Scrolling through the social media posts weeks into COVID-19 lockdown, I was elated by the news stories of how nature had hit a reset button.
“With a third of world’s population in lockdown, the animals are taking over”- read a post on Twitter. This is probably the first time in human history that billions of people are forced to spend time indoors and the wildlife seems to be reclaiming the places where the human activity has decreased. Dolphins, that typically kept away from the murky waters of Venice appear to have returned to the now clear waters of the canals. In Canada, people are spotting wild turkeys in east-end Montreal neighbourhoods. Throughout the southern Ontario, common urban species such as skunks, raccoons, white-tailed deer and foxes are being spotted more often since the pandemic lockdown began.
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Author: Yoko Lu I was travelling in Guatemala during the Christmas break of 2019 while I was doing an internship in Belize. Since it is a neighbouring country, I crossed the border on road without trouble. I took the bus from the capital Belmopan to Benque, a city right next to the border. Then I took the taxi to the border, then went through the immigrant control, and that’s it. There was no machine for scanning the passport – the passport was just passed to the officer, stamped, and returned to me. I was in Guatemala for 16 days, with some of these days being ‘stuck’ in Antigua because of no shuttle busses on holidays. Antigua is the main hub where there are various connections for long-distance shuttle bus travel. I could have taken chicken busses but that meant spending the whole day transiting in local busses which would stop at anywhere on the road where there were passengers who wanted to board or get dropped off. On one of those days, I went to Copan, Honduras from Antigua, to specifically visit a well-known Mayan archaeological site. There is one sculpture in the picture above that is slightly different from other objects. Can you guess which one? This sculpture is from Copan. BIODIVERSITY While most of these souvenirs are oriented towards tourists, they are nevertheless connected to biodiversity and nature. The two masks, for example, represent the Mayan history and wildlife. I am guessing what the orange mask with cheetah-like design may represent, but as I was netsurfing through the Internet, I would say that it is a margay. It resembles an ocelot, but with smaller body, longer legs, and tail. Margays are monkey-cats that thrive in trees. They reside in Central and South America. Conservation-wise, margay (Leopardus wiedii) was widely hunted illegally for wildlife trade, until the 1990s. The animal is listed as Near Threatened (NT) on the Red List of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). In terms of the recent issues, its population is believed to be declining due to habitat loss, specifically deforestation, as the cat relies on the forest for survival. Other threats are: illegal pet trade, killing for poultry protection, and low reproductive rate. Currently, the cat is fully protected; however, in Ecuador, Guyana, and El Salvador, its protection status is not set. There is a high probability that the margay will be listed as vulnerable in the future. Status and abundance of the animal is poorly known; therefore, more research is necessary. Source: iNaturalist MAYA While the wildlife – flora and fauna – is the primary focus for biodiversity, Mayan culture is important as well. Tikal, for example, is one major archaeological site in Guatemala, and it is also along the border crossing between Belize and Guatemala. Tikal was the first destination I went after entering Guatemala through Belize. Tikal can be reached from Antigua via flight as well. Selva Maya is a forest region that covers Belize, Guatemala, and Mexico. It is the largest rainforest in Mesoamerica, which ranges from Central Mexico to northern Costa Rica. Within the Selva Maya, there are 20 unique ecosystems that make up different categories of protection, including National Parks, Forest Reserves, and Biosphere Reserves. Tikal itself is dated to being 600 B.C. and A.D. 900, flourishing as an ancient city that consists of over 20 major pyramids. This means that ever since ancient times, ancient people have been utilizing the nature for survival, and used nature as a religious form of worshipping the nature gods. It is thought that there were at least 166 deities, known as the Mayan pantheon. Within the pantheon, some religious figures included animals of Maya, relating to biodiversity being important in both ancient and modern times. For example, the Jaguar Sun God refers to: “Almighty God the Sun dwells in the highest levels of heaven. When he traces the path of the sun across the sky in the daytime, his name is Kinich Ahau. When the sun falls into the West Door and enters the Underworld, he becomes the fearsome Jaguar