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A Future Beneath the Trees Vol1 Iss1 - Apr 2009
Citation preview
Network and the International
Model Forest Network to
develop an international
electronic directory of
products produced in Model
Forests globally. Our Shop the
Wild Festival and public
market last October attracted
over 2000 shoppers and a
survey revealed that many of
t h e m a r e d e d i c a t e d
c o n s u m e r s , r e g u l a r l y
purchasing natural and wild
products throughout the year.
F o r e s t m a n a g e r s a r e
increasingly aware of the need
to incorporate non-timber
values into resource plans in
order to support community
livelihoods – both financial
and non-financial – and the
ecosystems on which they
depend.
O u r c e n t r e
continues to grow
as well, in its
achievements (see
our web-site for
new publications)
and its reputation,
with increasing
p r o v i n c i a l ,
n a t i o n a l a n d
i n t e r n a t i o n a l
invitat ions to
cont r ibut e a s
e x p e r t s t o
advisory groups,
c o n f e r e n c e s ,
meet ings a nd
research projects. We received
a big boost in the last year
with three staff supported
through the Job Creation
Programme of Service
Canada: Jenny Bischoff, Holly
Caine and Sheldon Kitzul.
Their hard work has really
(Continued on page 2)
It‘s my pleasure to contribute
to this new edition of the
newsletter, A Future Beneath
the Trees. There is a lot of
information to share and a lot
to gain from working together,
and I‘m confident that the
newsletter will contribute to
building BC‘s wild sector.
It‘s a tough period in the
general economy and in the
BC natural resources sector in
particular. We feel the pinch
at CNTR as funding for
research, extension and sector
-support becomes tighter. We
know that our many partners
f a c e s i m i l a r f u n d i n g
challenges. We want to thank
our many supporters in the
private and public sectors for
their continued and valuable
support: Harvesters and
Producers across
the province for
their knowledge,
Thrifty Foods, Van-
city, SSHRC, FSP,
A g r o F o r e s t r y
Initiative, BCAFM,
Service Canada,
P a g e O n e
Publishing, the Min-
istries of Housing
a n d S o c i a l
D e v e l o p m e n t ,
Forests and Range
and Agriculture and
Lands.
I‘ll take this opportunity to
extend our sympathies to the
family and friends of Minister
Stan Hagen who passed away
so suddenly. He was highly
regarded as a good and decent
man, and we appreciated his
support for our work.
We recognize that it is much
more difficult in resource-
dependent communities as
economic mainstays falter and
collapse. In every crisis there
is opportunity. This one is
g e n e r a t i n g i n c r e a s e d
awareness and openness to
the possibilities of new
enterprises and new ways of
managing resources to create
and capture more value, and a
broader range of benefits.
Small natural-resource-based
enterprises will never replace
a mill as a large-scale
employer. Such businesses,
h owever , ca n p r ovide
employment creation, skills
development, and new ways of
managing
I‘m encouraged by the growth
of awareness of this sector.
The Buy BCwild Directory
continues to grow, with many
more businesses listed and
with high demand for the
directory itself. A similar
directory has been produced
for the Atlantic Provinces and
Maine following our model,
and we are starting work with
the Canadian Model Forest
Welcome
I n s i d e t h i s
i s s u e :
Spring in the
Cowichan Valley
2
Word From the
Woods
4
Economies for
Working People
5
From Our Atlantic
Woods
5
2009 Forum; Con-
sumer Survey
7
The NTFP Chal-
lenge
8
Sector Develop-
ment Activities
and Updates
10
B u y B C w i l d w w w . b u y b c w i l d . c o m
C e n t r e f o r N o n -
T i m b e r R e s o u r c e s
( C N T R )
A Future Beneath the Trees S p r i n g 2 0 0 9 V o l u m e I , I s s u e 1
S p e c i a l p o i n t s
o f i n t e r e s t :
Welcome to the
new Issue
The sap is flowing
What‘s Happening
in Atlantic Canada?
2009 NTFP
Business Forum
Sector activities.
Ideas welcome!
Shop the Wild 2008
A F u t u r e
B e n e a t h
t h e
T r e e s
Spring time in the Cowichan Valley!
P a g e 2
back.
