Welcome News for Planet Earth ๐๐ซ๐
Advancements and opportunities for earthlings who love Nature ๐ฑ ๐ณ ์โค์
A periodic table of good news, progressive advancements and earthly curiosities โฃ โ๏ธ โฃ ๐
CBC Ideas: David Suzuki shares life lessons as a proud elder
'I call on all elders to get off the couch or the golf course and get up and do the speaking.'
David Suzuki hosted CBC's The Nature of Things for 44 years, exploring the beauty of the natural world, while underlining the moral responsibility that comes with being alive.
At the age of 87, the award-winning scientist, environmentalist and broadcaster has stepped down as host of The Nature of Things.
"I'm in the last phase of my life. And when I say this, people go 'Don't say that.' Listen, when you're my age, it's not morbid. It's just reality. This is the last part of my life. And I am very proud to say that I've reached it and I've become an elder โ the most important time of my life. We elders have lived an entire life, and we've learned a lot. I mean, I've made mistakes. I've had failures, and a few successes. Those have all been lessons that I think are worth thinking about and passing on to the coming generation."
"We think somehow that we separate & different from the rest of Nature, & we use that sense to justify trashing Nature, as if somehow what we do to Nature isn't going to affect us. We're a part of Nature. We've got to reinsert ourselves back into the natural world, & even when you live in a city, you're not immune to it. It's there because whatever you do to Nature, you do to us. Whatever we do to Nature we do directly to ourselves. And we've got to start thinking about that. Doesnโt matter where you are. You can't escape that."
~ David Suzuki Has Something to Say, CBC Ideas
https://www.cbc.ca/radio/ideas/david-suzuki-elder-lessons-1.6868994
Paul Stamets on the Future of Psychedelics, Mycology & Medicine | NextMed Health
Paul Stamets is a legendary mycologist, and in this tour de force keynote at NextMed Health Paul shares his perspectives on psilocybin mushrooms and psychedelics role in mental health and medicine. More about Paul Stamets: https://www.nextmed.health/bio-paulstamets
NextMed Health is a unique cross-disciplinary program exploring the cutting edge of health, medicine, and technology. https://NextMed.Health/
Paul Stamets on Reishi mushrooms
Mycelium makes mushrooms; mushrooms make mycelium.
If you cut a small portion of this white flesh and put it into a nutrient filled petri dish, it would immediately grow into myceliumโฆ.because mushrooms are made of compacted mycelium. Ganoderma tsugae has been used by peoples across the world - from Asia, Europe, the Americas. It is a gorgeous species !
When dissecting and examining a piece of a Mushroom Fruit Body under the microscope, mycologists describe the type of cells making up the flesh in terms of the type of hyphae. (I.e. monomitic, dimitic or trimitic)
What are hyphae?
Hyphae are filaments of mycelium.
Mushrooms are made of mycelium.
On Star Trek: Discovery, the character Lieutenant Paul Stamets is an "astromycologist"
โ a mushroom expert in outer space who is passionate about the power of fungi.
Researcher says heโs just a 'messenger' for the mushrooms
Stamets is actually named after a real U.S. scientist who spends his downtime tramping through the forests of B.C.'s Cortes Island. The 67-year-old looks nothing like his blond-haired TV counterpart, but he's just as enamoured with fungi.
In fact, he believes mushrooms can help save the planet.
The Fungi Foundationโs Ethnomycology Ethical Guidelines
are a guiding tool that provide a framework for decision-making and conduct for the research included in the organization's Elders Program, future projects with Indigenous Peoples, traditional societies and local communities & general work.
They reflect the vision of the Foundation, with the goal of facilitating ethical conduct, equitable relationships, and reciprocal responsibility, fostering a commitment to meaningful collaboration. We are aware of the unique aspects in each culture, so this is intended to be a living document that will adapt over time.
Paul Stamets, board member of the foundation, highlighted guideline (n), which says: "To work towards restoring ethnomycological practices that have disappeared from the traditional ecological knowledge of a cultural group. In the case that the Indigenous, traditional, or local peoples no longer exist as a distinct cultural group, to attempt to restore the knowledge by making it available as part of the outcomes of the projects to be developed."
