Nature's Treasure Chest: Why We Must Conserve Our Natural Heritage

Adventures in Sustainable Living Podcast

Episode 30

Nature’s Treasure Chest

Hello everyone and welcome back to the Adventures in Sustainable Living Podcast. This is your host Patrick and this is episode #30 which is called Nature’s Treasure Chest: Why We Must Conserve Our Natural Heritage

In this episode I want to discuss one of my favorite topics. And in the process I hope to give you some interesting and useful information. What I want to touch on is a very broad topic which is covered in numerous books. But to get to the point, the topic of this episode is the natural things around us that are completely overlooked yet they tremendously useful. What I am talking about are the edible and medicinal plants and trees, some of which we see everyday, that are of tremendous value yet we never realize it. And this is yet another resource that we are loosing due to our tremendous loss of biodiversity.  

In my early childhood is when I started learning about these things. The family farms were located in a rural area of north Georgia and we spent plenty of time outdoors not only for fun but also foraging for various plants, berries, and nuts. I was fascinated by all the wild things around me that were useful and yet most of us step on them being completely oblivious to what we are doing. I carried this fascination into my adult life and I have spent literally thousands of hours learning about wild edible and medicinal plants. As part of my survival training, I would spend entire weekends outside foraging and experimenting with edible and medicinal plants.  To this day, I go outside and pick things off the ground and add it to my dinner plate. 

I remember a few years ago I took a sabbatical from work. I had been working hard for a few years and I decided to take 6 months off from practicing medicine because I was getting burned out. So I carefully saved money for over a year. I took 6 months off the spent all of that time in Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Bolivia. At one point I ended up in a very small village in the mountains above La Paz, Bolivia. I stopped in a small cafe to have lunch with some friends of mine that were familiar with this area. We were seated in an outdoor patio area that backed up to a field that to me looked like a bunch of weeds. After a few minutes of looking over the menu choices, which were limited, a woman came over to take our order. 

After placing our order, she disappeared into the kitchen area for a few minutes. When she returned, she walked past us and went out into the field of weeds. She stood there for a few minutes looking around as if she had lost something. Little did I know at the time that she was looking for tasty things to put into our lunch. 

I think it goes without saying that our lunch was spectacular. Although I must say that it contained flavors that I was not accustomed to. I expressed my gratitude to the server for the delicious meal and attempted to ask about the plants that she had picked. I never could understand what she was saying because there was truly nothing familiar to me that I could use as a standard of comparison.  

It simply reminded me of another experience I had in a market in La Paz.  I was searching for coffee when I came across this product called Yerba Mate. I later learned that it was a common local drink that contains caffeine. But at the time I purchased it I kept asking questions in an attempt to learn exactly what it was. I asked if it was similar to coffee. I was told “No, it is Yerba mate.” I asked if it was tea. I was told “NO, it is Yerba mate.” After several attempts with no luck, I decided to purchase it anyway and give it a try. 

I had a similar experience while shopping in a market outside of Quito, Ecuador. Fortunately I had a local contact that went with me because I walked into this market that had an enormous variety of fruits and vegetables. I distinctly remember this experience because the only two things I recognized was cabbage and carrots. I asked where all of this came from and I was told “la selva” which is Spanish for “the jungle”. 

Now you must know that these simply experiences of mine are only the tip of the iceberg so to speak. From simple too complex, we are loosing valuable sources of both food and medicine because we are destroying our natural environment at an alarming rate. 

And just for an example, 56% of the 150 most commonly prescribed medications are derived from compounds found in the wild. These have an economic value of more that $80 billion dollars. Almost 25% of the prescriptions written in the United States are derived from wild species. And of course I have spoken before about the rate at which tropical forests around the world are being destroyed yet only 1% of tropical plants species have even been screened for their potential medical properties. 

Now, I want to tell you a story about the Gila Monster. Now the Gila Monster is the only venomous lizard native to the United States and its habitat ranges from the southwestern United States to the northwestern Mexican state of Sonora. Its name comes from the Gila River, where the lizards are very common. Now the Gila Monster is a very heavy bodied, slow moving lizard that can grow up too lengths of 60 cm or about 22 inches long. They are able to store a large amount of fat, they have a very low metabolic rate, and are able to consume up to 1/3 of their body weight in one meal. This combination of characteristics makes frequent searching for food unnecessary. Consequently, gila monsters spend most of their time hidden underground. 

Instead of injecting venom into their prey like a snake, they actually have to chew on their prey to work in the venom. Their venom is about as strong as that of the western diamond back rattlesnake. However, they only use a small amount of venom when they bite. 

Now this animal has accused of many things including spitting venom, leaping several feet in the air to attack, stinging with its tongues, and killing people with gusts of poisonous breath. However, the truth is that Gila Monster bites are painful to humans but they are rarely fatal. One interesting fact is that there are times when dogs present to veterinarians with the Gila monster still attached. 

