Editor:

© Kat Morgenstern
September 2006

Vol.IV Issue:3

This Issue:

• Greetings
• Foraging:
  Walnuts
• Foraging Notes
• Fighting Poverty
• Travel Feature:
  Eco-Lodges in the Amazon
• Liquid Gold
• Plant Profile:
  Apple Tree
• Noteworthies
• Grants etc.
• Events
• Copyright Notice
• Disclaimer Notice

Summer went by far too quickly - as always, and before you realize it, autumn winds are blowing down the leaves. Time to get cosy and dream up new plans for the coming year. This autumn I will be pre-occupied with nuts. But not so much those arboreal gifts that have been pelting me again every time I step out of the front door, but the nuts and bolts of the Sacred Earth website. I must admit that I have been feeling a little guilty - not only because the newsletter always seems to come off the cyberpress later than I had intended, but because it seems that it is getting increasingly unwieldy. While I was working on this issue I was haunted by visions of all those dear friends of the Sacred Earth Newsletter with slow internet connections, staring at their blank screens while pulling out their hair and running out of coffee as they are waiting for the newsletter to load. I am sincerely sorry, friends, I really am, but I just could not help it. The size of the thing started to blow out of all proportions, rather like some over-yeasted dough and before I knew it...well, you will see below.

Thus, my friends, I feel I need some help. I am sorry to bore you with technical issues, but let me explain. I have been contemplating the issue of content manageability for some time now. How to make all that information easily accessible with simple methods? Fancy navigation tools are wonderful for those who have the latest browsers that can make them work, but I don't want to leave the rest behind. There are some nifty content management systems out there that make it very easy to keep track of everything in neat and tidy files. But - unfortunately these packages are rather generic looking in design and not very flexible. I rather like the home-baked aspect of this website, yet I have those pangs of conscience described above, and so I find myself in a conundrum - what should I do?

Well, the coming months will give me plenty of time to think about it, but I thought I would put the question out to you, my readers, for whom I create these pages, since you are the ones that are confronted with navigating your way around the site, or are plagued with the excrutiating download times, which may turn you off enough never to return, which would be a shame. So, please, dear reader, would you be so kind and give me your thoughts on this matter and some suggestions as to what you would like to see, what you find easy or difficult about the site, how you feel about generic content management websites and whatever else you would like to tell me with regards to this website - your feedback will be much appreciated. I am looking forward to your e-mails! Meanwhile I wish you plentiful fruity, juicy and nutty autumn delights.

Kat Morgenstern, October 2006

Please send your feedback to: kmorgenstern@sacredearth.com

Walnuts

Its nutty season again! I have been reminded of the fact by the intermittent plopping noises outside my window and the mass of fuzzy hazelnut balls that are burying the front porch. These Turkish hazelnuts are plentiful for sure and easy to collect, but they are small and tedious to crack. But luckily nature provides so plentifully and these are not the only nut trees in the area. We are blessed with some walnut trees as well. Walnut trees, majestic to behold, are among my favourite trees and seeing them laden with nuts is a joy.

Walnut trees (Juglans regia) are acclimatized foreigners in our northern latitudes. They are at home in the warm, fertile regions of south-eastern Europe, northern Greece, northern Italy and France., where today they are widely cultivated. Walnuts arrived in the Low Countries north of the Alps in the pockets of Roman soldiers, yet it took several centuries before they really made themselves at home. They did not arrive in the Britain until the 16th century while teutonic tribes, who gave them their name, apparently regarded them as a foreign oddity as the name reflects: 'walnut' is derived from the Teutonic word 'welsh', meaning foreign. Although they have adapted quite well to the much harsher northern climes, their southern origin becomes evident in spring, when their vulnerability to a late frost can quickly ruin prospects of a good harvest later in the year.

In previous centuries walnut trees were considered so valuable that they were specifically itemized as part of an inheritance. A well producing grove could cover a good part of a family's livelihood. Also, anybody who planted walnut trees must do so with their descendents in mind as they take a long time to mature. Although they start fruiting from about 15 years of age they don't come fully into their power until they have reached the age of thirty. A mature tree can produce about 50kg of nuts per year.

In England the Roman nut became known as 'English Walnut', perhaps to distinguish it from the American walnut (Juglans nigra) or the Pecan nut (Carya illinoinensis). Despite the name, English Walnut does not grow wild in northern Europe, but usually has been planted, sometimes inadvertently, by squirrels. The American (Black) Walnut has the rather unsociable habit of emitting a chemical from its roots that inhibits and eventually kills other plants which are trying to grow nearby. Thus it has never been a very popular garden tree. Black Walnut can be found growing wild throughout the eastern United States.

The nuts are covered by a hard green hull that is exceedingly difficult to remove and besides, will stain your hands, clothes and work surface a quite persistent grubby colour. The trick is to harvest the nuts when they are ripe, which will be evident from the change of colour, but before the squirrels get them all (leave some for them, as it is one of their main sources of food to get them through the winter). The unripe husk is bright green, changing to a yellowish colour once they are ripe. Also, ripe hulls tend to split, making it much easier to remove the nut inside. The European walnut can be picked off the ground once the green shell has either turned into a black sludge that can be wiped away or has dried off and shrivelled enough to make removal of the nut inside an easy matter. Once you have removed the outer hulls wash the nuts well. It is best to place them in a bucket of water, which will naturally sort out the good ones from the rotten. Rotten ones will float, good ones will sink.

