Christy Moormann
Watershed Watch , because sometimes, nature knows best. I recommend the full version found here. . .nice animation, and delivery.
Among all the “food nations” of North
America, Salmon Nation is the richest in
mushrooms, berries, wild roots, fish, and
shellfish. Native American traditions are at its
core, but other culinary accents – from Spanish
to Japanese – have added to the mix. Renewing
Salmon Nation’s Food Traditions describes over
180 species of local plants and animals – many
now at risk, others recovering, and all deserving
of recognition – that have formed the basis of
food traditions in the Pacific Northwest.
This illustrated handbook brings together
farmers, chefs, fisherfolk, food historians, orchardists,
activists, educators, and wild foragers in an
unprecedented effort to assess the current state of
foods unique to the Pacific Northwest. The result is
a comprehensive guide to the foods that have nurtured
Salmon Nation for centuries.
Renewing Salmon Nation’s Food Traditions
describes the appearance and taste of each species,
its origin and history, geographic range, and
culinary uses. Foods range from the Bing cherry,
Hood strawberry, and Nez Perce bean to Chinook
salmon, candlefish smelt, and geoduck to wild
items such as Oregon black truffle, wapato, and
blackcap raspberry. A resource list provides names
of nurseries, seed companies, and suppliers working
to safeguard and revitalize the heritage foods of
Salmon Nation.
Quest Outreach in Vancouver BC
Almost two decades ago, Quest Outreach Society launched an innovative business model: to rescue food — perfectly good cans, boxes and perishables — that would otherwise be tossed in the garbage and headed for our landfills, and redirect it to hungry people in the Lower Mainland who need it most. We call it the Quest Food Exchange.
Since green politics emerged as an ideology, it has been defined by a few key green principles. The German Greens drafted the earliest statement of this kind, called the Four Pillars of the Green Party. The Four Pillars have been repeated by many green parties worldwide as a foundational statement of the green ideology:
* Ecological wisdom
* Social justice
* Grassroots democracy
* Nonviolence
. . . Bill also went on to say that the hurricanes Katrina and Rita were probably one of the most devastating events to affect not only hummingbirds, but migratory birds in general. Vegetation was completely destroyed all along the coast where the hummingbirds rested and put on fat for their 600 mile journey across the Gulf of Mexico. Many were lost over the gulf as they had no reserves to sustain them on the migration.
Hummingbirds rest and build reserves of fat all along the coast in preparation for their journey. They need proteins and fat to gain this weight. Sugar water and nectar alone will not build fat, it only gives them quick energy to hunt the insects that they need to build body mass. By the time they migrate, Ruby-throat hummingbirds will have nearly doubled their weight. These reserves are used in the twenty hour non-stop flight to their winter feeding grounds in Central America. Many people do not know that hummingbirds have a diet other than nectar. It is important to restrict the use of pesticides in habitats where you want to attract hummingbirds because, ‘a’ you are killing a potential food source when you spray, and ‘b’ the nectar in the flowers gets contaminated with the residue. The hummingbirds drink the nectar, so you are in effect poisoning the birds.
Bill suggests the best way to attract hummingbirds is a complete Hummingbird Habitat, rather than a Hummingbird Garden. There should be several different nectar sources, safe shelter, nesting areas, water, and solid food. For solid food, he suggests cultivating a healthy population of fruit flies. It seems that the birds love them. A few melon rinds, bananas, or rotten apples stashed in an out of the way area and kept moist, should do the trick.
from: Dave’s Garden
Puget Sound Georgia Basin Research Conference:
The biennial Puget Sound Georgia Basin Ecosystem Conference is the largest, most comprehensive scientific research and policy conference in the Salish Sea region. The 2009 conference, hosted by the Puget Sound Partnership and Environment Canada, will further the experiences of previous conferences by connecting scientific research and management techniques to priorities for meaningful action. The 2009 conference will emphasize the importance of working collaboratively to solve some of the complex issues that cross political borders.
The Elwha watershed is the largest in Olympic National Park; restoration of salmon to the over 70 miles of river and tributaries will return vital nutrients to the watershed and will restore the entire ecosystem. For the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, this project will bring cultural, spiritual and economic healing as salmon return after a century’s absence and flooded sacred sites are restored.