He stated, "Psilocybin mushroom use spans the globe, bridging people across continents and centuries. With more than 140 identified psilocybin active species thus far, indigenous peoples from Africa to Europe to the Americas have all discovered these powerful allies. Although many practices have disappeared, it is important to bring back this knowledge. Indigenous practices have never been static; they are constantly evolving and benefiting from new knowledge and technologies. I am particularly supportive of these Guidelines and emphasize the last one for all us scientists to follow."
We hope that they can be widely shared & used by others. If you decide to implement them in your work, please let us know. Weโd like to highlight any efforts in following these principles. Read the Ethnomycology Ethical Guidelines at www.ffungi.org
Ocean Conservation Trust
EXCITING NEWS! We are delighted to share with you our 5 year Ocean Conservation Strategy!
We have developed it through the passion and expertise of our team and trustees, by looking at the issues facing our Ocean and the action that we can take to achieve our vision of a healthy Ocean.
The Ocean helps us all so much, itโs our responsibility to protect it.
This strategy sets out how we will deliver our Ocean conservation impact locally, nationally and internationally. Find out more, read our strategy and join us:
https://oceanconservationtrust.org/our-conservation-strategy/
UN Environment Programme
National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAP) Forum 2.0, which reflects the recently adopted Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, is a valuable platform for policymakers and practitioners to exchange knowledge, share best practices, and find the resources they need to take action for nature.
Discover how you can be part of the global effort to protect and preserve our planet's precious biodiversity #ForNature.
The NBSAP Forum is a global partnership aiming to support countries in implementing the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and its strategic plans, including global biodiversity targets. To achieve this, CBD Parties are required to develop and implement national biodiversity strategies and action plans (NBSAPs), including national targets, and integrate them into relevant sectoral and cross-sectoral plans, programmes and policies, and submit national reports (NRs) on the effectiveness of measures taken to implement the NBSAP. The Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (SCBD), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) host the NBSAP Forum, in partnership, through generous funding provided by the Global Environmental Facility (GEF).
https://www.learningfornature.org/en/nbsap-forum/
Reclaiming the Earthly Commons Through Art
Heather Ackroyd and Dan Harveyโs artistic process starts with a seed that turns to grass, the only material on their canvas. Their art is formed in the dark, nurturing seeds using light from a projected photographic negative. By growing art, Ackroyd & Harvey remind us just how crucial photosynthesis is for life on Earth. As the Hayward Galleryโs climate-focused summer exhibition, Dear Earth, opens its doors, the artistic duo speak with grassroots organisers about igniting a collective response to safeguard the environment for future generations.
"What is wonderful about art is the way it can stimulate an emotional response. Sometimes when youโre dealing with data and information, there can be a level of detachment. But by tapping into peopleโs emotions and fostering a sense of love for nature, we can provide another way in. It is a restorative and caring method. Art and music, among other things, possess unique capabilities to communicate and strike a chord in a different way."
"I believe that the topics we are discussingโthe soil, the sun, the light, and the seedโconverge in a meeting place. And it is there that art takes shape and forms an image. Thatโs where the miracle happens. It is when all these elements come together, on the land, on the ground, on the soil, or on a canvas, that we demonstrate our ability to emotionally, physically, and mentally guide us towards wellbeing; to care. As humans, we require this connection. And this meeting point of elements, particularly the soil, is Mother Nature speaking to us."
https://atmos.earth/reframing-art-as-activism-amid-climate-emergency/
The Wildlife Trusts: Three signs you should create a Coronation Garden...
๐You want to save money on the weekly shop
๐ฅYou would love to grow your own grub
๐You want to relax outside surrounded by nature
Pledge to create your own Coronation Garden today! Weโve partnered up with Garden Organic, Incredible Edible and Womenโs Institutes to share tips on how to kickstart your kitchen garden and get your backyard buzzing with wildlife ๐
Welcome to Coronation Gardens, where your green-fingered journey begins!
You've joined a community of passionate gardeners and nature lovers. In the coming weeks, you'll receive helpful resources and top tips to make the most of your Coronation Garden.
