Cohousing-L Mailing List: Biodiversity (formerly Dancing with Wolves (in Cohousing))

[George Krasle (gskrasle]

Quote:

"...good stewardship of the
planet must include active efforts to preserve biodiversity, and
one important piece of that is favoring local native plants and
animals over imported ones.  (There are other pieces, such as the
identification and propagation of useful rare strains...."

This is my big soapbox; I have been writing and lecturing on the subject for 
many years, emphasizing just how powerful ONE individual can be. There are 
sooo many species and domesticated strains being lost, and one person, one 
landscape, one yard, can make a difference. It is necessary to save more 
than one clone, or a very small population, in order to have a viable amount 
of genetic diversity, and there are not enough seed banks and botanical 
gardens. And we can NEVER be sure what strains (as opposed to hybrids) are 
NOT "useful," and should be allowed to become extinct.

That is why I was so incensed when my move to Songaia resulted in the 
destruction of most of the plant species I had been working so hard to 
preserve for so many years, and which I used in education (and not just of 
my kids). There is a difference between "posies and pansies" and a valuable 
conservation effort, but it might not be obvious to people who are used to 
only ornamental horticulture or staple-food gardening.

I have many essays and lecture notes, a large book list and other resources 
I would be happy to share (off-list) for anyone who wants to make the small 
landscape/garden changes that serve conservation in this way.

http://www.well.com/user/davidu/extinction.html
http://www.iucn.org/redlist/2000/news.html
http://www.amnh.org/learn/biodiversity_counts/prof_dev/suggread.htm
http://www.seedsavers.org/
http://store.yahoo.com/seedsofchange/

A wonderful, empowering book:
Plant Extinction: A Global Crisis
Authors: Koopowitz, H. and H. Kaye
Publisher: Stone Wall, Washington, DC: 1983

And, no, I don't consider this off-topic. I joined cohousing mostly BECAUSE 
of the principles related to this that were so prominently professed. Once 
those words are published, I think there is a responsibility to (try to) 
live up to them, just as much as Community, Consensus, Social Justice, 
Lifelong Learning, and all the rest. When the big timber companies get 
together and form the "The Washington Forest Conservation Council," I cringe 
at the hypocricy.

Thanks, George




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