Planting the Future — saving our medicinal herbs. . - Book Notice - book review

Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients,  June, 2002  by Rosemary Gladstar,  Pamela Hirsch

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Native medicinal plant populations in the United States are suffering from loss of habitat and over-harvesting. Many of the most important native medicinal plants -- those used for human healing for thousands of years -- are at risk. Familiar bestselling wild herbs are on the United Plant Savers "At Risk" list, including Echinacea, American ginseng, goldenseal, black cohosh and wild yam.

In Planting the Future, more than 30 authors share their extensive experience with using and growing 33 of these popular herbs, include suggestions for creating our own private herbal sanctuary, and show how we can participate in the land stewardship, habitat protection, and eco-friendly consumption that will ensure an abundant, renewable supply of medicinal plants for future generations. The book also suggests alternative herbs with similar actions and lists sources for hard to find seeds.

UpS' mission is to preserve, conserve & restore native medicinal plants and their habitats of the US & Canada, while ensuring their abundant, renewable supply for future generations. Activities include identifying "at risk" native medicinal plant species, researching sustainable cultivation practices, working with our membership replanting "at risk" medicinal plant species, hosting conferences, partnering with the herbal products industry to transition from using wild medicinal plants to using cultivated native plants, establishing botanical sanctuaries and increasing awareness about "at risk" medicinal plants and their habitats. For additional information and membership details, please call 802-496-7053 or visit www.plantsavers.org. Planting the Future can be ordered online.

Planting the Future has been selected by the Vermont Book Professionals Association as one of the 12 best books of 2000 from a Vermont publisher.

A practicing herbalist with 26 years of experience, Rosemary Gladstar is the founder of United Plant Savers, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving America's native medicinal plants. She is the author of numerous books, including the bestselling Herbal Healing for Women.

Pamela Hirsch owns an herbal body-care business and has worked with medicinal herbs for nearly a decade. She grew up in the Middle East, Asia, and Europe, and was exposed to various healing modalities at an early age. She is the author of the forthcoming The Traveler's Natural Medicine Kit.

COPYRIGHT 2002 The Townsend Letter Group
COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group