After washing the nuts you can either hull them or dry and store them for later use. If stored properly, left in the shell walnuts can keep for a year. Shelling exposes them to oxygen, which will cause them to turn rancid since they are rich in unsaturated (as well as saturated) fats. Keep them in a cool and dark place, where there is no danger of worms or vermin hankering for a free lunch. American Walnuts are much harder to crack than English walnuts. It is said that soaking them in water for 8 hours prior to cracking makes the job much easier. For English Walnuts this is not necessary as they readily split with the gentle persuasive powers of an ordinary nutcracker. Black Walnuts need more forceful treatment. Be prepared for blisters.

Walnuts are very rich in oil - 2kg of nuts will yield about one litre of oil, which unfortunately is not easy to obtain for the forager, except from the store. Native Americans used to boil the nuts to extract the fat, but this also destroys some of their nutrients. Pressed walnut oil has a delicious nutty flavour and is excellent in salad dressing or added to home backing to impart a delicate nutty flavour.

The inner kernel on the half-shell vaguely resembles a brain, surrounded by the protective cover of the cranium, which is why the ancients, applying the principles of the doctrine of signatures, declared walnuts to be beneficial for that part of our anatomy. But when the age of reason dawned such ideas were quickly ridiculed. But recently, scientists are finding that there is indeed a correlation between the omega-3 fatty acids (of which walnuts are a rich source) and the mind. Omega-3 fatty acids among other things, can help deal with stress and counteract depression.

Native Americans have used various parts of the tree, not just for food, but also as medicine. The leaves and root bark is used in anti-parasitic preparations and to treat skin diseases. The root bark is very astringent and makes a good anti-inflammatory wash that can be applied to herpes, eczema and scrofula. Taken internally it stops diarrhoea, stays the flux and dries up the flow of milk in nursing mothers.

The leaves deter insects and can be used as an ad hoc insecticide. The hulls, husks, leaves and bark are all used as vegetable dye stuffs to yield a colour range from yellow to dark brown or black. The oil is drying and has been used for oil paints as an alternative to Linseed oil. Recently, powdered shells are found to give new types of designer paints interesting textures or, used in floor paints, an anti-skidding effects.

Foragers appreciate walnuts most of all for their delicious meat, which can be added to both sweet and savoury dishes. My mouth is watering as my mind is conjuring up the smell and taste of Banana and Walnut bread, or walnut chocolate chip brownies and similar delicacies - but there are dozens more exciting things one can do with walnuts. Here are just a few:

Walnuts are incredibly versatile - even if they are not the star ingredient of a dish, they never fail to give it a refining note. I like to sprinkle some in the salad, or to use them instead of pine nuts in a pesto blend. They are also fabulous in almost any sweet dish.

Caution:

People who are allergic to nuts should stay away from walnuts and all products derived from them or containing them. Likewise, people who are scared of calories should treat this nut with respect. However, replacing some of your normal dietary fat with walnut oil can be a very wise choice as walnut oil has an excellent nutritional profile and can help to fight free radicals and lower cholesterol levels. Walnuts are a good source of omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids.

Always wear gloves when handling walnuts - especially when they are still green.

Remember:

That all the earth is fragile and that we must not take from her beyond what she can sustain. Overharvesting, particularly due to commercial collection of medicinal plants has brought many once plentiful plant species to the brink of extinction. As 'plant people', we should adopt an attitude of green guardianship for mother earth, who so plentifully provides for us.

Here are the rules that every forager should live and breathe by:

Get to know the plants that grow around you on a personal, first name basis: familiarize yourself with the herbs, bushes and trees in your neighborhood, try to learn as much as possible about the ecosystem of which you are a part and the plant members of your 'extended family'. Learn to identify them correctly and investigate all their uses. Try to understand it as part of a larger ecosystem. Which animals like it or dislike it? With which other plants does it form communities? Is it native or invasive? Does it protect the ground or deplete it of any of its nutrients? How does it 'fit' into its environment? What can you learn from its chemistry? Building this kind of holistic knowledge base will give you a much deeper insight into the nature of a plant and its role within the ecosystem. Its a lengthy process, but vital if you want to truly get to know your plant friends and the habitat you share.

It is especially important that you learn to identify the poisonous plants you are likely to encounter, lest they inadvertantly end up on your dinner plate, which could be most unpleasant or in the worst case scenario, even lethal. The importance of this point is completely obvious, but cannot be stressed enough. Some people hold the false and dangerous belief that what can be found in nature cannot harm them. DO NOT EAT ANYTHING YOU CANNOT POSITIVELY IDENTIFY AND DEEM SAFE. When you think you know a plant, think again and see what other, non-edible look-alikes might be fooling you. This is even more important when it comes to collecting mushrooms, as there are many poisonous mushrooms out there that have evolved to be masters at deceiving unsuspecting mushroom hunters. There are also many more potentially deadly mushrooms with edible look-alikes than there are deadly plants with edible look-alikes.

