In an age dominated by screens and urban landscapes, a growing body of research and personal anecdotes highlights a timeless truth — nature heals. From improving focus and reducing stress to enhancing mood, interacting with plants and natural environments offers measurable benefits. Studies have consistently shown that spending time in natural settings can lead to…
Rooted in tradition: How plant medicine bridges cultures in the American and Mexican West In the sun-drenched landscapes of the American and Mexican West, where the borders of nations and cultures blur, a rich tradition of healing with plants has flourished for centuries. Margarita Artschwager Kay’s “Healing with Plants in the American and Mexican West”…
Hemp is making a comeback after decades in the wilderness. What does the Gutenberg Bible have in common with the American Declaration of Independence? Or a tapestry from the Viking age with Christopher Columbus’ ship? And what connects the nomadic Scythians described by Greek historian Herodotus with the anointing ritual of the prophet Moses? The…
INTERVIEW: A writer, director, and director of photography, Jordan Berger is the founder of Sunflower Films, a production company in Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA. He is currently completing production on ONE PLANT, a documentary about hemp’s potential to address a wide range of pressing global challenges. He also heads up Head River Farms, an organic hemp…
This study examined the effectiveness and environmental impact of oregano as a natural mosquito repellent compared to store-bought repellents. The findings show that oregano mosquito repellant had a lower environmental impact due to its non-toxic properties. Additionally, oregano, as the main ingredient for a mosquito repellant, is as effective in repelling mosquitoes compared to store-bought…
The plant family Lamiaceae is known for its vast variety of genera and richness in a vivid class of chemical constituents. The Lamiaceae family has a long history of usage in flavoring, food preservation, and medicine. There has been an increased interest of researchers in exploring the potentials of genus Origanum of this family as…
Not every plant is your friend. Not every plant is good. I know this because I’ve been researching the history of poison gardens and have planted a modest one in my small Sydney backyard. A poison garden contains only toxic plants, which could kill humans if consumed in varying quantities. The concept of a poison…
An international team has uncovered archaeological evidence of the earliest known medicinal use of plants in the Pigeon Cave at Taforalt, located in Morocco’s Oriental region, as announced by the National Institute of Archaeology and Heritage (INSAP). This discovery dates back 15,000 years and has been detailed in a publication by the prestigious journal Nature….
Alcohol isn’t solely a human construct. Ethanol, a type of alcohol, naturally occurs across ecosystems. From jungles to deserts, wherever sugary foods ferment, ethanol is found. So, behavioral ecologist Kimberley Hockings from the University of Exeter challenges the traditionally human-centered view of ethanol, suggesting it has a broader ecological role. “We’re moving away from this…
Since the prehistoric times, humans have understood that plants, possessed healing abilities. The knowledge of herbal medicine has been accumulated for millennia by traditional healers and has been passed down from generation to generation. Phytotherapy has been used as the main therapy until the 18th century. Even today, between 40% and 80% of pharmaceuticals are…