Forest plants and resources can help feed more marginalized people while supporting biodiversity conservation

Policies recognizing the value of
forests have multiple benefits.
(Photo by Ruta Celma, Unsplash)

The first humans didn’t have a Walmart or a convenience store, but they did have the forest, which has provided food, medicine and life since the dawn of time.

In an article for the Great Lakes Echo, Victoria Witke wrote that a “notable” number of people in the United States rely on “public forests for food and medicine.” Witke acknowledged that this is a low-cost option.

Jimmy Chamberlain, a researcher in a study conducted in the journal Trees, Forests and People, told Witke that, “policies should be created to recognize forest foods as valuable, thus supporting food production and biodiversity conservation.”

According to Witke's report, "A notable proportion of the U.S. population relies on public forests for food and medicine, but the forest products industry is 'not well served by institutions that set forest management policies,' according to a new study in the journal Trees, Forests and People."

 
Chamberlain said that if public land agencies don’t manage the plants and resources, there will be less food security for the people using them. However, “If we can begin to manage for food and medicine, then we meet the needs of a larger constituency. That constituency is typically economically marginalized – poor people.”

Not only would caring for the forest increase its value and help people, but it is also a meaningful practice that encourages giving care to what provides our resources and discourages greed.

Roger LaBine, of the Lac Vieux Desert Band, told Witke, "his tribe is taught that plants and animals sacrifice for humans, and it’s mankind’s responsibility to protect them."

Quick hits: He's not Santa, he's Belsnickel; 'phantom' towns; how music can reframe memories; going out for a walk

A local constabulary lends the town's Belsnickel
a hand. (Photo via Lancaster Farming)

Belsnickel may not be as famous as Santa (or as clean), but he gives Christmas gifts to children in Manheim, Pennsylvania. A Belsnickel is "a crotchety, fur-clad gift giver related to other companions of St. Nicholas in the folklore of southwestern Germany," reports Dan Sullivan of Lancaster Farming. A Belsnickel is tasked "to carry out duties somewhat similar to Santa, ferreting out the naughty and nice and dispensing just punishment or reward. Traditionally, Belsnickel carried a switch in one hand as corporal punishment for the bad kids and a pocketful of treats for the good ones."

When financial times are tight, not as many Americans buy new cars or repair the vehicles they have. "Pinched by inflation, higher interest rates, and supply-chain woes, Americans just haven’t been buying as many new vehicles lately," reports Spencer Jakob of The Wall Street Journal. U.S. consumers choosing to keep aging autos may sound "like great news for auto parts and repair companies. . . . [but] there are some surprising signs that Americans are choosing cheaper options or even deferring purchases of the goods and services that keep them running. . . . Skimping has rarely made less sense, though. . ."

Cartographic 'phantoms' are mapped towns where there isn't a town. (Illustration by Piper Olsen, L&S)

Most mapped towns exist but not all. "The Wisconsin state map is full of phantoms," reports Alli Watters of Letters & Science at the University of Wisconsin. Cartographer Howard Veregin spends his days scouting possible phantom towns, which includes exploring some of the state's most rural places. On one phantom sleuthing day, Veregin works to verify a mapped town called "Walker." He comes upon a friendly cranberry truck driver and this conversation ensues:

Truck driver: Good morning. Looking for something in particular?
Veregin: Well, I’m looking for cartographic phantoms.
Truck driver: What’s a cartographic phantom?
Veregin: It’s a community that is listed on a map, but it doesn’t exist on the ground.
Truck driver: This place exists.
Veregin: Sure, but it doesn’t really look like a community. What is it?
Truck driver: Well, this is our family cranberry farm. We’ve been farming cranberries here for 125 years. I’m a fifth-generation cranberry grower. Most of this area is private property. . .

"Veregin’s suspicions were confirmed. . . . He had found yet another cartographic phantom."

Beginning the new year a little wiser never hurts. In simplest terms, surviving 2025 is the first goal. Field & Stream experts "weighed in on four survival myths that could get you killed," reports Jim Baird. Many people think humans can live off nature's food and survive -- that's not true. "The myth here is that you can survive off them for an extended length of time. But the reality is if you are only eating 'survival foods,' you’ll start feeling sick and weak after a day or two." Another myth is if you kill large game "you're set" because you'll have all the protein you need. Not true, you can also get sick and die from eating too much protein without adequate fat. Read four debunked survival myths here.

Music may subtly shift emotional memories.
(Adobe Stock photo)

As a new year begins, people often reflect on how life has gone over the past year or years. Sometimes there are memories people wish they could change, and while history isn't alterable, music can help shift how people feel about past experiences. "Listening to music can change how you feel about what you remember – potentially offering new ways to help people cope with difficult memories, writes Yiren Ren, a cognitive brain science researcher at the Georgia Institute of Technology for The Conversation. "Our [research] results suggest that music acts as an emotional lure, becoming intertwined with memories and subtly altering their emotional tone. Memories may also be more flexible than previously thought and could be influenced by external auditory cues during recall."

Walking alone or with a buddy can be great exercise. 
(Adobe Stock photo)

Ernest Tubb twanged about "Walking the Floor over You." Johnny Cash confessed, "I Walk the Line." Aerosmith cranked the amps to "Walk this Way." Besides belting out catchy tracks, these musicians were onto something -- walking is an outstanding activity. "Walking can help meet the U.S. surgeon general’s recommendation that adults get at least 2 1/2 hours of moderate-intensity physical activity every week," reports Laura Ungar of The Associated Press. "This helps lower the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, dementia, depression and many types of cancer. . . .While it’s not the only sort of exercise people should do, it’s a great first step toward a healthy life."