Don't be greedy!

Familiarize yourself with the plants that are listed on the endangered species list for your area. Apart from being unethical, it is also highly illegal to pick endangered plant species. Instead of taking rare plants, consider sowing their seeds in the wild.

Only pick as much as you need and never take ALL the plants of any one kind in a given patch. After harvesting an area give the plants plenty of time to recover before returning to the same patch. Be especially conscienscious when it comes to harvesting roots and barks. Remember that often harvesting roots means the death of the plant, so before you start digging ask yourself if this plant is really plentiful and if it can sustain a harvest of its roots. If in doubt, don't collect. Consider growing some in your garden rather than depleting natural stands. Collecting barks can also be fatal to a tree. If you must collect this part, try to collect it from smaller branches rather than the stem, from branches that have fallen, or from trees that are due to be cut for other purposes.

However tempting it may look, never pick in places that are subject to pollution from roads, industry or heavy spraying of farm chemicals (pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers etc.). And don't collect from nature reserves either - these are areas set up to protect wild species, so give them their space and let them be!

Cast seeds of native species to the earth and to the winds once in a while - as a way of giving something back. Consider adopting a little patch that you are particularly fond of. When you are out and about, never leave any litter behind, but try to bring some back with you - I always carry two bags, one for foraging and one for litter picking. Give thanks to the plants and to Mother Earth who has provided them.

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‘Sustainable development’ and ‘elimination of poverty’ are slogans that seem to be on everybody's lips these days. But behind the noble words lies a hugely complicated conundrum of intricately linked problems.

It is one thing for the super-powerful to meet every once in a blue moon at exclusive hotels or conference centres to agree that a problem exists and that it should be tackled. It's a good photo opportunity to be seen talking about issues that actually matter to the rest of us. It is quite another thing to translate political good will into real life action. A signature on an international treaty is a good start, but throwing money at a problem doesn't make it go away. Usually something has to actually be done about it as well.

But, I am jumping ahead of myself. I asked myself, what do we actually mean by poverty and what does it take to eradicate it? Poverty is a reality for hundreds of millions of people. It means no access to clean water, it means living in squalid conditions on less than a dollar a day, it means having virtually no access to schools or health care - let alone a realistic chance of social betterment, it often means scraping a meagre living from ever diminishing natural resources on which your life depends. It is a choice of feeding your family now or going hungry to preserve some seeds to grow next year's crop - not knowing if draught or floods will wipe the harvest out, or abandoning your home for the elusive promises of the city - and ending up living in slums.

Children are the biggest victims of poverty - robbed of their childhood they are often forced to work as soon as they can walk, to earn their keep and support their family. Children may be sold into slavery because their families suffer from desperate poverty, or they may be kidnapped. Whether they are forced to work as as beggars, child sex workers, child labourers in sweat shops, where they produce cheap consumer goods for the Western market, or as plantation labour force, braking their backs to ensures our continued supply of cheap chocolate, tea or coffee, or dozens of other crops - these are all common, every day practices in the developing world.

More uncomfortable questions raise their ugly heads - are theses poor children the lucky ones? For each child that lives in such deprived conditions there are hundreds more that die before they are old enough to work, either because of lacking sanitation or sheer hunger, or who have lost their mother while she gave birth to a sibling, or who are born with AIDS.

http://www.makepovertyhistory.org/
http://www.freethechildren.org/getinvolved/geteducated/childpoverty.htm
http://www.antislavery.org
http://www.stopchildtrafficking.org http://www.childtrafficking.com

It's a grim picture that nobody wants to see. We tend to feel sorry for these people, but we rarely feel responsible in a way that questions how we and our politicians actually are actually involved in this scenario. Here is where things start getting complicated. For the same governments that tout the horn of sustainable development, also pursue WTO globalization policies that directly undermine sustainable development. The aim of globalization is to 'open markets' across the globe. What that means is the open exploitation of human and environmental resources at the lowest possible cost.

Globalization means we in the West can enjoy cheap goods derived from the developing world - often thanks to the labour of children, who earn next to nothing for the sacrifice of their childhood and who thus forgo any chance of even the most basic education. Whether it is cheap clothes from Walmart or cheap coffee beans or chocolate bars - our luxuries are made affordable by their poverty. On the turn-side, we become dependent on such cheaply produced goods, since production workers in the West are steadily losing their jobs because their payroll is just too uncompetitive in comparison with labour costs in the developing world. So, with little money coming in, it is only natural to look for the cheap stuff at the dollar store.

But very gradually the idea of fair trade is beginning to cause a slight ripple. Increasingly, Fair Trade products are becoming available, not just at the health food stores and special boutiques, but at larger supermarkets as well. At least as far as chocolate, tea and coffee are concerned. Those who allow their ethics some command over their wallets are given an ever expanding consumer choice - but what defies me, is how the same governments can aggressively pursue globalization, while at the same time signing agreements to eradicate poverty and supporting sustainable development?

Globalization could have a positive impact - if the business community that exploits the cheap labour force of the developing world were to build proper housing, schools and health care facilities for the communities which they employ - instead of polluting their lands and neglecting the responsibilities of cleaning up their act, as is so often the case. It is not the principle, but the practice that determines the level of good or evil that comes of it. Some companies, laudably, now do invest a part of their profits into all kinds of social and health schemes. While governments are slow to act, socially responsible businesses are leading the way.

