Latest news with #Rhododendron
Time Business News
4 days ago
- Health
- Time Business News
Mad Honey From Hive to Jar
Mad honey or as it is also referred to as hallucinogenic or wild honey, is one of the most rarely found and at the same time fascinating sort of honey in the world. This Grayanotoxin rich variety originates from the nectars of the Rhododendron and wild flowers gathered by the bees in the Himalayan Region. Hence, the honey has a history linked to the higher cliffs of Nepal. From higher altitudes of Nepal to the customers worldwide the Journey of Mad Honey is quite interesting for nature's wonder. Not only the honey is being harvested but also it is being renowned around the globe for its effects and benefits towards human health. Medicinal Mad Honey a Rare Gift of the Himalayas – Its Origin Harvested from hives of Himalayan giant bees known as Apis Laboriosa which collects nectar from plants like rhododendron plants and wildflowers. These flowers blossom during the summer and have medicinal properties which can bring in various health alignments. The origin of Mad Honey starts with Himalayan Giant Bees which inhabit the higher cliffs of Nepal. The Rhododendron plant contains Grayanotoxin, a natural neurotoxin that when ingested can bring in several effects to the body. The experience begins with normal dizziness and can extend to a bigger extent of hallucinogenic effects including nausea and vomiting. The Harvesting Process: A Tradition Passed Down Through Generations The tradition of honey hunting has been in practice since ages, Gurungs and Kulungs are native honey hunters of the region. They climb steep and hazardous cliffs and landscapes putting their lives at risk to harvest the mad honey for livelihood and culture. Only the most skilled ones lead the hunt as it requires a profound skill and years of experience. Harvesting mad honey is not for the faint-hearted. Sometimes hunters put their life at risk for the hunt as the hunt is truly rewarding. They sometimes ascend a cliff as high as 5000 meters using ropes and bamboo ladders. The honey hunting practice is one of the age old practices that has been passed down from one generation to another. The harvesting process is entirely simple as they use ropes and bamboo ladders made locally without aid of any modern tools and equipment. They use smoke made up of the local plants to swarm off the bees from the hives. The honey is then collected in traditional containers called Tokari , a bamboo basket made to hold things. The honey is carefully lowered, collected and filtered for any residues that may be found during the harvesting process. The locals are familiar with the location and the time of honey harvest during the season, they periodically check the content of honey, hives of bees over time. Medicinal Uses and Global Demand The mad honey has been used and kept in medicinal practices since ages by the locals and the tribesmen of the Gurung and Kulung Communities. Certain health alignments are reported to be cured by the honey including high blood pressure, digestive issues, fatigues and cholesterol. In some cases the small and modest doses of Mad Honey containing Grayanotoxin has been reported to have helped elevate therapeutic benefits. But with the advent of the internet the Gurung harvested Honey is being popular around the globe for its medicinal benefits. They also have started showing attention as international consumers who are interested in alternative medicine and exotic health products like Shilajit. This has further increased the demand for mad honey globally because of its rarity and unique properties. Now it is sold in niche markets, especially in countries such as the United States, Canada, and Japan, where it is highly valued for its hallucinogenic effects and purported health benefits. However, due to its potency and the risks it possesses, it is highly regulated in most countries. In Nepal the Department of food technology and quality control oversees the production, packaging, distribution and export of Mad honey. They ensure the quantity and quality threshold of the product being harvested and distributed throughout the time. Also, the local Government and honey-hunting communities are after the preservation of the Himalayan wild bees. Economic Impact: How Mad Honey Changes Lives in Nepal With the global demand on hand, the export and trade of Mad Honey brings in a lot of money for the locals and the entrepreneurs who are involved in harvesting and selling it globally. Honey hunting is both a way of life and means of income for many local people. This type of honey is highly valued because it would sometimes reach hundreds of dollars per kilogram. With the increased demand for the honey at the international level, local honey hunters, collectors and middlemen have directly benefited from this lucrative market. Besides direct income from the sale of honey, the mad honey business has created avenues for entrepreneurship and employment. Local honey hunters and cooperatives are into its collection, processing and marketing as it can be a good source of income during seasonal hunts. Exporting mad honey allows Nepal to tap into these international markets, which gives its economy a fillip while highlighting its rich biodiversity. Besides just the honey, the entire process of honey hunting seems adventurous and interesting for some people. These kinds of people are joining mad honey hunting expeditions just to witness the entire process of honey hunting and taste the wilderness straight from the hive. Thus, every year a considerable number of tourists flock to the honey hunting site to observe the tradition, document it and make great content for everyone to see. The money obtained from the trade of Mad Honey helps support people's daily lives for basic needs. The tribesmen involved in this are supporting their need of education, food, clothing and health from the eco tourism and trade. How Medicinal Mad Honey is leading the Mad Honey Industry in Nepal? Medicinal Mad Honey, a company from Nepal has been in the mad honey export industry for decades. The company is responsible for harvesting, labelling, packaging, quality assurance and distribution of Mad Honey across the globe. It has been a leading distributor of Mad Honey across the globe. The honey they distribute is 100% authentic, non-processed and filtered basically with no additives. Thinking ahead they have also utilized the waxy residue of mad honey by developing abandoned bee waxes in sustainable herbal blend products like Mad Honey soap and Mad Honey Lip balm. These products are quality guaranteed and 100% organic, to prevent the side effects of chemical composition. The entire process has created economic opportunities in different levels from hunters to distributors and several others in between. Every year a number of tourists flock to join the expedition, this not only helps to boost the economic activity of hunters but also help boost the national economy. People involved in the Mad Honey for packaging, filtering, transport, sales and export are making a living out of it. TIME BUSINESS NEWS
