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Trees are magnificent beings to learn about.

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Cut me off, I’ll grow more shoots!

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Let the gas out!  Color the heartwood red.

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Do you remember the drought of 1722?  What about the beetle infestation in 1846?

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Tight crotches can lead to bark rolling in on itself and other problems…

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Leaves are the ultimate powerhouse!

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Rot and decay, we fight them everyday.

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Here’s plants with some harrrrd cells.

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In the spring, energy goes up to grow leaves.

Make food from the sun, store it down below.

Sugar sugar sugar, sweet sweet fruits.

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To design a garden it is necessary to play with the the forces of nature, and work in harmony with a particular site.  It takes time and effort to observe a place, and gradually learn its temperament and feel.  Here are some notes on what to look for:

Signs of water!

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Where is the light?

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Thar she blows!!!

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Who’s got the dirt on this story?

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Dont’s forget the lines!

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What is  the origin of the snake bite medicine?

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Which way to the medicine trail?  How does one create an energy field of communion and perception?

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Who will help you when you are hurt?  Who are your allies?

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What is the process of evolution, according to Indians?

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Why would you wrestle with a one legged forest spirit?

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When the boa swallows you what happens?

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What do hummingbirds know about soul?

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For these answers and more stories, look for Rainforest Medicines 2013.

Transformation and metamorphosis is part of the lifecycle for many invertebrates.

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In the insects, males and females are often separate and distinct.  They sometimes look very different from one another.  In other groups of invertebrates like gastropods, hermaphroditism and sex change is common.  Hormones and parts change to best adapt to prevailing conditions.

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Changing from a plant eating land lubber to a nectar sipping flyer is never easy.  Difficult is the process of settling down after floating for months, and surviving the mouths of whales and striped bass  Well, follow the currents, let’s see what happens…  Good luck!

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These images come from a gardening book I wrote called “In the Garden with Blue Butterflies”. It is a little bit ecology, a little botany, and all plant sciences.  The book is available through Lulu.com.

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oils

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Here is another preview for the book I  drew some pictures for – “Rainforest Medicine Preserving Indigenous Science and Biodiversity in the Upper Amazon”.  It is available through Amazon, Random House, and more.

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Then the rainforests of Africa called.  They said, “Give thanks to the forest, the forest is our mother!!”  Where is Ejengi!?

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