local deer have already eaten all the soybean plants in the half-acre test plot, except for those plants which are inside a protective cage. Small game animals have been eagerly feasting on the Egyptian wheat, preferring to eat it after the plants mature and the stalks break and scatter grain on the ground.

" It's like one of those big buffets," said DNR area manager Tim Gilbreath." The doves are killing that brown-top millet."

Sources

Macon Telegraph
www.macon.com/mld/macon/news/politics/6673776.htm
Environmental taste test attracts wide range of animals

© 2003 Animal News Center, Inc.

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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.