The Herald Scotland
18-07-2025
- The Herald Scotland
Scottish garden that came back to life after Storm Eowyn devastation
Such a happy occasion would have been unthinkable just six months ago when Storm Eowyn hit the west coast of Scotland with such ferocity that it brought much of the country to a standstill and, in some places, changing the familiar appearance of the landscape. Sitting at the southern end of Gigha, at the bottom of the Inner Hebrides, Achamore stood directly in Eowyn's path and by the time the winds finally died down, almost 500 trees across the garden's 52 acres had been ripped from the ground. The shelter belt, which had protected this part of Gigha since the garden was first planted in 1944 by Colonel Sir James Horlick, had been devastated. Twenty four fallen trees blocked the short path from the car park to the main gate and a line of 150-year-old beech trees had been scattered in all directions as if caught up in a vortex. This couldn't have come at a worse time for Achamore, which had just been regaining its stature as one of Scotland's most fascinating gardens after decades during which its owners, the Gigha Island Trust, had been busy with other matters, including upgrading the island's housing stock following a successful community buy-out in the year 2001. However, after the initial shock, head gardener Bryony White launched a 'GoFundMe' page to help to combat the damage and within less than a week her appeal had raised almost £20,000, enough to bring specialist teams and all their equipment over to Gigha from the mainland. Camellias at Achamore (Image: Discover Gardens) The clear-up lasted for months and replanting continues, but Achamore is open once again, allowing visitors to the island to enjoy its collections of rare plants from Asia and the Southern hemisphere. The garden boasts a collection of rare Rhododendrons, including Rhododendron protistum var. giganteum, collected by Frank Kingdon Ward, and Rhododendron arboreum ssp. albotomentosum from Mount Victoria in Myanmar. Plants from Chile and Madeira also flourish here and many of them reach huge dimensions, including the Echiums, which develop giant blue flower spikes that can reach more than six metres in height. These tender species grow on Gigha because of the Gulf Stream and because the island enjoys higher levels of sunshine than other parts of the west coast. This temperate climate is one of the reasons why this small island, just seven miles long by a mile and a half wide, has a history of occupation stretching back to prehistoric times and evidence of this can be found in the standing stones that are dotted around its fields. Achamore Gardens (Image: Achamore Gardens) The Vikings settled here too, naming it 'Gudey' or 'God's Island' and more settlers have arrived since the community buy-out, swelling the population from just 98 to 163. Recently a 20km walking route has been laid out around the island, connecting its important sites, including Achamore, with Ardminish, the island's only village. Details Achamore is open from dawn to dusk 365 days a year. Tickets: £7.50/ £5.00 for children under 16 /£20.00 for a family of four. Entry is paid via cash or contactless card honesty boxes at the visitor entrance. www:// In association with Discover Scottish Gardens
The Herald Scotland
20-06-2025
- General
- The Herald Scotland
Scottish rainforest silent killer' rooted out by scientists
Yet, their survival has been threatened by thickets of rhododendron, first introduced to the UK as ornamental plants two centuries ago. However, progress is being made. Ahead of World Rainforest Day on June 22, Forest and Land Scotland (FLS) have announced a new milestone in their restoration efforts over the last year. FLS teams restored 1226 hectares in 2024/25, up from 930ha last year. Work included removing invasive rhododendrons, returning native species to the forest, and ensuring deer populations are effectively managed. Rhododendron has run rampant across Scotland's rainforests. (Image: FLS) Dubbed the 'silent killer of Scotland's rainforest', due to its proclivity to rob other plants of space, water, and light; rhododendron is FLS' top target. One 'practical and targeted' solution involves injecting each the stem of each plant with a small dose of herbicide. FLS Native Woodland Ecologist Richard Thompson praised his team's work in combating the rhododendron scourge. Thompson said: 'Following on from the success achieved by the National Trust at some of its sites, FLS is starting to use stem injection at large landscape scale. Results have been encouraging and we are hoping to roll out its use more widely across other FLS managed rainforests. 'FLS manages a substantial proportion of Scotland's rainforest, and with around 8000 hectares of priority rainforest rhododendron areas on land managed by FLS it is imperative that effective and efficient control measures at landscape scale can be refined and deployed. 'However, to truly control the spread of Rhododendron, it needs a strategic, collective and collaborative effort from all landowners and managers including estate and residential gardens.' Read more from Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco: 8,000 jobs boost in Peterhead after £1b energy transition investment Edinburgh University staff to strike today as 1800 job losses threatened 'The Hydro isn't real': Deacon Blue star on upbringing, career, and giving back In 2020 the National Trust for Scotland launched Project Wipeout, targeted at invasive species like rhododendron. According to the Trust: 'Cross breeding with frost-hardy rhododendron species from north east America has produced hybrid vigour and helped the plants adapt to colder temperatures. 'Together with its fertility and tolerance of shade, the plant has been able to thrive in our climate and out-compete native flora. 'Almost half of the core areas of Scotland's rainforests are being choked with R. ponticum.' Project Wipeout has been rolled out across Scotland over the last five years.