It doesn't matter how much space you have. From a window box or some pots on the balcony, to the grandest garden, you can create a Coronation Garden for food and nature anywhere.
Let's dig deep and give back by growing food for us and creating a haven for wildlife.
(Note: you can pin your garden to the map anywhere in the world)
https://mycoronationgarden.org/get-involve
The Nature Prescription
Lots of us donโt spend uninterrupted time in nature on a regular basis. But look up the positive influence nature has on your mindset, and youโll find plenty of articles. So why donโt we do it? Youโre probably recounting how busy your life is. And youโre definitely not alone.
We set the intention to be outside and unplugged more. But somehow, the days, weeks, and months fly by. Thatโs because acting on intention takes even more focus when distractions are everywhere.
๐๐ค, ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐ค ๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ค? ๐๐ ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ฉ ๐จ๐ข๐๐ก๐ก ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐ค๐ค๐จ๐ ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐จ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐๐ฎ.
Award-winning science writer and bestselling author, Jennifer Ackerman told me that a few minutes in the morning to listen for the sound of birds or notice some part of the natural world outside your window can be enough to make you more mindful. One study even looked at the positive effects of simply looking at a photo of nature for five minutes and found it helps with stress recovery.
Once you find a simple, micro practice that supports you in connecting with nature to better recover from stress, try it out and see how you feel after a week.
https://megaphone.link/LI1166235973
The Surprising Empathy of Netflixโs โChimp Empireโ
A new documentary series is a startlingly intimate look at chimps.
โI remember suddenly being aware that the Ngogo chimps were all around,โ Reed, who won an Oscar for directing My Octopus Teacher, said. โItโs like being on The Truman Show or somethingโyou feel like youโre on a set, because you canโt quite believe theyโre real. Theyโre so human, you know that theyโre assessing you in the same way that youโre assessing them. You canโt quite believe that they accept you into their world.โ
Theyโre so human. We evolved to sense some kinship with those who seem like us.
I experienced a similar state of disbelief that those animals were real as I watched the first of Chimp Empireโs four episodes. It was surreal how close the chimps allowed the camera operators to film. Iโm a veteran viewer of David Attenboroughโs nature documentariesโbut this was another level of immersion. Chimp Empire is distinctively and startlingly intimate. โI was continually awestruck by the quality of the images,โ Watts, who had qualms about bits of the seriesโ narrative, told Yale News. โIโd love to get access to some of their footage someday to analyze it for research purposes.โ
Theyโre so human. Itโs a feeling Reed isnโt exactly wrong to have. We evolved to sense some kinship with those who seem like us. We can appreciate the obvious similarities between us and chimps in the way we hunt and share meat, and the way males attack outsiders, Watts says in a Yale University interview. โThese things are characteristics of humans.โ Yet researchers are also illuminating the less obvious similarities between our species that are much more complicated to observe: our shared neurobiology.
https://nautil.us/the-surprising-empathy-of-netflixs-chimp-empire-312763/
Small but mighty pig defends family farm from bear on Vancouver Island
A heroic showdown captured on surveillance footage earlier this week shows a brave miniature pig charging a black bear that broke into her family's farm.
Barn security footage from early Sunday morning shows the pig, named Barbie-Q, standing inches in front of the bear as it slowly steps closer to her.
She is then seen charging forward, forcing the bear to run back.
"He definitely did not put up a fight to Barbie. He got out of her way," said Walls.
Walls said it seemed that Barbie-Q was attempting to corral their other animals back into their pen, charging at them to get back every time they came too close to the bear.
"It was very unbelievable to see."
Barbie-Q was rewarded for her service with a bowl of fruit salad and plenty of belly rubs.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/pig-charge-black-bear-1.6884143
Bloody Butcher Corn, once grown widely for use in moonshine, was on the brink of extinction until modern distillers brought it back from the dead.
