Picture of the Week

butterfly IN ARKANSAS

7 tips for mushroom hunters

7 tips for mushroom hunters

Mushroom hunting is a fun hobby, it can be hard but it is worth it. Over time you will start to notice them everywhere. The more you look, the more you will find. The more you find, the more you want to know.

Here are a few thing that might help you on your way:

1.)  Mushrooms thrive in moist dark places.  Look under bushes, trees 
      and fallen logs. Be safe keep an eye out for spiders and snakes.

2.) Use either paper or mesh bags to collect. Plastic will make the
     mushrooms mush up.

3.) Get to know the local trees in your area, some trees form
     symbiotic relationships with mushrooms so that is a good place 
     to start.

4.) Mushrooms respond to stress in the environment.  They are
     natural healers you may find mushrooms in burned areas, or that
     were once flooded, or where there is ground disturbed by human 
     activity such as logging.  

5.) Unless you are an expert NEVER eat or even touch the mushrooms
     you find. Unless you are absolutely positively sure of what they 
     are.  There are many species that look almost exactly the same, its 
     better to be safe.

6.) If you do take mushrooms, don't take ever single mushroom. You
     need mushrooms to spread spores, this way you will find more in 
     the future.

7.) Be careful where you look and what you touch! Watch out for 
     ticks and poison oak. I experienced my first case of poison oak ever 
     because I was trying to get a picture of a mushroom. 


Once you have found your mushrooms, take some time to learn about  them. I created a cheat sheet you can fill out in the field. I like to fill them out then try to figure out what mushrooms I have found.

You can download it here --> Mushroom Guide






Resources:
A Field Guide to Mushrooms: North America (Peterson Field Guides) [Kent H. McKnight, Vera B. McKnight] 

Morel Mushroom hunting: http://www.mushroom-appreciation.com/morel-mushroom-hunting-tips.html

Appreciate Diversity - The Dragonfly!

A bit about a dragonfly

If you happen upon a pond, or lake you will probably run into a dragonfly. Dashing here and there,  always in a rush. 

You can find dragonflies around water such as marshes, lakes, ponds, streams, and wetlands, their larvae or "nymphs", live in the water. 

I love dragonflies, I think they are neat looking. 

In Japan dragonflies are symbols of courage, strength, and happiness. 

Dragonflies are important to our ecosystem, they are predators that feed on small insects such as:

• mosquitoes
• flies
• bees
• ants
• wasps

 There are about 5680 different species of dragonflies in the world today.

Appreciate Diversity!

resources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragonfly

I'm eating what!?

I'm Eating What!?

When I became a vegetarian at the naive age of 16, I never dreamed that I would have to worry about bio engineered food. I thought fruit was fruit and it was good for me. Then I started to pay attention to what I was eating and what pesticides were being used on my food, it’s horrifying.

Read labels, you will see for yourself, everything has corn syrup in it. If that wasn’t bad enough, about 85% of corn in the United States is genetically modified.

This made me think, what do I know about genetically modified organisms or GMO’s?

GMO’s are Organisms, modified through the use of various genetic engineering techniques. They are literally altering or combining the genetic information of our food.    

Sounds like science fiction but over the years scientists have been sneaking GMO based products onto market shelves with no plans to inform the consumer.

The flavr saver tomato was introduced in 1994. In 1998 Golden rice was made public. In recent months they have introduced what had been adapted as “frankenfish” a genetically modified fish.

In the paper written by Michael Antoniou, Claire Robinson and John Fagan “GMO Myths and Truths”

It was shown through feeding tests that rats that had eaten the flavr saver tomatoes developed lesions in their bellies. Rats fed the GM soy suffered issues with their kidneys and hearts and Rats fed the GM corn after three generations had damage to the liver and kidney and alterations in their biochemistry.

The deeper you dig the more you find out. There have been so many keystone ingredients such as corn and soy, which have been modified that it is hard to tell if what you’re eating contains GMO’s.