Soon, the forest magically
opens revealing a light
drenched oasis, a boggy
marsh, an alder grove and a
field of blooming skunk
cabbage. We pause to offer
tobacco.
Alder was held in high regard
by the druids of my Celtic
ancestors. An alder grove was a
sacred place, where offerings and
prayers were expected before entering. Legend
has it that the cutting down of an alder was forbid-
den, the red pigment emitted from the wound of
their heartwood resembled blood. Taboo! We will
be harvesting alder bark today, removing limbs
only, pealing the bark for a digestive tonic.
(Continued on page 3)
It's March and the forests are
ablaze with the yellow glory of
our local swamp daffodils - the
Skunk Cabbage. Ah, one of
our earliest wildcrafting
excursions. It feels good to be
back in the woods. We head
up the old logging road, deeply
gutted from harsh winter
weather, 4x4 swinging
rhythmically, we pull in to
a familiar site.
Trekking along the barely visible "path", I look for
familiar markers as the forest swallows us. That
familiar ease envelops me, comfort in
transformation, I merge with the forest. We relax
into our pace, my eyes grazing the forest floor,
noting the wild herbs for future reference: miner's
lettuce, chickweed, cleavers, a patch of wild
violets, and nettles wandering off toward the
creek, tender and ripe. I'll get them on our way
helped advance the Buy BCwild initiative. We‘ve
had Anne Munier working with us as a researcher
on several projects for almost a year. The core
crew of Tim Brigham, Wendy Cocksedge, Evelyn
Goedhart and myself remain in place and bracing
for Wendy‘s departure for a maternity leave
beginning in April. It‘s a joyful event, but we will
miss Wendy‘s wisdom, vision and extraordinary
productivity. Tom Hobby has started his own
company, but remains involved in some of our
projects. Darcy Mitchell works in conjunction with
Model Forest projects and in developing new
linkages with Europe. She has just completed a
term as Visiting Scholar at the University of
Göttingen in Germany.
Finally, we continue to support the natural and
wild products sector, emphasizing both human
and ecological health and wellbeing. This is
central to finding ways to realize traditional,
cultural and spiritual values and desires in
communities. Our hope is that CNTR‘s research
and support of the sector can help create
opportunities for income and employment
through sustainable NTFR management.
Brian Belcher is Director of the Centre for Non-Timber
Resources
Welcome….cont.
Skunk Cabbage, Vancouver Island
A F u t u r e B e n e a t h t h e T r e e s
Schedule of Events
April 17-18, 2009: Traditional Foods of Vancouver
Island First Nations. Hosted by Snuneymuxw First
Nation. www.snunermuxw.ca
April 18, 2009: The Aromatic Farm Co-op is hosting
a public event in partnership with the BC Forest Dis-
covery Centre, in Duncan. Join us at this pristine 100
acre forested site to learn about aromatic farming,
essential oil distillation and the health benefits of aro-
matherapy. www.aromaticfarmcoop.ca/events
June 19 - 21, 2009: Seeds for Change Conference
2009 - A Cowichan Green Community event featuring
social, economic and ecological issues in the Cowichan
region. www.cowichangreencommunity.org.
Fall 2009: Forest Communities Conference—Trends
and Opportunities and BCwild Forum: A Future
Beneath the Trees. Nanaimo, BC.
www.buybcwild.com/bcwild-conference
―In every crisis
there is
opportunity. This
one is generating
increased
awareness and
openness to the
possibilities…‖
P a g e 3 V o l u m e 1 , I s s u e 1
my prayers; black
bear has stumbled
sleepily into the
marsh, and is
immersed in a
digging ritual of his
own. Our eyes
m e e t ; d a z e d
acknowledgements
are exchanged. He
shakes his head
returning to his
work intent on a
spring cleanse after
a l o n g
hibernation. We
back off - returning
to our world -
leaving him to his.