This is just one miniscule facet of the whole entanglement. Let's look at another. Every year at regular intervals we are flooded with heartbreaking images of starving people, usually in some squalid refugee camp, queuing for hours to receive a bowl of 'humanitarian aid'. That bowl of rice hardly meets their needs. It just about keeps them alive - no more. But why are they so destitute? Usually the answer is one of two things which in another loop of the thought trail are related: either an environmental catastrophe such as draughts or floods are to blame (global warming), or, more often than not, they have been displaced by war.

On the face of it, war is fought over land, over resources, over power or over religion. The truth is, it does not really matter what the reason for it may be. War is a business, a very dirty, multi-billion dollar business. And you and I and our tax dollars are paying for it. Billions of dollars are spent on weapons each year - the arms industry is never short of demand. Conflicts may seem very real, but someone somewhere supplies the arms to fight those wars and these companies do very well indeed, thank you very much. The more armed conflicts the greater the profits while the effects on civilian life are always the same:

Trauma, displacement, destruction of homes, fields, cattle and livelihoods. Landmines endangering every-day life. Food and sanitation shortages. Chaos.

Civilians on all sides are always the victims of war. War displaces millions of people all the time. As a result these millions of refugees become dependent on our compassionate handouts instead of being able to farm their own lands and building their own livelihoods. I dare say that if one was to compare the money made by the arms industry in any armed conflict to the money being spent on the rice and wafers sent to 'aid' its civilian casualties - my guess is that the profits still come down heavy on the side of the arms industry and vastly outstrip any 'losses' incurred on the side of the humanitarian aid bill, which in any event is footed by the tax payer.

So, here is that same question again in another guise - how can we tolerate the madness of the arms business and at the same time delude ourselves with the idea that we are being 'Good Samaritans' to be sending all that humanitarian aid to these desperate people, who should be thankful for it, even if it is gene-manipulated rice, which can't be gotten rid of in the West?

Of course the other side of war -as we have seen in Iraq - is that once it is over somebody has to do the cleaning up and the reconstruction. I don't know, but somehow I don't see how bombing a place to smithereens and then rebuilding it is a particularly sustainable practice. Sure, it 'stimulates the economy', if one might say so, but at what price - not just to the civilian populations, but also to the earth's resources as a whole, and, of course at what cost to the local ecosystems, which invariably suffers the most. Can we afford to carry on destroying entire ecosystems through the effects of war?

Or, let's take another example - oil. We all know by know that fossil fuels have a direct impact on global warming. The effects of climate change have already produced some horrendous 'un-natural' disasters, such as Hurricane Katrina last year. Wildfires and floods have become regular items on the news. The costs related to these disasters are staggering, yet instead of putting all the money and intelligence we can gather up between us to research and develop alternative sources of power, the US government spends all the money it has got, plus some that it hasn't to send its youngsters to fight a war for oil to ensure that we can continue to melt the ice caps with our emissions, and do so 'cheaply'.

California has just taken the unprecedented step of suing some of the biggest car manufacturers for their contribution to global warming. While it is undeniable that cars contribute to global warming, it is up to us as individuals to decide to take the bicycle to run our errands instead of the car. Thus, would it not be more appropriate to sue the government for not signing the Kyoto treaty? Or to lobby for a change in legislation that would require car manufacturers to not only produce cars that run on clean fuel, but that are also built from recyclable materials which the car manufacturer is obliged to take back when the car gets scrapped. Moves in that direction are already underway in Germany, and it is not a new idea - Henry Ford built the first recyclable motorcar entirely from resin fortified hemp fibre, which even ran on hemp ethanol. (http://www.chaozation.com/politics/hemp/FordHemp.htm) That was in 1941, when the automobile industry thought that the future of car fuel would be plant derived ethanol. Perhaps we are ready for it now. Richard Branson has just announced a huge investment in alternative fuel research - at long last!!!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/5368194.stm
http://www.hempcar.org/
http://www.altfuels.com/links.php
http://www.worldagroforestrycentre.org/news/default.asp?NewsID=75F25096-4E40-4437-B445-37AD534D033F
http://www.jatropha.de

What does climate change have to do with poverty, you might ask yourself now. Actually, a lot. Climate change will affect all of us sooner or later, but many of the poorest nations will be hit worst. Not only may their very lands disappear under the rising water levels (e.g. the island nations of Polynesia inhabit islands that barely rise above sea level now), but even if they manage to keep their feet dry, the changing climate is going to cause havoc to all kinds of crops and plant resources on which people of all nations have come to rely.

Plants are adaptable to a point, but a rise of temperature, even by as little as one or two degrees can wipe out entire species and subsequently degrade a habitat beyond recognition. We may be able to sustain the loss of one or two species, but it does not stop there. The ecological web of life is more than just a metaphor. Losing one species deprives another of its staple diet, and losing that next species along the food chain in turn deprives others of their dinner and so on. No human being is 'exempt' - we all live at the top of the food chain - and are dependent on the integrity of the whole ecological system that provides our sustenance. Without food even the richest people in the world will become poor - though it may take until then before it is generally realised that money itself is not edible.

