Thirty years ago the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service realized that abuse of the animals and plants used in traditional Chinese medicine was not merely an Asian problem but affected North America also. Protected plants like ginseng, or animals such as black bears were being stolen or killed for illegal trade. The Service joined with the International Fund for Animal Welfare, Wildlife Conservation Society, American Herbal Products Association and other partners to carry out an educational project directed toward graduate students and practitioners of Acupuncture and East Asian Medicine.
Read more about the educational project at Acupuncture Today.
The project produced a book in 2006, Mending the Web of Life: Chinese Medicine and Species Conservation. All plants and animals used in Chinese medicine and listed on CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) were profiled in this account, and substitutes recommended.
Copies were provided free of charge to all the libraries of CCAOM members. High Falls Foundation still has extra copies of the book. Libraries, please check your inventory.
Others may buy a copy for $20 including postage. Donate $20 to High Falls Foundation via PayPal and use the optional message line to write “Mending the Web of Life.” Be sure to include your mailing address. This donation will NOT be tax-deductible.
If you don’t want to use PayPal, mail a check for $20 to High Falls Foundation, Inc. / P.O. Box 125, Philmont NY 12565. Specify “Mending the Web of Life” and include your mailing address.
