Inge Leonora-den Ouden

It's the season for road side stands!
Here are some from my region in the Netherlands.

Vegetables, jams and eggs (from free-roaming chickens)

 
'grandma's jams'


for the lovers of jam!

Mark Wyborny wrote:There really isn't a native anything. To lable and exterminate every living thing that doesn't stay where it is at a certain time period of your choosing as invasive/ noxious is certain extinction for all. The Earth is ever-changing and all subspecies are created by free movement. Ecological diversity is extremely important to the health of earthling lifeforms.  I totally agree 100 %. The New Wild by Fred Pearce is an awesome educational book on that topic without any useless filler.

I agree. Nature (and everything) is constantly changing. But that natural change goes very, very slowly. It takes thousands of years.

The problem nowadays is that people import certain species (plants, but also animals). They don't arrive in a natural way, by 'free movement', but they come suddenly.

Yesterday I saw Paul's youtube live. There was one subject that surprised me. It was the topic this thread is about: native plants.
I hope I can explain in understandable English what I mean ...

Paul told that there was (sort of) activism pro native and contra non-native plants. And that those activists were spraying herbicides to kill non-native plants.
I understand that, if that is the case, the herbicide producing companies are behind that idea. (And I understand what was said about actions against non-native humans ... )

It surprised me because here (in the Netherlands) there are groups promoting native plants, but they are not against non-natives. They promote native plants because of biodiversity. Because many (native) insects need certain (native) plants in their life-cycle.  They give information, telling that a native plant in your garden is not a 'weed' that has to be removed, but a useful (and often beautiful) plant. They are strongly opposed to use of chemicals (herbicides and other -cides).

Also there are organisations with nature parks, promoting more native species (plants, trees, insects and other animals). They do their best to slowly replace non-native trees (mostly monocultures of conifers, grown for their wood) with native trees and undergrowth.
If, in some nature reserves, there's a problem with 'invasive exotic plants' (f.e. Japanese knotweed, Himalayan balsam, giant hogweed), volunteers will come to pull those plants out, or other actions, but without the use of chemicals. If needed, as is the case with the giant hogweed, they will wear protective clothing and gloves.

Okay, there might be actions of local authorities against the Japanese knotweed using herbicides. Was that what you were talking about? (do local authorities count as 'good guys'?)

Andrés Bernal wrote:We are live!

Thank you for being 'behind the scenes'. And thanks to Paul, Ash, Derek and Samantha.

For a few years now there's an official 'food forest' in the park in my neighbourhood. Sometimes I work there as a volunteer too (it's part of our project Permacultuur Meppel, with a garden at the other side of the park too).
We found out people like to see trees ... but they don't pick fruits. Almost the only ones who pick fruits are the volunteers of the project.

It's the same in the garden, where we grow vegetables, herbs and some berries/currants. We are the ones who harvest and take home what we want. What we don't harvest will go on growing, flowering ... or rot.
Only the mint was picked by others, probably someone who likes mint-tea.

John Weiland wrote:...

But also to add, Inge,.....on occasion I have been one of THOSE Americans who could not navigate properly on foot between the throngs of bicyclists in Amsterdam.  On one terribly embarrasing incident, I found myself like a doe looking into the headlights of an oncoming car....only in this case it was a wall of cyclists having just departed from a stoplight.  It was all I could do to ultimately hold out my extended hand to 'aid' an oncoming cyclist in a full stop, her eyes rolling up in frustration at the interruption in her commute.  I apologized profusely and made note to be more aware of my street crossing protocol henceforth....

Amsterdam, yes, I had problems there too. It's a too crowded city. Too many pedestrians and bicyclists (both including tourists) in narrow streets.
But in other cities/towns bicycle infrastructure is just as good, or even better, but there are not as many people.

paul wheaton wrote:I am a few weeks away from finishing the trail.  What to call it?

Willie Smits once went to the caldera and for a while we had a sign up there that said "Willie Smits Was Here!"  I think we need that sign again.  And maybe the trail will be called "orangutan trail".

Yeah for Willie Smits and his Orangutan project!

Camille McConnell wrote:So earlier today I went to buy the ebook and clicked what I thought were the right buttons and I landed on a portuguese language paypal page that didn't look like other paypal pages I'd been to so I didn't complete the purchase.  I wanted to but it just felt weird and you never know with the internet.  

I replied to the email and was asked to post this here.  It's my first time.  

Welcome to Permies too, Camille.

Esan Azore wrote:Missed the super sweet sale...
just got that deal with the natural swimming pool.
Been on this site for years, but just now starting to use the forum.
peace be.

Welcome to Permies Esan!
This was your first post, please don't let it be your last.

Congratulations for having 'five or six' books sold!