But, I hate to be so glum. I believe in the power of Gaia, I believe in the power of vision, and I believe, ultimately, in the power of individuals to make a difference. The wind of change is already blowing. Fair trade schemes and consumer choices can make a big difference, but it is also important to let politicians and companies know how you feel.

http://www.fairtrade.net/
http://www.maketradefair.com/en/index.php?file=qa_doha_suspended.html

Fighting poverty is not about humanitarian aid, it is about giving people a chance to climb out of the poverty trap - helping people to help themselves. Economic justice. Wiping out debts. Fairtrade schemes and microcredits support people's efforts to support themselves are among the most successful sustainable development initiatives. Last year was the international year of microcredit - a sign that this avenue for change is moving into mainstream consciousness, thus bringing opportunities for financial security to increasing numbers of the world's poorest people:

http://www.microcreditsummit.org/
http://www.gdrc.org/icm/
http://www.yearofmicrocredit.org/

Eco-tourism also has a huge impact on creating sustainable livelihoods and preserving ecosystems and their biodiversity. The range of eco-tourism offers is very broad - ranging from low impact tours that focus on activities such as hiking or kayaking, to eco-lodges that are co-owned with local communities, thus creating a sustainable income base and a real monetary incentive to preserve natural resources and cultural traditions. Eco-tourism can also mean going to a language school while staying with a family, or doing a volunteer trip to help build a school or other community project. The possibilities are truly broad.

For some special travel suggestions that can make a difference, please our travel feature below.

These are all very big issues and by no means discussed comprehensively here. It is often difficult to know how we can make a difference as individuals in our own lives. But however insignificant and small they may seem, there are many things we can do. Apart from the obvious - reduce, reuse, recycle - how about leaving the car at home once a week or sharing rides with a co-worker? Or changing your light bulbs to low energy ones - these don't seem like big steps, but they save huge amounts of energy and taking steps to reduce your personal energy bill will not only be beneficial for your wallet, but also makes a contribution to reduce greenhouse gases.

So, while this article can only barely skim the surface of all those complexities involved in 'sustainable development' and 'eradicating poverty', I hope it provides some food for thought with regard to the intricacies involved and the ways in which each one of us can make positive decisions for change in our every day lives.

Here are some further resources and food for thought:

http://money.guardian.co.uk/ethicalmoney/story/0,,1839145,00.html
http://www.worldwatch.org/search/node/poverty
http://www.worldwatch.org/search/node/sustainable+development

Eco-tourism can be one of the most effective ways to create a viable basis for sustainable development. Sustainable development is important in all aspects of the economy and should be pursued in all countries, but it is especially important in developing countries. The reason is that these are the countries most vulnerable to exploitation of their natural resources, especially by foreign investors and corporations. But exploitation is never sustainable - sooner or later the resources are gone and the investors will move on, leaving behind them a trail of devastation.

The alternative model seeks to form allegiances between local people and investor money in an attempt to raise the economic subsistence base of the community, directly and indirectly, thus improving the standards of living for all. Some eco-tourism projects are models of sustainable development, where lodges built with investor money are co-operatively run for the first 10 years or so, during which time training is provided to the communities which otherwise are not acquainted with any form of tourism related activities. After this period the lodges are turned over to the communities to be fully operated by them, thus providing and autonomous income base which preserves the integrity of their land and culture, preserves the wild-life and raises environmental consciousness in the whole region.

Some such projects have already been extremely successful and rate among the best eco-lodges in their respective countries. Sacred Earth works with some of these types of lodge in Peru and Ecuador:

	Posada Amazonas - Peru The Posada Amazonas is a comfortable, yet unobtrusive 30 bedroom lodge, jointly owned by Rainforest Expeditions and the Ese'eja Native Community of Tambopata. Thanks to its accessibility, excellent wildlife observation opportunities and first class accommodations, Posada Amazonas is the ideal short, economic introductory nature tours to Amazonia's richest rain forests, because Travel time required to get to Posada Amazonas from Puerto Maldonado is less than 2 hours. Thus you have time to explore the forest the same afternoon you arrive. It offers enough quality natural and cultural resources to keep your agenda busy for your 2 night stay: giant river otters at an oxbow lake, parrots at a clay lick, a canopy tower and an ethnobotanical trail. View more details and itinerary
	Heath River - Peru Only four hours by river from Puerto Maldonado airport, Heath River Wildlife Center is the gateway to the largest uninhabited and un-hunted rainforest in the Amazon. An immensely photogenic macaw clay lick, capybaras, oxbow lakes with Giant Otters, hundreds of birds and mammal species and a lodge 100%-owned by the Ese'eja Indians of Sonene make the Heath the best combination of nature and culture in the this part of the Amazon. This special program combines a trip to Sandoval Lake Lodge (SL.) plus a visit to Puerto Maldonado's closest large Macaw Clay Lick (from a comfortable floating blind) at the new Heath River Wildlife Center (HRWC) and a visit to the extraordinary bio-diverse Pampas del Heath (savanah). View more details and itinerary
	Yine Lodge - Peru The Yine Project heralds an exciting new stage of community-based ecotourism in Manu. Established as a joint project between one of the most respected and longest established eco-tourism companies in Manu and the Yine Indians of the Peruvian Manu Biosphere Reserve rainforest, the ten-year project, began early in 2001. In 2011, the eco-lodge will be handed over to the Yine. Over this period the lodge will be built and the Yine will acquire the knowledge necessary to run an effective community tourism project. At present short 3 day introductory programs are available that introduce visitors to various aspects of Yine culture. View more details and itinerary
	Kapawi Lodge - Ecuador Kapawi is a beautiful eco-lodge situated in Achuar territory by a lake near the Pastaza river, in one of the most remote areas of the Ecuadorian Amazon. Accessible only by air, Kapawi has great wildlife: pink dolphins, macaws and a plethora of other species of birds and mammals. The Lodge offers 20 comfortable double rooms, each with private bathroom and heated showers. Built according to special architectural concept based on Achur design (no metal nails), the lodge is very conscious of ecological principles: solar energy, biodegradable soaps and garbage recycling systems, make this eco-lodge one of the best in South America. Visitors have numerous choices with regards to the activities offered at the lodge, which they can customize and arrange according to their own interests. Guides are at hand to help the group or visitors to design the most suitable program to meet individual interests and physical conditions. View more details and itinerary

