THE ENCHANTED NATURE NEWSLETTER
Issue 28
March 2023
Greetings Enchanted Nature Community
Please enjoy our latest issue of The Enchanted Nature Newsletter
Cutting Through The Noise
What is noise and what is the opposite of noise? The terms can sometimes be subjective and hard to define. Merriam-Webster defines noise simply as "a sound", as in, "we heard unusual noises in the attic". They go on to say, "especially : one that lacks an agreeable quality or is noticeably unpleasant or loud". Now we're into the subjective of "who" the sound is "agreeable" with. They suggest antonyms like, "silence, quiet and stillness.
There is a lot of noise in this world. Traffic, aircraft, inconsiderate people, dogs barking incessantly, and a host of other sources can dominate the airspace. This "noise" can have very negative effects on our health. According the CDC, "Continual exposure to noise can cause stress, anxiety, depression, high blood pressure, heart disease, and many other health problems.
Trying to find stillness in this world can be challenging. For some, the only option may be noise-cancelling headphones. We want to encourage all of you to spend as much time as you can surrounded by nature in peace. When you do finally find a peaceful spot, don't forget to still the noise that you control. The noise in your own being. Be kind to yourself. You deserve it.
If you're craving some nature or know somebody that is, come and be enchanted by nature with us:
From Our Readers
Thank you for your contributions to The Enchanted Nature Newsletter.
If you see anything of interest in nature, take a picture and please send it along.
Ella Roach sent us this gorgeous photo of a log carpeted with Turkey Tail mushrooms (Trametes versicolor)
Please continue sending us your pics and queries:
adventures@enchantednaturetours.com
You can also text your pics & questions to (540) 324-8778.
Pics from the Writers:
Chris exhibits a Destroying Angel mushroom (Amanita bisporigera). This is is one of the most toxic mushrooms in the region.
Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) has sprouted up. This is one of the earliest perennial wildflowers to bloom in the Shenandoah Valley. The common name, Bloodroot comes from the red colored flesh and exudate that is exposed when one cuts the root. This has been used to make dyes and for it's medicinal qualities.
Spring and Forests:
Two Reasons to Celebrate
By: Victoria Vacher
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF FORESTS
March is filled with many interesting and important occasions like the beginning of spring (a.k.a. the vernal equinox), the downfall of Caesar (the ides on the 15th ) and occasionally Easter falls in March. We would, however, venture that for the future of mankind on our planet
the 21st of March – International Day of Forests – may quite literally be the most important March event.
The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed March 21 be International Day of Forests in 2012 to celebrate and increase awareness of the importance of all types of forests. This action was taken to encourage countries to undertake projects that protect and increase forests such as tree planting campaigns and fire awareness. Raising awareness of the essential role forests play in our existence could not be more imperative.
Forests purify the water, clean the air, capture carbon (one treecan sequester 48 lbs. of carbon yearly), provide food and medicines and are vital to our existence and our overall wellbeing.
With this knowledge, hopefully, the desire of society to protect the forests will increase. Despite the importance of their ecological, social, economic and health benefits, forests are still endangered by droughts, fires, pests and unprecedented deforestation! Sustainable forest management and the use of their resources is key to combating climate change.
There are many things we humans disagree about, but the need to protect our forests and plant more trees should be a topic we can all agree upon. It is up to us to safeguard these precious treasures
Interesting facts about forests:
FORESTS …
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Are home to over 80% of land animals and plants
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Cover 31% of the world’s land area
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Provide subsistence and livelihood for approximately 1.6 billion people (about 20% of the world population).
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Store approximately 296 gigatons of carbon in above and below ground biomass
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In the United States there are 154 protected areas known as national forests
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There are 3 general types of forests: temperate (most common), tropical and boreal
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Only 7 rainforests exist on the planet; all of which are threatened
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Rainforests are definitively the most essential for mitigating climate change
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25% of the medicine that we use originates in rainforests
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Plants in rainforests have not been studied adequately for medicinal properties. Currently, only 1% have been investigated
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Are in danger from human activity via fire, agriculture, development, logging and livestock production.
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Are increasing due to a resurgence in appreciation and monitoring. This is encouraging.
*Enchanted Nature News*
You will find that website is looking a little different. Our web hosting service decided to "upgrade" our web builder. Although they claimed that the existing site would be migrated perfectly, it wasn't. We have spent hours and hours during February trying to fix pages, broken links and trying out some of the new tools. If you've had trouble accessing our website, we apologize for the inconvenience.
Enchanted Nature Tours will be seen around the world. Virginia Tourism worked with an international marketing firm to create a series of videos that will be shown in airports. The company reached out to us for an interview. Keep in mind that were no scripts, no rehearsals and we had no editorial input on the piece. We met in the forest, answered a few questions and they cobbled together the video.
Give the gift of nature! We now offer gift certificates. They can be customized and emailed for any occasion. The gift certificates are available at our Trading Post
If you have any nature, gardening, or horticultural questions or comments, feel free to send them to adventures@enchantednaturetours.com
If you're interested in Mushrooms, check out the weekly posting at: https://friendsoffungus.com/the-fungus-among-us.html
Morel mushroom season has begun.
If you're unsure about wild mushroom hunting, we can help.
Calm
is this month's video theme
This month's video is a little different. You will hear no music. The sounds will be the wind, water flowing and an occasional bird. What is going on in your mind? How is your body reacting to the lack of human generated noise? It is hard to calm ourselves sometimes.
Findings reported in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, suggest that keeping a few snapshots of greenery around yourself might be beneficial. When participants viewed the natural images in the experiment, their stress levels lowered, thanks to the activation of their parasympathetic nervous system – which controls certain rest functions. "Viewing green scenes may thus be particularly effective in supporting relaxation and recovery after experiencing a stressful period and thereby could serve as an opportunity for micro-restorative experiences and a promising tool in preventing chronic stress and stress-related diseases." Take a deep breath, hold it, and let it out slowly as you relax.
If you're ready to explore the forest,
come out for an adventure with us
NATURE IS CALLING, WILL YOU ANSWER
There are many proven health benefits to spending time in nature. It has also been proven that just looking at images of nature can provide multiple health benefits including: reducing depression, speeding healing, improving your immune system, preventing dementia, improving your mood, and increasing happiness. We plan on ending each newsletter with a short video of a natural scene. Hopefully the videos will provide you with some of the benefits listed above.
Stay safe and enjoy nature
If you haven't taken the time to explore our website, please do.
There are a lot of free educational resources to enjoy
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