Sheila Wray is a
wildcrafter, medicine woman living in the
Cowichan Valley. As owner
operator of Hedgewych
Wylds, she uses her 30 years of
folkherbal experience to produce quality
wild botanical
medicine.
www.hedgewych.com
U n b u t t o n i n g
my belt, I
remove my
e q u i p m e n t
harness and
l a y o u t m y
g a t h e r i n g
sheet, arranging
the tools in
o r d e r o f
need: trowel,
digging stick,
skinning knife,
clippers, bas-
kets, and the
often needed
twine. I take a
m o m e n t t o
breathe in the
fragrant air of
warm skunk cabbage and raw earth,
allowing the healing energy of this
place to take over. I find among the
yellow blooms a small plant, still
folded in its winter sleep. I say a
prayer and begin to dig.
The roots lay deep in their muddy
beds. The mud works
against me, like a suction
holding on, drawing me
down. I'm in their world
now, where speed and
effectiveness means
nothing. It is slow,
patient work. My arms
deep in the silty muck, I
s i n g - p l a n t s
communicate by song -
the thick fleshy root
slowly gives way, eased
by the sound of my
voice. I grab hold; with
one swift tug the struggle
is over. Strong medicine! I give
thanks.
A low rumbling grunting tone shatters
(Continued from
page 2)
Shepherdia canadensis.
Common name is soapberry or
soopolallie
Springtime…..cont.
―I find among
the yellow
blooms a
small plant,
still folded in
its winter
sleep. I say a
prayer and
begin to dig.‖
Alder
Nettle
trees‘ roots before there can be
a good sap flow. We‘ve had
problems this way during
unusual ly dry winters.
Temperatures were perfect,
but the soil was too dry.
Most years we get some sap
flow in November, but not this
season. November was one of
the warmest and driest on
record. Our pond, which
u s u a l l y r e a c h e s h i g h
water by Halloween, was still
down at New Years 2009.
When the white stuff came
down in mid-December, we got
excited, but would the ground
be wet enough?
Snow almost always leads to a
good sap flow when it starts to
melt. Unfortunately, the snow
that hit mid December didn‘t
disappear quickly and tem-
peratures didn‘t warm up
enough until early January for
the sap to really start flowing.
If it‘s too cold sap freezes and
we can‘t harvest it.
Most of us think that maple
trees are completely dormant
during the winter, but they
aren‘t. Just under the thin
outer bark of small branches
To those of us who tap the West
Coast‘s bigleaf maple trees, the
weather this time of year is very
important. We want some cold
and snow and then a few days of
spring-like conditions. This causes
the sap to flow like crazy in our
local maple trees. From November
through March we watch the
thermometer, barometer, weather
channel, and Internet weather
sites daily – looking for the right
moment to start drilling.
The timing of twisting the brace
and bit (or pulling the trigger on
the cordless drill) is critical to
lies a layer of green. This layer pro-
v i d e s a b i t o f
p h o to s yn t h e si s , e no ug h t o
trigger certain
events within
the tree in-
cluding sap
flow.
So for those of
us that are
waiting daily
this time of
year for that
liquid gold
c a l l e d
maple syrup, a
high water
table, and a
few days of
cold and/or
snow followed
by some warmer sunny weather is
what we‘re hoping for. In early
March the maple season starts back
East, just when our season is ending
with bud burst changing the flavour
of the sap.
Gary, Teesh and Katherine Backlund own and operate BC Managed Forest 127 near Ladysmith, BC. Activities consist of maple tapping, floral greens and salvaged wood prod-uct, roadbed plant rescue, sales of native plants and trees and timber management activities.
P a g e 4
Word from the Woods - West Coast Tapping
A F u t u r e B e n e a t h t h e T r e e s
success. A hole drilled too soon won‘t produce.
Some mechanism within the tree‘s physiology will
treat that hole as a wound and close off the sap
flow to it. But if we can drill when the sap is
actually flowing, the tap hole will usually be very
productive.
Even the productive holes start to heal over after
about four weeks. Then it‘s time to pull out the tap,
known as a spile, and drill a new hole nearby.
Another factor is the height of the water table.
Maples grow in wet areas and have shallow root
systems. The water table needs to reach the maple
West Coast Big
Leaf Maple
Tapping on
Vancouver
Island, BC
“Most years we get
some sap flow in
November, but not
this season.
November was one
of the warmest and
driest on record.”
Islanders are not happy with the status
quo but little has changed as people
press for increased local control of
resources, protection of sacred places
and sustainability.
