• View
• Edit
• Page History
• All Recent Changes
• Print

Soren

Please visit my other blog, Green the Earth

Rain Catchment Interview with Brian Robbins

Interview

Interview 2

Interview 3

Interview 4

Interview 5

Species List - 10/13/07

• Box Thorn (Lycium barbarum) Edible Uses: Tea, edible fruit and leaves. Medicinal Uses: antibacterial

• Licorice root – (Ligusticum canadense) Edible Uses: Tea and leaves Medicinal Uses: Root can be used to cure stomach disorders

• Wild Ginger – (Asarum caudatum) Edible Uses: used in cooking, tea Medicinal Uses: helps to relieve pain, cures stomach disorders

• Garlic – (Allium sativum) Edible Uses: used in cooking, flowers leaves root and seeds are edible Medicinal Uses: treats stings, colds and flu

• White Peppermint Edible Uses: condiment, tea. Medicinal Uses: used in treating fevers, digestive disorders and lotions to relieve pain

• Aloe Vera (Aloe vera) Edible Uses: used as an emergency food (very bitter) leaves and seeds are edible Medicinal Uses: treats cancer, skin, stomachic (aids digestion)

• Hemp – (Cannabis sativa) Edible Uses: oil, can be cooked. Leaves and seed are edible Medicinal Uses: cancer, AIDS, promotes weight gain Fiber can be made into cloth

• Elderberry – (Sambucus nigra) Edible Uses: coloring, tea, fruit, cooked or raw. When cooked, it makes good jams, pies, and preserves. Medicinal Uses: Juice can be used to cure inflamed eyes, lotions, the leaves and be used to treat bruises and sprains.

• Dandelion – (Taraxacum officinale) Edible Uses: Coffee, Tea. Edible parts, flowers, leaves and root Medicinal Uses: treats warts, tea can be made from the leaves or the roots

• Sea-Buckthorn – Hippophae rhamnoides

Edible Uses

• Fruit (berry) can be cooked or eaten raw.

• Very rich in Vitamin C, A, and E, also in minerals and fatty acids.

• Used to make fruit juice (quite tart by itself); best when mixed with other fruits.

• Said to have health benefits.

Medicinal Uses

• Oil is used for treating burns, eczema, radiation injury.

• Can be taken internally to treat intestinal diseases and cardiac disorders.

• The fresh juice is used to treat colds, fever and exhaustion.

• It is being researched as a treatment for cancer.

• The juice is used in face creams and toothpastes.

Other Uses

• The plant can be used as a shelter hedge.

• With its extensive root system, it can bind sandy soil.

• It adds nitrogen to the soil.

• It grows quickly and can be used to re-establish woodlands.

• The wood is tough, durable and fine-grained and can be used for carpentry.

• The wood can also be used for fuel and charcoal.

• Dye can be extracted from the stems, roots, and leaves.

I found a company — http://seabuckthorn.com — that produces a verity of products: skin creams, capsules, teas, cleansing bars, hair care, and oils.

Scientific Name

Hippophae rhamnoides

Common name

sandthorn” or "seaberry

Species

Hippophae rhamnoides Common sea-buckthorn Hippophae salicifolia Willow-leaved Sea-buckthorn from the Himalayas grows in high altitudes in dry valleys /yellow berries Hippophae tibetana Tibetan Sea-buckthorn even higher altitudes in the alpine zone of Tibet

Subspecies

Mongolian Sea-buckthorn, Hippophae rhamnoides ssp. mongolica. Turkish Sea-buckthorn, Hippophae rhamnoides ssp. Turkestanica Wild Sea-buckthorn Hippophae rhamnoides ssp. Sinensis (China)

Origin Name

Sea-buckthorn is mentioned in the writings of the ancient Greek scholars Theophrastus and Dioscorides. Sea-buckthorn was known as a remedy for horses, and leaves and young branches were added to fodder, to induce rapid weight gain and a shiny coat. The generic name Hippophae means shining horse.