The words 'fat' or 'oil' often draws a horrified expression on people's faces. Years of campaigning for fat free this, that and everything has conditioned our thinking that fat is bad, and that's that. Fortunately, this is a complete misconception. We must learn to differentiate, for one fat is not like another. For a start - animal fats ARE not particularly healthy and should be consumed in great moderation. But since this newsletter is about plants we won't even discuss them here. This article is about common and uncommon vegetable oils that are mostly derived from seeds and nuts.

The human body needs fat. But how much it needs depends on one's level of physical activity. Fats provide energy. That is why plants tend to pack it into seeds - it provides them with the energy to fuel germination - just like mother's milk is rich in fat to boost her baby's growth. But energy means calories - hence the widespread fear of 'getting fat'.

Everything in moderation: an athlete or construction worker needs a lot more easily accessible energy than an office worker. However, both need certain fats to maintain optimum health, and vegetable oils are an excellent source of these 'essential fatty acids'. These fatty acids are called 'essential' because the body is no more able to manufacture them than it can make vitamins or minerals, which is why it is essential to include them in our diet. Essential fatty acids are highly unsaturated fats that have recently made the headlines as the latest 'super nutrients': omega-3, omega-6,omega-9, alpha and gamma linolenic acids. These substances are vital for proper cell nutrition and to fight cancer causing free radicals. They help to lower cholesterol levels and thus improve heart health, keep arteries supple, boost the immune system, fight chronic inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, are vital in the development of the brain and nerve cells, improve chronic inflammatory skin conditions such as acne or psoriasis and provide a host of other benefits.

But vegetable oils are not only beneficial on the inside - they also provide some of the best nutrients for external skin care. In ancient times it was common to oil or 'anoint' the body - which was done for spiritual as well as cosmetic purposes. Oil keeps the skin supple and smooth, radiating glowing health. Today, most cosmetic lotions and crèmes are predominantly made with mineral oil (petroleum jelly and similar). These offer no therapeutic benefit to the skin at all, but have the advantage of being very stable, thus boasting a very long shelf-life, which in turn increases profit margins. Even most commercially available 'natural cosmetics' contain harmful substances. Thus, if you want the best quality cosmetic products that really nourish the skin, make your own - using natural seed and nut oils. Each oil has specific therapeutic properties suitable for different skin types or conditions that can have remarkable beneficial effects on dryness, itchiness, sunburn or the unkind signs of time drawn around the eyes and such.

Vegetable oils also play an increasingly important role in industry. Remember, oil equals energy. One of the latest innovations is the use of plant oils as bio fuel known as Biodiesel, which can be used to fuel cars. Biodiesel is much cleaner than conventional diesel and cheaper too. Although in theory it would be possible to put vegetable oil straight into your diesel tank and go, there is a small problem, which is particularly bothersome in winter. Vegetable oils tend to be a lot more thick and sticky (viscous) than conventional diesel oil, which means it is harder to draw into the engine and combust properly. It needs to be thinned in some way, either by mixing it with regular gasoline or which somehow defies the point, or by preheating the oils so it becomes more liquid and runny. To make the most effective use of biodiesel it is best if the car is converted professionally, which will replace all the nozzles and punps so it can run safely and smoothly on biodiesel without anything getting congested. (http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_svo.html ).

Of course, as with anything, there are also environmental concerns about biodiesel. In this case it is not so much the pollution that makes the practice questionable, but the fact that good farmland is sacrificed to grow fuel for cars instead of food for people and that in some instances land actually is cleared of old forest to grow this cash crop. This is particularly worrisome in the tropics where it is rainforest that is cut down in favour of oil palm plantations. Rainforest soil, even when replanted with oil palms, is not very productive in the long run, unless the areas that are being cut down are very small and the patch is allowed to regenerate after a year or two of continuous use. Of course oil palm plantations will last much longer than a year or two and the areas that are cleared are much bigger than 'a patch'. This is a real concern. However, it seems to make little difference in the long run, whether that area is cleared for an oil palm plantation, soy farming or cattle raising. Monoculture plantations of any kind destroy habitats and diminish biodiversity. The only thing that will protect that forest is to prohibit all clearing for agricultural use - which is unlikely to happen. What really needs addressing are the policies concerning land use - but that is another story and shall be told another time.

