On Tuesday, March 3rd, we will observe World Wildlife Day. The UN Theme this year: Medicinal and Aromatic Plants: Conserving Health, Heritage and Livelihoods, “highlights the vital role of these plants in sustaining human health, cultural heritage, and local livelihoods, and showcases the growing pressures they face from habitat loss, overharvesting, and climate change.”
T&T possesses a rich diversity of medicinal and aromatic plants which are often used for teas, to flavour culinary dishes and to treat certain ailments. Our “bush medicine” is linked to Indigenous, African, East Indian and European traditions. Here are a few which you can buy in some markets, herb shops, etc.:
Chadon Beni—used for seasoning or in tea to treat fevers and colds.
Lemon Grass/Fever Grass—used in tea to treat fever, colds.
Ginger—used in tea to treat nausea.
Basil—used for both culinary and calming, stress-relieving purposes.
Zebapique—used in teas to treat fevers, colds, and coughs.
Noni—used to boost the immune system, reduce inflammation, manage pain, and improve skin health.
Neem—used to treat diabetes and for “cooling” (cleansing)
Vervain—used for colds, inflammation, anxiety, insomnia.
Aloe Vera—used for skin, gastritis, and as a blood tonic.
Citronella Grass—used as a mosquito repellent.
Hibiscus Flowers—used in tea to treat high blood pressure and as a diuretic.
Mango Leaf, Papaya Leaf, Guava Leaf, and Soursop Leaf are also used for different medicinal purposes.
T&T’s efforts to protect wildlife include government policies, legal frameworks and NGO initiatives. Although conservation, habitat protection, research and combating illegal wildlife trade are high on the agenda, educating the public about wildlife protection and enforcement of our laws are critical steps to be taken to achieve our goals. We continue to face challenges e.g. illegal hunting, habitat loss and illegal wildlife trade. Let’s leverage the use of digital platforms, e.g. social media, apps, and consistent, long-term online campaigns, in our education programmes.
Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical, Laudato Si’ (On Care For Our Common Home), is a call for conversion of hearts, minds and lifestyles if we are to save our planet. He reminds us that we have a moral imperative to protect biodiversity. He condemns the human-driven extinction of thousands of species as a loss to God’s glory. He warns that human activity is causing species to disappear forever, noting, “We don’t have the right” to destroy these creatures. “Any harm done to the environment is harm done to humanity.”
He calls for an “ecological conversion,” urging a shift from a “throwaway culture” to one of care. He calls us to promote authentic human ecology, which connects ecological issues and life issues.
World Wildlife Day provides us with “an opportunity to celebrate the many beautiful and varied forms of wild fauna and flora, to raise awareness of their many benefits, and reminds us of the urgent need to step up the fight against wildlife crime and human-induced reduction of species, which have wide-ranging economic, environmental and social impacts” (UN).
According to the UN, 50,000 wild species meet the needs of billions worldwide.
“Around 9 per cent of plant species used globally for medicinal and aromatic purposes are threatened with extinction due to overharvesting, habitat loss, climate change and illegal trade. One in five people rely on wild plants, algae and fungi for their food and income. Seventy to 95 per cent of the population in developing countries rely on traditional medicine for primary healthcare.”
The Conference of the Parties (COP), the governing body of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), comprising 196 nations, “meet biennially to negotiate, monitor, and enforce global biodiversity goals.” The UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15), which ended in Montreal, Canada, on December 19, 2022, saw the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF)—a landmark agreement which aims to halt and reverse nature loss.
“The framework consists of global targets to be achieved by 2030 and beyond to safeguard and sustainably use biodiversity” (UN).
The post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework comprises “measures to transform society’s relationship with biodiversity by 2050. Among its goals: restore 20 per cent of degraded ecosystems and reduce the introduction or settlement of invasive alien species by 50 per cent” (UN).
Let’s focus on actionable solutions to ensure a sustainable future for our planet, and “develop a form of ecology based on reconciliation, a new form of environmental ethics where humans learn to preserve biodiversity by living with it, rather than isolating it” (UNESCO).