This is a partial list of good that has been modified in some way:

• Tomatoes
• Cantaloupe
• Soybeans
• sugar beets
• corn
• cotton
• sweet potatoes
• Bananas
• Strawberries
• Zucchini
• Pineapples
• Cocoa beans
• Yellow squash

Here the scary part;

Around 85% of the United States corn, 91% of Soybeans, 88% cotton and 95% sugar beets are now GMO. That’s just the beginning…

It was stated by the center of food safety that, “It is estimated that upwards of 70% of processed foods on super market shelves are products that contain genetically engineered ingredients.” As for the concerns, they went on to say, “A number of studies over the past decade have revealed that genetically engineered foods can pose serious risks to humans, domesticated animals, wildlife and the environment”.

There are so many things wrong it’s hard to list them all.

There are some benefits to GMO’s unfortunately you can’t ignore the fact, that we really have no idea what impact it will have on… well everything.

Here are some of the reasons why scientists are creating modified food vs. the negative impacts

Positives

·       Increased food production

·       Resistance to some pests

and herbicides

·       Improved nutritional content

·       Disease Resistant

·       Cold Tolerance

·       Drought Tolerance

·       Salinity Tolerance

·       Pharmaceuticals

Negatives

·       Loss of locally owned family farms to Corporate owned super-farms

·       Unintended harm to other species

·       Reduced effectiveness of pesticides, so you need to use more and more, which is bad for us.

·       Gene transfer to non target species or Cross pollination. This is already happening and innocent people are being sued and losing their family farms.

·       Unknown effects on human health including

·       Allergenicity, immune suppression, cancer and antibiotic resistance

·       Transfer of antibiotic resistance markers

·       Unknown effect on biodiversity

·       Domination of world production by a few companies

·       Increased dependence on

Industrialized nations by developing countries

·       Bio-piracy foreign exploitation of natural resources

...Just to name a few.

So who is allowing these products to be distributed?

There are three companies that regulate the GMO foods in the United States instead of just one that over see’s it all.

1.) The USDA – their job is environmental concerns, such as cross pollination.

2.) The EPA – Is basically to make sure the food is safe to consume

3.) The FDA- Makes sue foods are up to the requirements of the federal food, drug and cosmetic act.

They each have their own special area, but they do not always necessarily have to communicate their findings to each other.

What you need to know

• There have been a wide variety of tests done on several GMO foods that have shown significant health issues in rats, Including stomach ulcers and cancers. 
• What you absorb what you eat. Genetic changes in our food will eventually cause changes in us. Unfortunately that may include cancer and unknown illnesses. 
• There is very little regulation on the GMO foods that make it to market shelves. The testing is done by the companies themselves.
• There just is not enough believable information.
• Right now they don’t need to tell us if we are eating it or not. 

RESOURCES

    

Genetically Modified Foods: Harmful or Helpful?

(Released April 2000)by Deborah B. Whitman http://www.csa.com/discoveryguides/gmfood/overview.php

http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/campaign/genetically-engineered-food/crops/

Center for Food Safety, “The Hidden Health Hazards of Genetically Engineered Foods.” Food Safety

California Department of Food and Agriculture. A Food Foresight Analysis of Agricultural Biotechnology: A Report to the Legislature. January 1, 2003.Review, Spring 2000.

Excerpt/summary from: GMO Myths & Truths (92012) http://bit.ly/O0IAQS

Cute Moments Hiking

Its amazing what you see when you take a break and go for a hike.

I took these in Topanga Canyon State Park. 

I love the lil' one's face ...

Picture of the week

Don't be a litter bug!  Take part and pick it up!

Litter is common on the trail. If you don't want to carry 

something out don't carry it in.

Set an example if you see it, Pick it up.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Yes on Prop 37 California!!

Do not let the big companies fool you, they want to avoid cost on relabeling their items. My question is why wouldn't they tell you?! 

I will tell you why. These companies are afraid that if we know the truth and we have a choice we will not buy genetically modified food. 