Along the eastern seaboard, thereโs a growing network of folks interested in reanimating the deadโor, at least, the nearly dead. โThereโs definitely a robust network on the eastern seaboard of people in brewing, distilling, academics and malting that are building on a lot of these storylines and getting some of these varieties back into the publicโs hands,โ says Brent Manning, certified cicerone (like a historian for beer and spirits) and co-founder of Asheville, NC-based Riverbend Malt House.
Heโs talking specifically about Bloody Butcher Cornโa hybrid of Hackberry Dent and Red Corn, with deep maroon kernels and a complex taste.
โOne of the things that you really get with Bloody Butcher is this nutty, sweet earthiness that you donโt get from yellow corn,โ says Joyce Nethery, who uses the variety in all of its spirits. She also says there is a banana component to bourbon made with Bloody Butcher, and the sipper ends up being a lot more fruit forward than others.
Bloody Butcher went from one of the most well-known corn varieties in the 1840s to virtually non-existence in the 20th century. While the slow food and farm-to-table movements were critical to reviving it, even in small numbers, there are plenty of brewers and distillers out there that are looking to give this crop a wonderful comeback story.
Tribes Unite in Defense of Culture and Forests
In the Northeast, tribes are coming together to save the threatened black ash tree, a cultural treasure and ecological jewel, from a ravenous beetle.
Over the past 20 years, more than 100 million ash trees have died. Actually, they were killed. The emerald ash borer, an invasive insect from Asia whose name pays homage to its stunning holographic coloring, arrived in the U.S. (likely via imported wood) with an insatiable appetite for ash trees. Since at least 2002, the pest has devoured its way through the U.S. ash tree population.
Ash trees make up the genus Fraxinus, which by some estimates includes up to 70 species: white ash, green ash, Oregon ash, pumpkin ash, and the list goes on. For northeastern Indigenous peoples and tribal nations, however, one ash species is of particular importance: black or brown ash (both names refer to the same tree).
Indigenous groups like the Wabanaki Nations of Maine and the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe of New York use the tree to weave baskets. Now, the dual threat from the emerald ash borer and the inescapable reality of climate change is pushing black ash to the brink of extinction. The metallic green beetle hasnโt yet decimated black ash in the Northeast the way it has farther westโbut how long until it does? By then, will forests already be sick and ablaze from rising temperatures? Indigenous leaders arenโt waiting to find out.
https://atmos.earth/tribes-unite-in-defense-of-culture-and-the-black-ash-tree/
As She Rises: Poets Pay Tribute to the Colorado River
With my harvesting stick I will stir the clouds.
With dreams of distant noise disturbing his sleep,
the smell of dirt, wet, for the first time in what seems like months.
The change in the molecules is sudden,
they enter the nasal cavity.
He contemplates that smell.
What is that smell?
It is rain.
Rain somewhere out in the desert.
https://atmos.earth/as-she-rises-poets-pay-tribute-to-the-colorado-river/
Is The Future of Environmental Storytelling Artificial?
Journalist and sustainability advisor Sophia Li shared a similarly optimistic outlook when she, in 2021, cofounded STEWARD, a digital art initiative that invites users to care for the natural world. Li, alongside her cofounders Lydia Pang and Maria Li, was determined not only to utilize technology for conservation purposes, but in unearthing the creative opportunities that come from building an equitable space in the digital realm.
โWe think AI is a whole separate entity, and that AI is going to take over jobs and creativity. But weโre the engineers. The problem is that most of the people programming generative AI art are white males,โ said Li. โSTEWARD is trying to infiltrate the space from within. Weโre all women of color founders, and weโre all trying to bring in marginalized communities and artists who have been left out of the dot-com era.โ Using on-chain technology, STEWARD encourages investors to put capital behind artists who are, in turn, linked with climate nonprofits, primarily Indigenous-led organizations, to finance both the artist and the conservation work.
To be sure, intentional use of AI can enhance and amplify urgent storytelling. But to supercharge human creativity through machine learning, experts say it is essential that policies and laws are passed that protect against the weaponization of artificial intelligence, and prohibit its unchecked access to data and the spread of misinformation.