But you want to know why Gila Monsters are so important from a medical view point: There is a drug called Byetta (spelling) that was recently given approval in the US for the treatment of diabetes. This drug controls blood sugar levels for longer periods of time than previously known drugs. 

But did you know about the Rosy Periwinkle? It is also known as the Madagascar Periwinkle. This humble little plant is often cultivated as ground covering because it tends to be very hardy.  However, at one point this plant was on the brink of extinction due to heavy deforestation in Madagascar until scientist actually figured out the real value of this plant. The rosy periwinkle provides a cure for Hodgkin’s Disease and some forms of leukemia. 

So, how many of your are fans of the lowly but fearsome crocodile? They are truly the ultimate survivors. Did you know that this amazingly resilient species has been around for over 200 million years. They have managed to out live the dinosaurs by 65 million years. In fact, fossil remains of crocodiles are remarkably similar to the species that we see today. But how did this species manage to survive for so long? 

Most scientist believe that this has to do with their ability to adapt and learn quickly. After all, even with our amazing impact on the environment, we as humans have not yet been able to drive one species of crocs to extinction. One other thought is there amazing ability to survive significant injuries. Crocs having territorial disputes will often rip each others legs off, rip off a tail. One biologist even observed a croc that was missing its entire lower jaw. Yet it healed up and was somehow doing okay. 

There are about 1,000 deaths per year due to crocodile attacks. For salt water crocs, it is about 2,000 per year. These deaths are usually not pretty of course. But despite their fierce nature, crocodile may have something that is extremely valuable. A new study that was published in the Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology,  has found that crocodile blood actually has wound healing capabilities. It may be able to rejuvenate skin and heal wounds much faster. Crocodile blood also contains a hugely potent antimicrobial agent as well as an anti-inflammatory agent. 

So, who would have ever thought that the humble but fierce crocodile could be so important.  

So, let’s move onto something else. Does any of you know about the Pacific Yew? Also known as the western yew, California, yew, Oregon yew or American Yew. This is an evergreen tree that is native to the Pacific Northwest. It is typically about 5 to 15 meters tall, so about 15 to 50 feet. Although the wood from the yew tree have been used for furniture and handicrafts, for many years this species was considered an impediment to the harvest of larger timber trees. Consequently, many stands were indiscriminately cut down. However, in recent years an extract from the bark of the yew tree, called taxol, was found to be a very potent drug from treating ovarian, breast and lung cancer. But because this species is slow growing, it must be about 100 years old before the bark is harvestable. Consequently, this has led to the destruction of more wild populations in favor of larger timber species. 

So, I have another question. Do you know the common name for Acetylsalicyclic acid and where is comes from? From about 3000 to 1500 BC the willow was used as a medicine by the Sumerians and Egyptians for its anti-inflammatory and pain relieving properties. 

In about 400 BC, Hippocrates administers willow leaf tea to women to ease the pain of childbirth. In 1763 the Road Society publishes a report detailing five years of experiments on the use of dried, powdered willow bark in curing fevers. 

In 1828 Joseph Buchner, professor of pharmacy at Munich University in Germany succeeds in extracting the active ingredient from willow, which he calls salicin. In 1853 a French chemist determines the chemical structure of salicylic acid and manages to synthesize acetylsalicyclic acid. 

And what is this compound. It is commonly called aspirin. The Bayer company ends up patenting this product in about 1897. 

So, the point here is that I could go on for hours about the useful properties of plants and animals. It is just that the Gila Monster, the Rosy Periwinkle, the crocodile, the Pacific Yew, and the willow are just some particularly interesting examples. 

But the simple fact is that there are over 20,000 species of edible plants in the world. And there are hundreds of less well known edible plants from all around the world.  

The Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, known as the FAO, estimates that there are roughly a quarter million plant varieties available for agriculture, but less than 3 % of these plants are in use today. 

Modern agriculture is concentrated on a small number of varieties designed for intensive farming. Consequently, the number and variety of plants available for research and development has dramatically declined. This trend and the increasing industrialization of agriculture are key factors in what is known as “genetic erosion.” 

Additionally, the world’s food supply depends on about 150 plant species. Out of those just 12 provide 3/4 of the world’s food. And more than half of the world’s food comes from a limited number of varieties of three “mega-crops” , which are rice, wheat, and maize.  

So, in my opinion, the combination of genetic erosion and the dramatic decline in biodiversity we are setting ourselves up for disaster. 

The World Wildlife Fund, after two years of research related to biodiversity, published their findings in a paper titled The Living Planet Report 2020. In that paper they revealed a global species loss of 68% in less than 50 years. This is a catastrophic decline that has never been seen before. The simple fact is that humans are destroying nature at a rate never seen before. And this has been happening since the industrial revolution. About 75% of th

Earth’s ice free land has already been significantly altered, most of the oceans are now polluted, and more than 85% of the area of wetlands have been lost. Human activities are destroying forests, grasslands, wetlands, and other important ecosystems and it is threatening the very existence of humanity. 