A further consideration, which affects us much closer to home, is the fact that many oil crops grown for fuel production are gene manipulated. Contamination from gene manipulated fields and the loss of biodiversity associated with it are a real worry. The inconvenient truth is simply that we are consuming too much energy, no matter whether it is renewable vegetable oil or fossil fuel and the environment (and ultimately we ourselves) suffers the effects of our insatiable appetite for 'power' in either case.

Vegetable oils also have a number of other industrial uses, some of which are becoming increasingly interesting in view of rising fossil fuel prices. Like mineral oil, some vegetable oils lend themselves well to polymerisation - a process used to create plastics - but in the case of vegetable oils, the plastics thus produced are biodegradable. Considering the vast amounts of plastics we use and their general resistance to decomposing, bio-plastics offer one of the greatest hopes for civilization which may prevent us from suffocating in our own, ever growing plastics junk heaps. (http://www.biobasics.gc.ca/english/View.asp?x=790)

Vegetable oils:

While most vegetable oils are derived from seeds and nuts; some are also derived from very oily vegetables or fruit. Some are predominantly used for cooking, while others are more suitable as nutritional supplements or as additives for cosmetic preparations. Others are mostly employed for industrial uses. The quality of vegetable oils varies widely. Some oils, including most hat are intended for culinary use, are solvent extracted and highly refined. Best quality cooking oils should be 'cold pressed', such as a good olive oil - which incidentally also has the best nutritional profile. Refined oils and 'butters' usually have a better shelf-life, as most of their unsaturated components are removed in the process of refinement, which renders much less nutritious.

Methods of Extraction:

Refined oil

Pressing oil from seeds and refining it for human consumption is a lengthy process. The raw material (usually seeds or nuts) first have to be cleaned and shelled. Following that they are heated, which makes the extraction process easier. Next, they are pressed through a contraption that resembles a meat mincing machine. The more pressure is applied the hotter the oil gets in the process. Facilitated by the heat all sorts of undesired compounds are also expressed, which make the oil unpalatable. Thus it has to undergo a refining process, to remove those undesirable compounds again.

Some raw materials that are naturally not that rich in oil content must be extracted by a special process involving a solvent, usually hexane, which extracts the oil from the pulp. Hexane is a substance produced during the process of crude oil refining, the solvent that glue sniffers get high on. The hexane needs to be removed again from the oil, which is done by heating the mixture to about 60°C.

After the extraction process the actual refining takes place. 'Refining' simply means purifying the oil by getting rid of unwanted substances and residues- and in the process, extending shelf-life. This is where the real chemistry starts. The oil is subjected to being 'washed' with a watery sodium base liquor (industrial soap), which causes certain compounds to separate or clump together so that they can be filtered out. To cut a long story short, the oil is literally put through the chemical mill in order to cleanse it of all impurities and make it fit for human consumption. The advantage of this process is the yield: despite the enormously complicated chemical procedure the yield is much greater than with cold pressed oils, and the shelf-life is often extended well beyond a year.

Cold Pressed Oils

Cold pressed oils are the highest quality oils available. Nothing is added or removed from them. They are extracted by a simple mechanical pressing operation. This should be done very slowly since pressure and speed produce heat - which destroys the beneficial compounds of the oil. The oil should not be heated above 40°C in the process. Cold pressed oils are expensive because the yield is much lower compared to industrial oil production methods. The shelf life is not as long either, but the nutrient content is usually much higher and the range of flavours much richer - quite incomparable to the highly processed oils, which always taste the same. Good cold pressed oils have a bouquet of flavours in the same way as good coffee or wine does. No two oils are ever the same.

