Friday, May 6, 2011

Seaweed Workshop May 20-22, 2011: Hornby Island

Seaweed Workshop May 20-22 Hornby Island

Workshop includes: Fri night seaweed dinner, Sat spa evening, a field trip and classes on identification and uses of local seaweeds, their healing properties, how to cook scrumptious meals & sustainable harvest methods.



Instructors: Vera Ronningen, MSc Marine Ecology http://www.mermaidsdelight.ca/

& Amanda Swinimer, BSc+ Marine Biology http://www.dakinitidalwilds.com/

Cost: Workshop only $200

With accommodations for Fri and Sat night Single $325

double occupancy $500.

We will provide dinner on fri evening. A kitchen will be available for students to cook their other meals.

For more info or to register, visit the web-sites listed above
or call (250) 335-3106 or (250) 818-4633

SEAWEED & RADIATION~ Article from the Rural Observer

Article from the Rural Observer: Celebrating Our Rural Community Lifestyle
May 2011

SEAWEEDS & RADIATION: PROTECTION & DETOXIFICATION

By Christine Hopkins, From the Garden...at French Beach
& Amanda Swinimer, Dakini Tidal Wilds

We have all been plunged into circumstances we could not have anticipated just a short month ago...

I always prefer to emphasize the positive – but our current dilemma, precipitated by the massive earthquake, tsunami, and severe breakdown of the Fukishima Nuclear plant in Japan –is very serious.

We continue to go through our daily lives, but any thinking person knows our worldview needs to change.

We are suddenly so vulnerable here on our beautiful, wild coast – in spite of the thousands of km. separating us from the horrific destruction in Japan – it is really only ‘one ocean’. We are at risk in so many ways...

Over the past couple of years, my neighbour, Amanda Swinimer, and I have been co-presenting workshops – teaching people the phenomenal nutritional and therapeutic properties of a large assortment of seaweeds.

As people vitally concerned with the pristine quality of our ocean foreshore, we began researching immediately to determine how serious the threat of radioactive contamination could be to our coastal environment.

Among the myriad of questions, we were searching for factual material as to whether our situation is being monitored. We were pleased to find articles and commentary online from CBC news stories and interviews with scientist and health officers. Briefly, one article (March 18) from Health Canada, indicated that it “...is deploying nine more radiation-monitoring devices to B.C. ...in addition to six units already in place along the B.C. coast.” One scientist, Dr. Kris Starosta, from Simon Fraser Univ. commented in a separate news story (March 29) “We can clearly see from the data we have there is on the order of seven days between the releases in Fukushima and radiation reaching us here.” He also stated that researchers will continue to keep an eye on radioactive iodine 131 – a key component of nuclear powerplant radiation – but also on cesium 37...adding that “Cesium is harder to detect than iodine 131” and “Iodine 131 also decays rapidly, lessening the risk. Cesium can remain in the atmosphere for 30 years”. The story continued, “B.C. scientists have said that local radiation levels that can be linked to the Japanese reactor are miniscule and pose no threat to the public.”

[http:/www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2011/03/28/bc-radiation-iodine-131.html]

More recent stories focused on the massive quantity of radioactive contamination being caused by the serious leak in the power plant and the inability to stop it. In spite of assurances, we are left worrying about severe consequences of both air-born exposure and the prevailing winds and currents. Which leads us to want to share valuable information that we have both accumulated as to the dynamic potential of seaweeds to provide us with unique prevention of the absorption of radioactive iodine and to assist our bodies to safely detoxify from exposure.

Here is Amanda’s summary of the tremendous protection from seaweeds in general and specifically Kelps:

Seaweeds Iodine & Radiation Protection
~If the body is saturated with natural iodine (seaweed is a natural source very rich in it), then your thyroid will not be able to absorb radioactive Io from nuclear fallout
~Need to saturate the thyroid BEFORE the fallout reaches us
~Io in kelp is very similar to the way it is stored in thyroid hormones
~Seaweeds are rich in complimentary nutrients (esp. Selenium) needed to process Io
~Seaweeds 100-200mcg/gm of Io (depending on location, and time of year)

Kelp, Sodium alginate & Radiation Protection
~The seaweeds that belong to the Order ‘Laminariales’ are called ‘Kelp’. Kelps are unique among seaweeds for specific healing properties…of primary importance is their ability to safely remove heavy metals, PCB’s and the by-products of radiation from the body
~Kelps contain a compound called Sodium alginate. Sodium alginate binds to the by-products of radiation (radioactive isotopes), forms an insoluble salt (so it is NOT released in blood stream) and is safely excreted through our urine.

Using Kelp to Protect
~seaweeds are a very concentrated nutrient source. The key to benefitting from their therapeutic properties is consistency, not quantity. As little as 5g/day of kelp provides the body with protection against heavy metals, radiation and other environmental toxins as well as providing an easily absorbed mineral supplement, many vitamins, anti-oxidant and immune support.

Amanda and I share a wealth of experience with the healing and protective properties, we would like people to understand the ‘gift’ that our rich seaweed resource represents – and the critical importance protecting of our marine environment and algae beds. Truly, they are a source of phenomenal nutritional abundance; containing basically every nutrient we humans require to survive, in addition to the protective and detoxifying aspects. Protecting them should be a significant priority...!

For more info contact :
fromthegarden@telus.net http://www.fromthegarden.net/  or dakinitidalwilds@yahoo.com  http://www.dakinitidalwilds.com/

Many Many Thanks!!!

We all had an awesome time at S.O.S. Fest 2011!!!
Check out www.sos-fest.blogspot.com for more photos.
Session Funk Grooves Up the Shirley Hall!
THANKS to Session FunkTaiyaArise, Soulgoalies, Waves on Monday and Ruby from The Fable Cottage for performing at S.O.S. Fest 2011!!!

THANKS to all the Volunteers:
D.J. Hayden for the awesome sound and the wicked DJ tunes
Greg Innes of Dubland Studios for the cool visuals and manning the door 
Marika Nagasaka of ALM Organic Farm and Full Circle Seeds and Paula Hamilton of Ahimsa Yoga and Fitness for their workshops!
Shirley Fire Department for Security
Beth Brooks for spear-heading the kitchen
The Kitchen Crew
Setup and Clean-up Crew
Session Funk for helping with the clean-up the next day!

THANKS to all those that donated door prizes and silent auction items:

THANKS to Sponsors and all those who gave their support:
Migration Design                              
Mystic Glass Creations                       

THANKS to the MUIR CREEK PROTECTION SOCIETY for support!

THANKS to everyone who came to the Shirley Hall for S.O.S. Fest 2011! !