Wild mushrooms, especially the
popular chanterelles, have been
commercially harvested on the islands
for over 20 years. Every fall, off-island
buyers set up temporary shacks from
where they purchase mushrooms for
export markets. Most are sent to France
where premium prices are paid for this
wild delicacy. Experienced local pickers
can attest to the steady decline in the
prices paid to pickers. Two years ago,
prices dropped to just $1.00 a pound,
Webster's dictionary defines economy
as 'part of a system that deals with
mans material needs’; or, more
br o adly , a so c i a l sy st em o f
production, exchange, distribution, and
c o n s u m p t i o n o f g o o d s a n d
services of an area. In other words, how
h u m a n s i n t e r a c t w i t h t h e i r
environment and each other to meet
their needs. The economic reality on
Haida Gwaii over the past 100 years
would be better defined as ‗part of a
system that deals with corporate
needs' . In logging, fishing and even the
local wild mushroom 'industry',
off-island companies export local
resources and the profits, with only a
small benefit going to some islanders.
P a g e 5 V o l u m e 1 , I s s u e 1
Economies Working For People?
Haida Gwaii Co-op Aims to Try
For over a year now, the team at INFOR Inc., New
Brunswick‘s premier private forestry resource centre, has
worked with representatives from this province, Nova
Scotia, Newfoundland & Lab-
rador, Prince Edward Island
and the state of Maine to
develop a non-timber forest
product directory. ―From Our
Atlantic Woods‖ will be
available in April 2009 and
―From Our Atlantic Woods‖…. Update
while retail prices remained at $20.00-
$30.00 a pound. Some local people
wondered if it would be possible to
o f f e r b e t t e r p r i c e s t o
pickers and create more local
employment if mushrooms were
processed on the islands.
A June 2005 feasibility study made
some startling discoveries. After
ruling out the possibility of going into
competition with the off-island
companies in the fresh market, a
cutting edge technology for drying
foods was discovered. A process called
Vacuum Microwave Dehydration uses
microwaves in a vacuum chamber
(Continued on page 6)
will list NTFP businesses from this region, include an
extensive collection of photos and recipes, and contain
information on historic and current uses of NTFPs. We
have used the Buy BCwild
Directory as a model to
develop our own East Coast
resource.
Our campaign to recruit
businesses to list in our
directory has been extremely
successful; we currently have
over 250 listings from
businesses selling regionally
popular products like
Christmas greenery, fiddle-
heads and maple syrup as
well as a wide array of edible
and natural body care prod-
ucts made from lesser known
gems like cloudberries and
hawthor n haws. The
directory will also showcase
wild mushroom growers,
hiking and bird-watching
(Continued on page 6)
“The official launch of the
[directory] is on April 4,
2009… printed copies
will be distributed
through listees, via
tourism booths...
organizations, Sobeys
grocery stores, farmers’
markets and other
venues.”
tour guides, beeswax artists, walking stick creators,
figured wood sculptors and many more. The sheer
number and diversity of NTFP businesses in our
region astounded all of us working on the recruitment
portfolio!
Business owners are very eager to be part of this
initiative to promote NTFPs and their small
businesses on a regional and global level. The
directory will be available as a printed catalogue as
well as a search-friendly online tool. As well as
promoting existing businesses, we hope the directory
will bring woodlot owners, harvesters, producers and
entrepreneurs together to share resources and ideas
to expand and enhance the regional NTFP industry.
Work is ongoing on the directory; we are currently
planning the official launch of the product on April 4,
2009. Afterwards, printed copies will be distributed
P a g e 6 V o l u m e 1 , I s s u e 1
through our listees, via tourism booths, steering committee
organizations, Sobeys grocery stores, farmers‘ markets and
other venues.
We are happy to add our own directory to the growing array
of resources promoting Canadian NTFPs. It is our hope that
the people of British Columbia will enjoy browsing our
directory as much as we have enjoyed the Buy BC wild
publication.
Following our launch, you can access a copy of the ―From
O u r A t l a n t i c W o o d s ‖ d i r e c t o r y o n l i n e :
www.fromouratlanticwoods.com or request a free printed
copy via INFOR Inc. in New Brunswick: [email protected] or
506-450-8787.