Fatty Acids: Oleic- 64.8% Palmitic- 6.4% Linoleic- 26.1% Linolenic- 0.3% Stearic- 1.4%	Sweet Almond (Prunus dulcis) A light, gentle oil derived from almond seeds. This oil is nutritionally very beneficial and may be used for culinary purposes (best to use organic). According to research it has an impressive ability to reduce cholesterol levels. However, most Almond oil is bought by the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industry and is used for salves, ointments, massage oils, crèmes and lotions. Due to its gentle nature it makes a good baby oil. It soaks into the skin easily, has a perfect viscosity and does not leave a greasy feeling. It is rich in essential fatty acids and keeps well. Its' shelf life is about 12 months.
Fatty Acids Oleic- 64.2% Palmitic- 5.0% Linoleic- 28.3% Linolenic- 0.2% Stearic- 1.0%	Apricot Kernel (Prunus armeniaca) A light oil, even gentler than Almond oil, derived from the seed of the Apricot. This oil may be expeller pressed or solvent extracted. In either case this oil should not be used internally. It has excellent properties as a cosmetic base oil that may be useful in crèmes and lotions or for facial oils. Apricot oil is chemically similar to Almond oil and also has a similar shelf life. It is not quite as drying as Almond oil.
Fatty Acids: Oleic- 48.4% Palmitic- 12.6% Palmitoleic- 0.1% Stearic- 5.4% Gadoleic- 0.3% Arachidic- 0.2%	Argan oil (Argana spinosa) This edible oil comes from a small desert tree found in Morocco. According to Morrocan traditio, the nuts have to pass through the guts of goats, who forage on the trees, before they can be processed. After this preliminary step the nuts are roasted and crushed. The pulp is then submerged in water and the oil, which floats at the top, is siphoned off - a labour intensive process. The oil has a nutty smell and flavour and is rich in vitamin E, carotenes and phytosterols. Due to its rarity and price it may be more beneficial as a cooking oil than as a cosmetic base oil, although it is certainly beneficial for the skin as well - particularly for aged and damaged skin.
Fatty Acids Oleic- 36-80% Palmitic- 7-32% Linoleic- 6-18% Palmitoleic 2-13% Stearic 0.5-1.5% Alpha Linolenic 0-5%	Avocado (Persea Americana) That well-known delicious vegetable is the downfall of dieters: the pulp is so rich in fat that it readily gives it up by simple expeller extraction. The oil is dark green and thick, almost solid when unrefined, turning brown in sunlight. This oil is highly nutritious and very beneficial for the skin, but due to its unstable nature it should be used quickly. It can be used for therapeutic cosmetic preparations to soothe irritated and inflamed skin or to add to a healing oil for burns and scars. The oil has very good moisturizing properties and helps to regenerate the elasticity of the skin. However, be aware that most commercially available Avocado oil is refined, which means that many of the nutrients have been removed. The fatty acid profile varies greatly depending on the quality of the oil.
Fatty Acids Lauric- 50% Myristic- 20% Oleic-12.5% Palmitic- 11% Capric- 7% Caprylic- 4% Linoleic 1.5% Stearic- 3.5% Caproic 0.2%	Babassu (Orbignya oleifera) This oil derives from stately palm tree, whose nuts resemble small coconuts and originates in the costal regions of Brazil. It is the third most important oil palm species in the world. It is widely used in the Americas for food and medicine. However, the oil is very rich in saturated fats, which does not make it a very good choice for culinary purposes. For cosmetic use it has good moisturizing, emollient and cleansing properties. It lends itself well to sun tan lotions, cleansing crèmes and lip balms. It is siad to be especially good for dry and brittle hair and thus lends itself well for hair care products. Industry utilizes it in the production of soaps and detergents.
Fatty Acids Oleic- 22.6% Palmitic- 11.7% Linoleic- 55.6% Linolenic- 1.0%	Black Cumin Seed (Nigella sativa) Better known as the cottage garden flower 'Love in the Mist', Black Cumin seeds yield a bitter, spicy oil rich in unsaturated fatty acids. It is promoted as a nutritional supplement not only for its high Linoleic acid content, butter also for its bitter components, which are beneficial for the digestive functions and stimulate the metabolism. Black Cumin Seed oil also has a reputation for its ability to combat conditions of the upper repiratory tract, such as asthma, bronchitis and emphysema and will stimulate the immune system. Those who like the taste may want to try it (in small quantities) as an addition to salad dressings, but most will prefer it in capsule form. Due to its strong smell it is not the best oil to use as an ingredient of massage oil blends, though with a little skill, blending it with essential oils and base oils, it may contribute to a detoxifying and invigorating blend. It may also enhance blends intended for inflammatory skin conditions such as acne and eczema. (should not be used internally during pregnancy)
Fatty Acids Palmitic- 6% Stearic- 5% Oleic- 11-12% Linoleic 47-48% Gamma Linolenic- 16-17% Alpha Linolenic 12-13% Parinaric 3% Gadoleic 1.1%	Blackcurrent Seed (Ribes nigrum) This healthy fruit is not only jam packed with vitamin C. It also harbours nutritionally loaded seeds rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids. As a nutritional supplement Blackcurrent Seed oil can boost the immune system and supports the healthy function of the heart. It fights chronic inflammatory processes and has anti-coagulant properties that can help to prevent thrombosis. Many women find that adding oils rich in alpha and gamma Linolenic acids help them regulate symptoms associated with their menstrual cycle. Used as a nutritive addition in cosmetic preparations Blackcurrent seed is praised for its effect on mature skin, helping to revitalize and moisturize dry and wrinkled skin and providing nutrients that can help to restructure the natural elasticity of the skin.
Fatty Acids Linoleic- 30-40% Gamma Linolenic- 8-25% Oleic- 15-20% Palmitic- 9-12% Stearic- 3-4% Gadoleic- 2-6%	Borage (Borago officinalis) A common herb of the Boraginaceae family, the delicate blue starry flowers of the Borage plant produce a highly nutritious seed with many valuable properties. Borage Seed oil is rich in GLA (gamma Linoleic acid) and can be bought in capsule form as a nutritional supplement. It is particularly useful for regulating the menstrual cycle or to ease menopausal symptoms. Borage seed oil is used therapeutically to counteract chronic inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, skin conditions and menopausal symptoms, to name but a few. As a nutritional component of cosmetic preparations it has restorative properties espe