Still, It should be our decision not the decision of some multimillion dollar company.  

Prop 37 does not stop them from using genetically modified foods, it forces
companies be honest about what we are eating it. 

What we eat goes into our bodies...We deserve a choice. 


Thanks to cornucopia.org for the poster you can download it for yourself here: http://www.cornucopia.org/wp-content/themes/Cornucopia/downloads/prop37-poster.pdf

sign the petition Here: http://www.cornucopia.org/prop37-petition/

Vote yes on 37.....please!

I would love to know your thoughts..any comments?

6 Easy Ways to Help the Earth

Imagine a world without trees or parks, birds or animals, Just concrete, buildings,  smog and billions of people.

As horrible as this is to imagine, this could be our future if we do not take steps to protect our environment and regulate the companies and people that only wish to exploit it.

Here are 6 Easy Ways We Can Help the Environment…

     1.)    CARE!

The planet is a living breathing thing. It sustains us and keeps us alive. There are ways to live in harmony with the environment.

·         Care about where your food comes from

·         Care about the quality of the air you breathe

·         Care about your impact on the planet.

·         Think about where everything comes from, it all comes from somewhere and it 

        effects everyone. 

·         Be aware of what you buy and throw away.

·         Don’t litter. If you see litter, pick it up.

2.)    Promote Biodiversity.

Biodiversity is the variety of species in our environment; it is what makes this world what it is. Biodiversity is essential to survive. We are all interdependent on each other in ways scientists have yet to discover.

You can help biodiversity by:

·         Protecting local habitat

·         Creating landscapes that encourage sustainability, and promote local species.

·         Get involved, volunteer in state and local parks.

3.)    Endorse Clean Energy.

Clean energy, renewable energy or green energy refers to energy produced from renewable resources without creating adverse effects on the environment.

Forms of renewable energy, that have a lower carbon emissions when compared to traditional energy sources include:

·         Wind Energy

·         Solar Energy

·         Hydroelectric Energy sources.

Save energy today by:

·         Opening doors and windows, if it’s warm, to reduce air conditioning use.

·       If it’s cool, close up the windows and bundle up.

·       Make sure your home has good insulation.

·       Change light bulbs to energy saver light bulbs.

·       Carpool if possible

·       Ditch the car and take the bus or train

4.)    Protect Natural Resources

Drinking Water, Fossil Fuels, Rain Forests, Coal, Petroleum, Marine Animals, Animals, Birds, Natural Gas are all is a finite resources, this means, one day we will run out. 

 What can you do?

·         Turn off running water when you are not using it

·         Water your yard early or at night

·         Cut down on car washes

·         Cut down your shower time

·         Plant a tree

·         Protect your local parks and State parks

·         Recycle, Reduce, and Reuse anything you can

·         Recycle plastic, glass, paper, cardboard

·         donate old clothes

·         Buy previously owned items

·         use a resource like freecycle.org

·         have yard sales

5.)    Buy Local whenever possible.

When you buy local food and products you are helping the environment in many ways.

You are;

·         Lowering environmental impact

·         Reducing fossil fuel consumption

·         Promoting local jobs

·         Growing your local Community

6.)  Educate Yourself, your family and friends.

Do not be fooled by tricky wording. It is so important to know what is really going on around you. Politicians and corporations have used the negative marketing against the environment in the news for years. It is a way to manipulate the information given to society. This allows them to get what they want, no matter the health or safety costs to you.  If you do not seek information from both sides, there is a good chance you are misinformed.

Right now there are companies trying desperately to (Just to mention a few):

·         Drill in environmentally protected land. (State Parks)

·         Build a pipeline from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico that will not benefit us once built.

·         Earth Fracturing or “Fracking” for natural gas is polluting soil and water all over the country, and much more.

·         Off shore drill in Alaska

The most powerful tool is knowledge. Don’t be misinformed. Understand what is going on and how you can help.