Janette Desharnais is executive director of INFOR Inc. providing education and information to New Brunswick's Christmas tree growers, private woodlot owners and maple syrup producers. Janette hails from a francophone farming community in Manitoba and, after completing her forestry degree, has adopted New Brunswick as her new province.
Atlantic Woods…cont.
instead of heat and creates superior dried food
products that maintain their size, color, flavour and,
best of all, reconstitute beautifully. Traditional
air-dried chanterelles presently on the market are all
and discoloured and do not reconstitute very well.
Test samples were very impressive and presently,
there isn't anything remotely close to it on the mar-
ket.
The Queen Charlotte Culinary Cooperative’s
purpose is to provide local benefit to islanders, by
creating local employment and increasing local
control over islands resources. The idea of a
community cooperative as a vehicle for harvesting
and processing non-timber forest products makes
sense in a place like Haida Gwaii. Co-op members
must be residents of the islands, be interested in
harvesting in a sustainable manner, and understand
and respect community values. With community di-
rection – especially from the Haida, to protect valued
local food sources – other non-timber
products could be considered for harvest such as
berries, seaweed and salal. The co-op could also help
facilitate more local control over islands
resources by being a voice to the government to
Haida Gwaii…. cont.
manage forests for their non-timber values instead of
only timber stands.
The beauty of a cooperative structure is that its
members (islanders) have the power to create its
direction and priorities. Profits don't go to a single
company owner but back into the cooperative to
provide fair prices and wages for those doing the
work.
“Cooperatives are founded on a common idea-that
people, no matter what economic class or
educational level, know what's best for themselves.
People can work together to meet their own needs. A
cooperative is an enterprise that is collectively owned
and democratically controlled by its
members for their mutual benefit.” (Melanie Conn,
Simon Fraser University Cooperative Studies.)
The Cooperative presently has 38 members, all of
them residents of Haida Gwaii.
Lynda Dixon is the Queen Charlotte Culinary Cooperative and Gen-eral Manager. She can be reached at: Phone: (250) 559-8202; Fax: (250) 559-8242 and E-Mail: [email protected]
explore:
The values of working together;
Collaborative community based
research;
Models for NTFR-based community
development;
Policy and resource management.
The Forum connects people from across
Canada to discuss emerging issues and sets
the stage for informed approaches to
developing a sustainable wild products
sector. There is something for everyone:
whether you are new to the sector or a
seasoned practitioner, come discover a future beneath the trees.
To stay informed on the Forum and learn more about the 2009 Canadian
Forest Communities Conference, watch for future issues of the newsletter
and visit www.buybcwild.com
The Centre for Non-Timber Resources, in
partnership with the Canadian Forest
Communities Conference and Natural
Resources Canada, is
planning a one day Forum
for the Fall 2009.
Please be on the lookout
f o r a n u p c o m i n g
announcement of the
dates. Plan to join us at the
stunning Vancouver Island
Conference Centre for a
day of learning and
information sharing,
linking research, policy and
economic opportunities to
build a stronger NTFR
sector.
Workshop themes will
P a g e 7 V o l u m e 1 , I s s u e 1
A Future Beneath the Trees Forum
Vancouver Island
Conference Centre —
Nanaimo, BC
Eating and buying local; supporting local economies; greater value; more
wholesome. These are just some of the ways that attendees at Shop the Wild
2008 saw wild foods and other NTFPs.
Overall, the survey results show that the festival attracted its target audience –
those people that are concerned about and want to purchase their goods and
services locally.
Some highlights of the 2008 Shop the Wild Consumer Survey:
68% of those surveyed purchased a product from First Nations individuals
or businesses in the past year.
99% purchased local products in the past 12 months.
The most often purchased product was prepared foods and berries. Health
and beauty products, mushrooms, and
home and garden products were also
purchased by a significant number of
people.
More than 80% of the respondents
purchased a wild product (or service) in
the past year.
The most often picked reason for
buying a wild product or service was
―Supporting Local Producers‖
See www.buybcwild.com for more
survey results
Shop the Wild 2008 Consumer Survey
A F u t u r e B e n e a t h t h e T r e e s
More than 80% of Shop the
Wild respondents have
purchased a wild product or
service in the past year
Your comments on
this issue or sugges-
tions for upcoming
issues are always wel-
come. Contact us at:
We are proud to
present a one day
Forum in
partnership with
the Canadian
Forest Communit
ies Conference
and Natural
Resources
Canada.