God.” Tikal Temple I is known as the Temple of the Great Jaguar, as shown as the highest temple in Tikal (left, image below). Another animal god, called Itzam-Yeh, the Celestial Bird, is represented as the Serpent Bird or Seven-Macaw. Four corners of the world are associated, with the world represented as the temple, creating the summit of the sacred temple. Link: Air Pano (Can be viewed as 360° panorama view by scrolling the mouse) OTHER There are two music instruments that are visible in the assemblage of souvenirs: flute and shaker (placed right of the flute). They are not directly connected to the biodiversity, but they are well-represented as Mayan (or Guatemalan) music culture. There is a band of crafted dolls in front of larger objects. These reflect the unique Guatemalan textile style as well as relation to the social culture. Below the band are two belts. I am not sure what the design means, but I was so fascinated by the designs, I decided to purchase in addition to my collection of souvenirs. Below all the objects placed on the table, there lies a blanket. This is not a blanket; it is a poncho. I have always wanted to be part of the nature and culture; therefore, I was fortunate to have bought it. P.S. I ran out of space, so I ended up buying an extra luggage in Mexico City to hold all these souvenirs, on my way back to Belize. I carried all these souvenirs on my latter half of the trip, through most of those days, I stayed in Antigua. I was not planning to go to Mexico City, but I had to, because of passport stamp problems (I couldn’t go to El Salvador nor return to Belize via Guatemala – I had to go back to Belize via Mexico or the U.S.). TRAVEL TIP: If you end up traveling to Antigua, and if you wish to buy souvenirs, Nimpot (Nim Po’t) is the best place to buy souvenirs because their prices are set as minimal. If you buy on the street or at any other stores, the prices are typically much higher, as much as twice the price you find in Nimpot. Dr. Qinq Li talks about the benefits of the forests in his article Forest Bathing: How Trees Can Help You Find Health and Happiness. He starts by describing the experience of being immersed in nature, “the sounds of the forest, the scent of the trees, the sunlight playing through the leaves, the fresh, clean air — these things give us a sense of comfort. They ease our stress and worry, help us to relax and to think more clearly. Being in nature can restore our mood, give us back our energy and vitality, refresh and rejuvenate us.” Indeed, if you have ever felt like being in the outdoors and near nature has healing qualities, you are not alone.
In Japan, there is a term for spending time in nature and its “something called forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku. Shinrin in Japanese means “forest,” and yoku means “bath.” So shinrin-yoku means bathing in the forest atmosphere, or taking in the forest through our senses.” This experience is not about going hiking or jogging; it is merely about being in nature and connecting our minds to the experience. It is about smelling the forest, touching the earth, and tasting the air. While we can be very busy with our daily chores and activities, make sure you spend time in nature. SO, how does one go about forest bathing?
Forest Bathing: How Trees Can Help You Find Health and Happiness Hardcover 2018 by, Dr. Qing Li The Little Book of Forest Bathing: Discovering the Japanese Art of Self-Care by Andrews McMeel Publishing By: Laura Gaitan INTRODUCTION TO HONEY Yoko Lu Honey is produced and used globally for different uses including health care and medicine. Honey has been collected by humans since the Stone Age, where the ancient people have stone-carved to show the tradition of honey harvesting, since at least 8,000 B.C. Beeswax has also been used as waterproofing for pottery as well as offering to the gods and healing for illness and wounds. These miraculous benefits have been passed on even to today, where we use honey on many occasions. Honey provides many health benefits. It has antibacterial properties, having positive effect against several strains, such as E. coli and salmonella. Honey helps soothe throats and improves sleep. Cancer, heart disease, and diabetes can also be prevented as well as hemorrhoids and ulcers. Honey is often regarded as a better treatment than typical medicine that can be found in the pharmacies. While honey is very beneficial, it is always important to remember that the overconsumption should always be prevented. A high amount of honey consumption may lead to having too much sugar and calories; therefore, honey should be used as a replacement for sugar. A selection of dessert recipes based on honey is listed in this article, in which the recipes are from geographic regions of the world. TABLE OF CONTENT