___________________________________________________________________________ 

Resources;

Natural Resources Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_resource

Renewable Energy Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renewable_energy

50 Ways to Help the Planet http://www.50waystohelp.com/

PHOTO Credit:brandie bell

"The person who says it cannot be done 
should not interrupt the person doing it."
Chinese Proverb.





Photo: I took this photo in 2010 Kyle Franklin in the mystery ship

The Underestimated Mushroom

 Wouldn't it be amazing if there was a natural none- invasive way of cleaning up pollution in our environment. A method that would positively impact other species, and not kill them in the process.

Bioremediation has been used for centuries throughout the world. Bioremediation  is any process that uses micro-organisms, plants, fungi or their enzymes to return a polluted environment to a less polluted state.

One form of bioremediation is called Mycoremediation.  It is a newer science started around the beginning of the 20^th century. It is the process of using fungi to remove or break down toxins in an environment.

Mycoremediation is a combination of two words,

Myco is for mycology the study of fungus (mushrooms)

Remediation is the correction of something bad. 

It was coined by Paul Stamets, who is the leader in this field. He has written several books one titled, “Mycelium Running - How mushrooms can save the world.”

 In this book he comments “Fungi are the grand recyclers of our planet, the mycomagicians, dissembling large organic molecules into simpler forms, which in turn nourish other members of the ecological community. Fungi are the interface organisms between life and death.”

There are certain types of fungi being studied such as oyster mushrooms. Oyster Mushrooms have been able to remove toxins such as oil, radiation, pesticides, petroleum products, PCB’s, and other pollutants.

So how does it work?

There is more to the mushroom than just what you see above ground. Under the soil there is a vegetative part of fungus called mycelium. Mycelium is a mass of thread like hyphae.

Hypha (plural hyphae) is a long, branching filamentous structure of a fungus. The mycelium stretches out and grows as long as it can gain nutrients. A mushroom is the fruiting body that will grow off the mycelium when the conditions are right.

The mycelium grows and form mycelial mats. These mycelial mats are the key. The mycelia are the magic.

There are three ways to apply the science of Mycoremediation on a toxic area.

1.)  Mixing mycelium into contaminated soil

2.)  Placing the mycelial mats over the toxic sites

3.)  Or a combination of these techniques, in one or

     more treatments.

Once applied the natural processes of nature take place. The mycelium will break the toxins down then digest them. When heavy metals need to be removed from the soil the mycelium will fruit.  The fruit bodies (mushrooms) absorb the toxins as nutrients.

Studies have shown that after treatment life will return to a previously toxic non inhabitable area.  More studies are currently underway to test mycelium against radiation in the soil in Japan.

There are still many questions and much to learn. Mycoremediation is still a new branch of bioremediation. The lack of information in the field has caused it to advance slowly but the research continues and grows.

It is important for our species to look for new opportunities to live a sustainable life with the environment around us. We need more options not more man-made chemicals.

Interested in Mycoremediation?

Here are some great links: 

Mycoremediation and Its Applications to Oil Spills -http://www.realitysandwich.com/mycoremediation_and_oil_spills

Fungi.com – www.fungi.com

Paul Stamets: Myco-Remediation Of The Japanese Landscape -

http://www.seismologik.com/journal/2011/4/20/paul-stamets-myco-remediation-of-the-japanese-landscape.html

Resources:

Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World [Paperback] Paul Stamets (Author) Magical Mushrooms: Mycoremediation, Published: 26 Feb 2002, By Caryn Sykes, Industry Analyst, Environmental Technologies

BioTech Articles: http://www.biotecharticles.com/Others-Article/Types-of-Bioremediation-Role-of-Biotechnology-in-Bioremediation-122.html

Mycoremediation en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mycoremediation

Pictures:

two mushrooms taken by Brandie Bell Santa Monica CA

Mycelia picture =wikipedia.org/mycelium (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mushroom%27s_roots_(myc%C3%A9lium).jpg)