It doesn‘t much matter where you
go, or how far people might be apart
geographically - basic needs are
common to us all. Symbiotic
relationships between plants,
animals and people are the realities
of our existence.
In traditional Polynesia, people were
seafaring warriors and gardeners
whose skin was stressed with
tropical sunshine, salt water and
wind. A plant came to the rescue -
the kukui (Aleurites moluccana),
whose pit contains enough oil to give
it the name ‗candle nut‘. In the
Mediterranean region, olive oil was
used for skin care (as it is still), and
the extremes of the Sub-Saharan
African climate have as skin antidote
a waxy solid oil from the karite
fruit‘s pit, with natural sun screen
properties. It has become popular-
ized of late as ‗shea butter‘. All these
plant oils are also traditionally used
as food and food-medicine by the
people who first grew and processed
P a g e 8
The NTFP Challenge, Russian Chapter
A F u t u r e B e n e a t h t h e T r e e s
the food oils people process from their
forest plants, such as pine nut oil,
rosehip oil, sea buckthorn oil, a wild
cousin to eastern
European flax, as
well as rose essen-
tial oil from
Bulgaria. All of
these oils have
t r e m e n d o u s
benefits to human
skin.
The process of
replicating my own
formulas, replacing
oils we use here for
their medicinal
p r o p e r t i e s
(calendula and St.
John‘s Wort for
example) was an
i n t e r e s t i n g
exercise, as it showed that not only
did we need to create the same kind of
active ingredient profile, but also to
consider scent, texture and whether
the ‗oil‘ was hydro- or lipophilic - in
other words, would it even work in a
non-water base?
Months of preparation came to frui-
tion on a beautiful morning in late
May. The Russian economic
development delegation had arrived
on Vancouver Island, and it was my
turn to ‗show and smell‘. Although it
was months before distilling season,
they were so keen to see my
distillation unit at work that I found a
barrel of 2006 lavender flower buds. I
had no expectation of getting any oil
from them at all, but with
simultaneous streaming translation I
filled the still and explained the proc-
ess of form shifting lavender flowers
into an elixir of volatile oil – and lo
and behold, it was the highest yield
that still has ever produced. It must
(Continued on page 9)
Eating foods
produced locally
makes sense on
many levels. In the
same way, using
body care
appropriate to our
bioregion also
makes sense.
them.
The term ‗biodynamic‘ is
becoming more commonly heard
in our quickly greening era. If we
can consider the concept to
include ‗bioregional‘ - as in the
‗One Hundred Mile Diet‘ - eating
foods produced locally makes
sense on many levels. In the
same way, using body care
appropriate to our bioregion also
makes sense.
It was this logic, combined with
the realities of a tricky situation
that provided an NTFP challenge
last spring. I was charged with
applying my knowledge and
experience in formulating
natural body care products to a
very specific situation: creating a
model line of products that
could be made with local
materials, minimal processing, a
sparse population and a VERY
isolated region - the Russian
Urals, neighbor
to Siberia!
Thankfully, the
internet has
made research-
ing such a
c o n u n d r u m
more pleasure
t h a n
b r a i n - p a i n .
First, looking
at what was
a c t u a l l y
available there
(as I had to say
more than
once, you can‘t
make lip balm
f r o m t r e e
bark)... then
exploring the
properties of
Russian visit to Canada, Fall 2008. They are smelling conifer essential oils of balsam, fir,
pine & spruce – trees that they would have growing in their region.
have been something about that
f l u i d s t r e a m o f
Russian...
Next up was actually
making the salves -
one of the delegates
w a s N a d e z h d a
Alekseeva, Head of
the Settlement of
Sa r a np a u l - a
charming, astute,
woman who was very
interested in the
process. She and her
co-delegates were
delighted to learn that
I had included many
NTFP oils their
people would be able
to access in their
home region, possibly
c r e a t i n g o t h e r
business ventures in growing and
manufacturing these oils in the
more Canadian raw materials to
include in product formulations –
building on the inspiration of the
Russian Challenge, to create a new
‗100 Mile Body Care‘ personal
challenge – more on that as it evolves!