1. SOUTH AMERICA (ARGENTINA, BOLIVIA, CHILE, PERU, URUGUAY) & NORTHERN MEXICO & US (NEW MEXICO, TEXAS) Sopaipilla, also known as sopapilla, sopaipa, or cachanga, is originated in South America, now widespread into northern Mexico and southern U.S., with a large population of Hispanics. Sopaipilla can be found on menus of the Mexican restaurants in the U.S., where some restaurant-goers have been inspired and made recipe of their own. In the case of one online recipe provider, the author remembered that sopaipilla was her favourite food as a child. Her link is as below. Here is the link to the recipe. Source: Picky Palate (link) 2. INDIA Indian-style Eggless honey cake is like sponge/vanilla cake with an exception of the icing which consists of honey and strawberry jam. This cake is very popular in southern India. This cake can be found in local bakeries as slices. This cake is perfect for someone who is allergic to eggs. Here is the link to the recipe. Source: Hebbar’s Kitchen (Link) 3. ITALY Struffoli is a collection of honey dough balls that are mixed and ornamented. It can be made for Christmas and Easter Holiday. It is a wonderful treat for your family. Here is the link to the recipe. Source: An Italian in My Kitchen (link) 4. JAPAN Honey Castella is a popular sponge cake in Japan. It is a very simple cake with only four ingredients: eggs, sugar, bread flour, and honey. Its name is coined after the Spanish Castilla Monarchy, when the Portuguese merchants arrived in Japan in the 16th century via Nagasaki. Here is the link to the recipe. Source: Rotin Rice (link) Author’s comments: Castilla cake can be found in any food stores in Japan and they are commonly sold as gifts, wrapped graciously. They are not very sweet, compared to many desserts we find in Canada – they are perfectly made for our tastes! You can try making one yourself without going to Japan and enjoy the taste of Japan. 5. SOUTH AFRICA Heuningkoek is a honey cake that is not widely known (as it seems to the author, as there were not much information found online on this cake). This recipe provider has proved that her husband loved the honey cake so much that she was asked to make the cake many times, later making their children addicted too. Based on her instructions, if a butter or vanilla cake mix is available, all the required to make is just the sauce. If you want to try something different and original, then this South African cake should make your day much better. Here is the link to the recipe. Source: Simple Living Creative Learning (Link) 6. TURKEY (& Balkans & Middle East) Baklava is an old traditional recipe that was originated in Turkey during the Ottoman Empire which is as early as the 15th century. It has now spread across the Balkans and the Middle East. Its recipe varies across each country, with the filling can be made from different nuts such as walnuts, almonds, and pistachios. In Greece, baklava is a tradition during Easter, where 33 layers of filo dough (‘leaf’ in Greek) represent 33 years of the life of Christ. An interesting depiction of the Christ - it is indeed a wonderful recipe for celebrating the holiday. Here is the link to the recipe. Source: Hilah Cooking (Link) Author’s comments: I have tried baklava while travelling in Europe. I don’t remember which country I have tried baklava, but I enjoyed it so much that I will always remember the delicious taste. The pastry layer was crunchy with a mixture of different nuts sweetened with honey. I wish I could find this in Canada and would love to eat it again. ***Do you know any honey recipes from your country or family, or any unique ways to use honey? Please let us know if you have any suggestions and we are happy to share!*** With everything going on in the world right now, there is no doubt that it is taking a toll on our mental health. While many resources have been available to help us during these difficult times, we may want to seek alternative help. A topic that has become popular recently is the impact of nature on our mental health. Studies have shown that a greater exposure to nature can result in the reduction of negative resources including anxiety and stress. You may ask yourself, “how can I get involved in nature in a way that will help me mentally?”. It can be something as simple as taking a walk, or if you prefer a more meditative experience, you can try forest bathing. Of course, it may not be possible or comfortable going on a walk during these times, but there are ways you can indulge in these benefits indoors. Studies have found that even looking at pictures of nature can improve our moods. During this time, it is important to know that you are not alone. While we are physically distancing from other individuals, we can still be in touch with nature. Throughout the month of May, we will be focusing on the benefits of the relationship between nature and mental health. We will be teaching you skills to help maximize this relationship, and we hope you will join us in this journey.
By: Francine Pauvif |
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