Ecology

Of 360 bird species that live in the Loess Plateau region of China covered by sea-buckthorn, 51 entirely depend on sea buckthorn as food and 80 are relatively dependent upon sea buckthorn. For many of the other animal species, sea buckthorn is an important source of food or provides shelter. The leaves and tender branches are a rich source of protein.

Several wild animal species have found a habitat in the sea buckthorn forest, including pheasant, hare, and fox.

Form

Sea-buckthorn branches are dense, stiff and thorny. The leaves are silvery-green, lanceolate, 3-8 cm long and less than 7 mm broad. It is dioecious (separate male and female plants). The male produces brownish flowers and the pollen is distributed by the wind. The female plants produce orange berries 6-9 mm in diameter an important winter food resource for birds.

Sea buckthorn is native over a wide area across Europe and Asia. They reach 0.5-6 m tall and typically occur in dry, sandy areas. They are tolerant of salt in the air and soil, but demand full sunlight for good growth and cannot tolerate shady conditions near larger trees.

Propagation

Seed – sow in spring or autumn in a sunny location. Germination is quick. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow on in a greenhouse for their first winter. Plant out in late spring into their permanent positions.

Guild

• Sea-buckthorn – windbreak, food, medicinal, binds sandy soil, nitrogen fixing

• Raspberries – food, medicine

• Birdsfoot trefoil – living mulch, nitrogen fixing

• Long beans – traps insects, food, vertical element

• Butterfly bush – attracts beneficial insects and butterflies, ornamental

• Hazelnut – tree, shade, food

References

http://www.answers.com/topic/sea-buckthorn

http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Hippophae+rhamnoides

Permaculture Magazine Report

Permaculture Magazine No 26

Taking the Plunge Naturally

This article discusses the advantages of natural swimming pools. Swimming in a natural swimming pool is enjoyable because there are no chemicals such as chorine. A natural swimming pool is considerably cheaper than a conventional pool and the cost to maintain natural pools is also less. Natural pools only need an annual visit to check the plants, filters, and skimmers.

A natural pools uses less manufactured materials to construct and maintain and the pool attracts natural wildlife so there is no risk in releasing chemicals into the environment.

Water temperature can be changed at certain times of the year cheaply and easily to extend the swimming season.

More communities in Europe are installing natural pools or combined pools in order to save on maintenance costs and create a more natural swimming environment. Natural pools rely on the principle of harmonious co existence just like in nature. The over all pool forms a natural unity of function and design.

There are two parts to a natural pool, swimming and regeneration. The water is naturally self-cleansed by microorganisms and plants to ensure perfect water quality. Special plants can be grown to filter the water even more so that even the strict EU standards for swimming pools are easily met.

Natural pools are part of the landscape and are pleasant all year round and provide wildlife habitats.

http://www.permaculture-magazine.co.uk/articles/archive/article_26.html

Bioneers Conference 2007

At first I didn’t want to go to the conference because I thought it would be boring. It turns out that the Bioneers conference was very inspiring.

I really enjoyed the hosts Nina Simons and Kenny Ausubel who captured the audience with their personal style.

I enjoyed all the speakers but a few speakers stood out:

I enjoyed Paul Anastas who spoke about Green chemistry. Green Chemistry attempts to transform many of the materials from toxic to non-toxic and is transforming the whole field of chemistry to use natural materials such as plant compounds rather than harmful chemicals that are not only damaging to people who use them but are also destructive to the environment. One point I thought was interesting was that the definition of Hazard = a design flaw.

I also liked Wallace Nichols who spoke about oceans.

A few interesting points were that 90% of the big animals are gone.

There is a problem with fishing and that is that we overfish. If one has to fish, take only what you need and don’t waste.

Another point is that we need to put less into the ocean, take less out and protect the shores and live blue.

One point that I found very interesting was of the trek of the sea turtle “Adelita” who traveled 12,000 KM in 368 days from Baja, CA to Japan and then back again.

The Ocean Revolution

• Unprecedented Knowledge

• Global Network of activists

• Creative communication

With the knowledge, the global network of activists and Bioneers can communicate creatively and save our oceans.