We look forward to sharing more
about Cowichan Full Circle in future
editions of the newsletter.
Hopefully we‘ll meet you at the up-
coming Shop the Wild events in Victo-
ria and Nanaimo!
Beth Lischeron is an evolving project – combin-
ing decades of work with Indigenous peoples
around the globe with studies in ethnobotany,
herbalism and essential oils with her consider-
able body of work as a writer, broadcaster and
event coordinator. in 1995 she created
‗Dragonfly Dreaming‘, a pioneer company in
natural body care in Canada. Beth resides in the
Cowichan Valley, raising awareness, a new joint
venture – Cowichan Full Circle - and a teen-
ager. www.dragonflydreaming.com 250-
743-8036
P a g e 9
Russian Chapter…cont.
A F u t u r e B e n e a t h t h e T r e e s
“I included NTFP oils
their people would be
able to access in their
home region,
possibly creating
other business
ventures in growing
and manufacturing
these oils in the
Urals.
U r a l s . T h e e x e r c i s e
certainly showed us all that, if
they could identify a local
entrepreneur with an herbal
bent - or a local herbalist with an
entrepreneurial edge - a thriving
cottage industry could develop.
Although we don‘t know yet if
our Russian friends will be able
to find a team to do it, we are
using the idea here in the
Cowichan Valley. A team of
Cowichan people have launched
a new venture called ‗Cowichan
Full Circle‘, which is dedicated to
native plant salvage, sustainable
harvesting, preparation of
materials and manufacture of a
line of organic body care prod-
u c t s . I t a l s o i n c l u d e s
capacity-building with First
Nations youth, and a public
education component. This ex-
ercise lead to an active search for
The Buy BCwild Initiative and the Centre for Non-Timber Resources
would like to thank our partners for their continued support of the
Initiative.
Funded in whole or part through the Canada-British Columbia Labour Market Development Agreement
200 business from across BC.
Shop the Wild 2008: a tremen-
dous success bringing about
$40,000 in sales to festival
vendors.
Shop the Wild Market Toolkit:
this planning toolkit allows
Our sector provides clear economic
opportunities for individuals and
communities. Buy BCwild is an im-
portant initiative that supports the
wild sector by building capacity, edu-
cating consumers, linking the sector
with emerging trends and creating
opportunities for the sector to work
collaboratively.
Exciting news/activities include:
2009 BCwild Forum in part-
nership with the National
Forest Communities Confer-
ence. Visit www.fcc-ccf.ca for
information and registration
details.
2009 Buy BCwild Directory
due for release in June. This
edition features more than
communities to host Shop the
Wild markets throughout the
province. We will be reaching
out to regional ‗hosts‘ to work in
partnership with us to test the
toolkit in two municipalities in
2009.
Sector Market Analysis: Shop
the Wild consumer survey pro-
vides important information for
NTFP-based businesses. Focus
groups are planned in the near
future for more in-depth analy-
sis.
The Atlantic region‘s ―From Our
Atlantic Woods‖ directory is due
to be released in April and is
modeled on the Buy BCwild
Directory.
Sector Development Activities and Updates
www.buybcwild.com
Centre for Non-Timber Resources (CNTR)
2005 Sooke Rd
Victoria, BC
V9B 5Y2
Phone: 250-391-2600 ext4328
Fax: 250-391-2563
E-mail: [email protected]
www.buybcwild.com
The Buy BCwild Initiative‘s goal is ―to
support the ethical and sustainable de-
velopment of BC‘s wild sector and to im-
prove the contribution of forest re-
sources to livelihoods, employment and
i n c o m e g e n e r a t i o n i n r ur a l
communities.‖
The Initiative uses four main activities to
work towards meeting this goal:
Buy BCwild Directory
Shop the Wild Festival & Toolkit
BCwild Conference
Quarterly Newsletter: A Future Be-
neath the Trees
Buy BCwild
A Future Beneath the Trees
Published three times per year: April, August and December
by the CNTR. Submission deadline is the 10th of the previous
month.
CNTR Director: Brian Belcher
Coordinator, Education and Capacity Building: Tim Brigham
Coordinator, BCwild Initiative: Holly Caine
Editor: Sheldon Kitzul
Shop the Wild 2008