And why is this?  

“The way we produce and consume food and energy, and the blatant disregard for the environment entrenched in our current economic model, has pushed the natural world to its limits,” said Marco Lambertini, director general, WWF International.

Agriculture of responsible for 80% of global deforestation and 70% of global fresh water usage. Drivers linked to food production cause 70% of terrestrial biodiversity loss and 50% of freshwater biodiversity loss. So the simple fact is that where and how food is produced is one of the biggest human threats to ecosystems and biodiversity.

According to Andrew Terry, director of conservation at the Zoological Society of London: 

“The Living Planet Index is one of the most comprehensive measures of global biodiversity. An average decline of 68 percent in the past 50 years is catastrophic, and clear evidence of the damage human activity is doing to the natural world. If nothing changes, species populations will undoubtedly continue to fall, driving wildlife to extinction and threatening the integrity of the ecosystems on which we all depend.”

The rate of decline is not uniform. The Freshwater Living Planet Index shows that freshwater biodiversity is declining far faster than that in oceans or forests, with an alarming 84 percent decline in freshwater species, which is equivalent to 4 percent per year since 1970.

In the tropical sub-regions of the Americas, there is a catastrophic 94 percent decline, the largest fall observed in any part of the world in the past 50 years.

Since the turn of the century, 1.9 million square km of previously wild and undeveloped land – an area roughly the size of the country of Mexico – has been lost through conversion into agricultural land. And this has mostly occurred in tropical and subtropical grasslands, savanna and shrub land ecosystems. 

But as bleak as this may sound, I did come across this concept referred to as Bending the Curve. Now this concept could easily be the subject of another podcast episode. And after reading up on this concept, I may very well do that.  

But let it suffice to say that this research not only developed some pioneering models but also provided proof of the concept that terrestrial biodiversity loss from land-use change can be halted and reversed. 

But just for a moment, think of this in terms of the concept of a “tipping point”. Now there was a book written by Malcom Gladwell titled “The Tipping Point”. In the words of Mr Gladwell “The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spread like wildfire.” But to be more scientific, the tipping point is defined as the moment of critical mass, the threshold, and the boiling point. It is the moment where everyday things reach epidemic proportions. 

Sometimes, small changes cause huge effects. Think of it in terms of the fact that it only takes one sick person to cause a flu epidemic. Little causes can have big effects. Consequently, the world may seem like an immovable place. But it is not. With the slightest push in just the right place, things can tip in one direction and cause a rush of dramatic change. The COVID 19 pandemic is a perfect example of that. The lives of everyone in the entire world changed in a very short period of time. 

So, back to the concept of Bending the Curve. The point being is that our planet is at the tipping point. Some people believe we are past that point. But at least this model provides proof that we can stabilize as well as reverse this dramatic loss of nature and biodiversity that is so important to our survival. 

How that will happen is in three ways: 

-Increased conservation efforts

-More sustainable food production

-More sustainable consumption 

The bottom line is that doing so will require a complete shift in how we produce food, create energy, manage our oceans, tend to our forests, what we consume and why.

In other words, it will require a change in perspective. 

But the problem is that people do not like change. People literally will not change unless they have no choice.  But we must make a U turn before we reach that tipping point. 

But we have to learn to be stewards of the environment. 

I am sure that most of you are familiar with the phrase “shoot yourself in the foot”. Well this was literally a phenomenon in WW I where soldiers would shoot themselves in the foot in order to be sent to the hospital instead to going out to fight.  

That is what we are doing by ignoring our present situation. 

Did you now that globally there are 53,000 species of flowering plants. 13% of those are used medicinally. Microorganisms are the source of 3,000 antibiotics. The Food and Agricultural Organization has estimated there are 50,000 medicinal plants in the world. 

All of which we are systematically destroying. 

As John Muir famously said, “The clearest way into the Universe  is through a forest wilderness. When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world.” 

As I have stated before, choices make changes. You may not be able to change the world, but you can change your perspective and you can change the way you live. The world is literally a treasure chest at our disposal and we must learn to bend the curve and preserve our natural heritage. If we do not, we are only shooting ourselves in the foot. 

This is your host Patrick signing off until next week. I hope you have enjoyed this episode. I do have a number of resources in the transcript of this episode just for some continued reading. I hope you will take advantage of that and it will encourage you to make some changes.  And if you have time, then please leave me with a review and of course sign up for the Adventures in Sustainable Living Podcast as well as Off Grid Living News. 

I will see you all next week. 

Patrick

Additional Resources 

Plants for a Future

Nature in Peril as Biodiversity Mounts Alarmingly 

A Guide to Common Medicinal Herbs

Causes of the Loss of Biodiversity

Rosy Periwinkle

Pacific Yew

Crocodile Blood May Have Wound Healing Properties

Gila Monster Saliva Helps Diabetics