โMy hunch is that AI will create more jobs, but my question is: will these jobs lead to real climate action?โ said Lucy von Sturmer, founder of collaboration platform Creatives for Climate. โThere are a lot of intelligent people working hard to develop sustainability innovations, standards, and protocols to solve the climate crisis, leaning on technology more and more as key to driving change. But there are a lot of climate cowboys out thereโgreen tech entrepreneurs looking to make a last buck while the world burns. The reality is that as the crisis grows, the money flowsโbut greenwashing robs us of a future.โ
https://atmos.earth/is-the-future-of-environmental-storytelling-artificial/
World Record Poison Ivy Challenge
When Robert Fedrock first happened upon what is now a Guinness World Record-holding poison ivy, he wasn't quite sure what he was looking at.
But when he looked up โ way up โ he saw the tell-tale three-leaf green foliage of a poison ivy, climbing up a white ash tree.
"The vine is so big that, at eye level, it really just looks like a hairy creature from Stranger Things."
"I think it's a majestic plant. I think it's beautiful," he said. "I think cutting it down would be, yeah, a horrible thing to do."
Dangerous โ but important
Poison ivy is a native species in Ontario and it plays an important role in the ecosystem, providing a food source for local wildlife, says biologist Brendon Samuels, a PhD student at Western University in London, Ont., with a penchant for indigenous plant life.
While ivy can grow to huge lengths under optimal conditions, he says it's rare to find one this big.
Fedrock reported the plant to Guinness in the hopes it would inspire people to beat his record.
"I think having people looking for taller ones would be great," he said. "The more people know about plants around them, you know, the more respect they have for the environment and more interest they'll have in it."
If you do find one, he recommends snapping a picture from a safe distance, and uploading it to a nature tracking app like iNaturalist so scientists and local authorities have a record of it.
But just look, he said โ don't touch.
https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/guinness-world-record-poison-ivy-1.6885541
Spring Pesto Recipes for Health & Vitality: Dandelion Pistachio Pesto
Research has shown that about half of U.S. adults donโt get enough of the vitamins and minerals that leafy greens provide, including magnesium, calcium, vitamin C, and more. Our bodies need those nutrients to carry out cellular processes and repairs, but many of us find it difficult to get an adequate amount of those all-important greens. Enterโฆ pesto!
Pesto is a fantastic way to bring fresh greens and herbsโwith all their flavor and nutrientsโto your meals. Adding fresh herbs helps our bodies improve nutrient uptake by increasing digestibility, supporting the enzymes and probiotics in the gut, and helping to catalyze digestive processes. When you have pesto on hand, itโs easy to top any cooked food with fresh greens! When you think of pesto, you might think of the delicious basil version, but our friend Kami McBride has two new spring green pesto recipes for you to try, because the world of pesto is so much bigger than basil.
https://www.instagram.com/mountainroseherbs/
Each year, we receive hundreds of applications for inspiring projects across the country and are faced with the difficult task of narrowing them down to four of the best. Our favorite part of Grants4Plants is when we get to review the update videos from the winners to see how winning the grant has improved their work and helped communities across the country. We hope you enjoy watching these inspiring video from @BottomsUpCommunityGarden, @InsightGarden @Metamimicry (Salish Place of Remediation Education) @Quail_springs
The 2023 #Grants4Plants entry period will open in just a few weeks! Stay tuned... https://www.instagram.com/mountainroseherbs/
So many salads! A very big list of delicious recipes to turn to all summer long
Loaded with legumes, cold noodle salads, creamy slaws โ thereโs a salad here to meet any of your cravings
While we wholeheartedly believe that salads are a year-round food we get why the warmer months really bring on 'salad season'. All that fresh in-season produce to eat raw, plus many of them are quick, light and ideal for when the heat waves hit. If you're already cramming your crisper, this roundup is for you. Here are 36 salads to enjoy this season: vivid and crisp, leafy, loaded with legumes and grains, grilled to perfection, and some full of fruit too.
Purple Love Land mixtape, dedicated to the people of Ukraine!
save what you love ๐ป ๐ณ ๐ ๐ฌ love what saves you ๐ ๐ฑ
ลpเธยขฤลhip ฤเธrth filmfest: https://vimeo.com/channels/639670