The Herald Scotland
05-06-2025
- General
- The Herald Scotland
NTS workers death-defying abseil to root out invasive species
The gravity-defying feat was undertaken to remove non-native species such as Japanese knotweed and Rhododendron that had established itself in the crags of the 60m deep gorge at Corrieshalloch Gateway to Nature. Property and conservation staff surveyed the gorge identifying sites where invasive plants had established themselves on the vertical cliff sides. Specialist rope access contractors were then deployed to wipe out the invasive plants by different means - mainly using stem treatment to apply a targeted dose of herbicide. The Invasive Non-native Species (INNS) project at Corrieshalloch is supported by funds raised by players of People's Postcode Lottery and awarded by Postcode Earth Trust. Workers have to get close to treat the stems of the invasive plants (Image: NTS) It follows the publication of the National Trust for Scotland's new Plan for Nature, which sets out its ambitions to conserve the nature in its care, which the Trust has special responsibility for. The plan outlines the actions the charity will undertake to address INNS which have been identified as a main driver of nature loss in Scotland. The National Nature Reserve in Wester Ross is one of eight reserves cared for by the conservation charity across the country. READ MORE: Plan for 'trotting track' at Bannockburn battlefield thrown out by Ministers Three years, 77,000 plants — the National Trust has aced its biggest test yet Rob Dewar, National Trust for Scotland INNS Project Officer, said: 'Our work at Corrieshalloch is part of our ongoing nature conservation to remove invasive non-native species and demonstrates the extreme lengths we go to, to protect the places in our care. 'These gravity defying feats are undertaken by our rope access specialists who support our conservation efforts in these hard-to-reach places where these species can quickly establish themselves, like on the vertiginous sides of the gorge. 'The National Trust for Scotland's INNS work is focused on eradicating invasive non-native plants, including Japanese knotweed, American skunk cabbage and Rhododendron ponticum. The work helps to tackle these species and protect native flora from being crowded out of their natural habitat to safeguard the biodiversity of Scotland's wild landscapes.' A specialist clings to the wall of the gorge (bottom right) (Image: NTS) Mr Dewar added: 'It is thanks to the continued generosity of our members and supporters, including players of People's Postcode Lottery, that we're able to continue our vital work to care for and protect Scotland's natural heritage at this special place for everyone to enjoy, now and into the future.' Players of People's Postcode Lottery have supported the conservation charity's Love Our Nature project since 2022 which benefited from £900k last year. Further funding will support nature conservation work across a variety of different habitats including coastal and marine areas, peatlands, wetlands, woodland, and the eight National Nature Reserves cared for by the Trust. Not a job for the faint-hearted (Image: NTS) Head of Charities at People's Postcode Lottery, Laura Chow, said: 'Players of People's Postcode Lottery will be delighted to know that they are supporting the important work of the National Trust for Scotland to protect the biodiversity of our country's beautiful landscapes.
Otago Daily Times
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Quiz, auction to help buy series
Graeme Stradling's screenprint of Lake Wānaka will be one of the auction items. Photos: supplied Brain power will be needed to help raise some funds for the purchase of an art series. The Eastern Southland Gallery's has launched a fundraising appeal to purchase Jo Ogier's series, "He Wai Apakura — Te Ara Pounamu / The River's Lament — A Pathway of Treasures". The gallery is holding a quiz night on June 14, 7pm, at the Croydon Lodge Hotel, to help the fundraiser. Jacqueline Byars holds her 2024 woodcut of the Eastern Southland Gallery. The gallery said, in a statement, by combining the fun of a general knowledge quiz with the excitement of an auction of art, books and experiences, the night promised to be an entertaining one. Auction lots included a "Cooking the Catch" culinary class with Judy Taylor, a two-night stay at a central Dunedin Airbnb, a bundle of native plants, a printmaking workshop with artist Jacqueline Byars, and artworks by Dick Frizzell, Janet de Wagt, Fane Flaws, Jacqueline Byars and Graeme Stradling. There will also be raffles, a silent auction and spot prizes on the night. Janet de Wagt, Rhododendron, 2025, gouache on paper. All proceeds from the evening will go towards the purchase of Jo Ogier's series of 26 paintings which explore the many species of native flora and fauna that once defined Māruawai and the Mataura River Valley. Digitisation will allow for all 26 images to become backdrops for permanent displays of taonga within the district's new Māruawai Centre museum facility, allowing for future long-term community engagement. To book contact the Eastern Southland Gallery. —APL
