Disaster Preparedness - Clean Drinking Water in Any Situation

Whether you have a natural disaster, like an earthquake or hurricane, or just need to be sure the water you consume is clean when hiking, it is important to know how to find and purify water for safe consumption.

After a natural disaster that threatens the water you drink there are several sources readily available to you that were safe before the problem arose, and if you can reach them are most likely still safe and clean. Every home in modern America has a hot water heater….this water is safely contained and housed from contamination and may still be used safely. You also have within your home toilets that have reserve tanks, this water stands a good chance of still being clean if the tank is not breached. Also check your freezer…ice cubes are a good source of water.

A very good idea is water storage. Putting water in clean, hard plastic bottles for future use is excellent planning. You can use any container that once held drinkable liquids, do not use bottle that held bleach or other household chemicals! Also one note on bottles…although gallon milk jugs with screw caps work, you will find that the seams on the bottle do not hold up well. Water can be stored for up to a year safely. The main complaint is that the water tastes “flat”, this is due to the oxygen slowly leaving the water, so just re-oxygenate it by pouring it from one container to another before consumption.

How much water should you plan on storing you might ask…. A normal active adult should drink at least 1/2 gallon of water per day. Additional water is needed for brushing teeth, bathing, cleaning cooking utensils, and also for cooking food in. Store as much water as you have space for, but a three days supply is considered to be a minimum amount. Do not forget your companion animals when planning amounts of water to store…..if you do not plan on their consumption then you will go through water faster than you imagined.

If your water storage gets ruined in a disaster or you are hiking and run out of potable water, the need arises to obtain clean water for survival. If the water you find is cloudy you need to filter it before anything else……there are ways to do it with next to nothing available. Take a funnel, if you have one, or make one from an old 2 liter soda bottle or a rolled leaf into a cone shape (large, waxy leaves like those of the Southern Magnolia work well). Place the funnel into a collecting container. Inside the funnel place a rolled up white sock, pour the water slowly over the sock (a white sock allows you to see when the sock gets dirty and needs to be replaced).
Next take the filtered water and boil it for 10 minutes. This kills many of the bacteria found in water. If bleach is available you can then add it to the water to finish the cleaning process. Bleach must be the type that says on the label that is contains 5.25% hypochlorite. You then take an eye dropper and add it in the amount of 8 drops per gallon of clear water and 16 drops per gallon of cloudy water. For 5 gallons you use ½ tsp for clear water and 1 tsp for cloudy water. Let this stand for 10 minutes before consuming.

For additional information call the EPA - Safe Water Hotline (800) 426-4791.

Some Oils and Their Uses

The following list is a guideline only. There are many more essential oils and numerous uses for each plant. Use this list as a launching pad only for future reference.

Angelica - Angelica archangelica – Used in Chinese medicine for promoting fertility

Basil, Sweet - Ocimum basilicum – Used in India to brighten mode – Do Not use during pregnancy

Bay - Pimenta racemosa – Used in the West Indies for stimulating hair growth - avoid during pregnancy

Bergamot - Citrus bergamia – has been used for relieving stress – may cause photosensitivity

Black Pepper - Piper nigrum – From Madagascar used to stimulate circulation

Calendula - Calendula officinalis – Used for any skin complaint

Atlas Cedar - Cedrus atlantica – Used by the ancient Egyptians to relax tense muscles


German Chamomile - Matricaria recutica – is an anti-inflammatory – avoid in early pregnancy

Citronella - Cymbopogon nardus – In Chinese medicine used for an insect repellent – avoid on damaged skin

Clary Sage - Salvia sclarea – Used for eye problems in the past

Eucalyptus - Eucalyptus globules – Used for congestion by the Aborigines of Australia – avoid if you have high blood pressure or epilepsy

Fennel, Sweet - Foeniculum vulgare – used for rheumatism and arthritis – avoid during pregnancy or is epileptic

Frankenscense - Boswellia species – for healing fears and grief

Ginger - Zingiber officinale – reducing muscular aches and pains

Hyssop - Hyssopus officinalis – Used to heal bruises – avoid during pregnancy and epilepsy

Jasmine - Jasminum grandiflorum – Used as an aphrodisiac

Juniper berry - Juniperus communis – used to energize and relieve exhaustion

Lavender - Lavandula officinalis – Used to relieve tension and headache, promote sleep

Lemon - Citrus Limonum – To balance nervous system – may cause photosensitivity

Myrrh - Commiphora myrrha – Used to heal wounds and nurture aging skin

Neroli - Citrus aurantium var. amara –Used to heal scars and increase circulation

Nutmeg - Myristica fragrans – Used for warming and to stimulate heart and circulation – avoid during pregnancy, may be mildly toxic if over used

Orange, Sweet - Citrus sinensis – Used to brighten mood, relieve melancholy and apathy

Patchouli - Pogostemon cablin – Used to relieve stress and nervous tensions, an aphrodisiac

Peppermint - Mentha piperita – for energy and mental clarity

Pine - Pinus sylvestris – Used to ease breathing, immune system stimulate

Rosewood - Aniba rosaedora – Used to relieve stress and balance central nervous system

Sandalwood - Santalum album – Used to lift melancholy

St John’s Wort - Hypericum perforatum – Used to treat fungal infection, oily hair

Tea Tree - Melaleuca alternifolia – Used as a disinfectant

Ylang Ylang - Cananga odorata – Used as an aphrodisiac, to relieve anger and anxiety

Plants in Modern Medicine

Many years ago, herbs were the only source of medicine. Today modern Medicine has a myriad of chemicals to be prescribed by your medical doctor. But did you know that at least 120 of these medicines that they have available to prescribe are plant based. In other words Herbology!

If you should go to your doctor and ask for herbal remedies instead of the chemical pharmacy company products, and he says NO…..remind him/her of these contributors from the plant kingdom. Many more of the prescriptions written are for medicines that are simple synthetic modifications or copies of the naturally obtained substances. For example, many years ago a plant chemical was discovered in a tropical plant, Cephaelis ipecacuanha, and the chemical was named emetine. A drug was developed from this plant chemical called Ipecac which was used for many years to induce vomiting mostly if someone accidentally swallowed a poisonous or harmful substance. Ipecac can still be found in pharmacies in many third world countries but has been mostly replaced by other drugs in the United States.

Many European countries, including Germany, regulate herbal products as drugs and pharmaceutical companies prepare plant based drugs simply by extracting out the active chemicals from the plants. A good example is the plant substance/drug shown below, cynarin. Cynarin is a plant chemical found in the common artichoke (Cynara scolymus). In Germany, a cynarin drug is sold for liver problems and hypertension which is simply this one chemical extracted from the artichoke plant or a plant extract which has been standardized to contain a specific milligram amount of this one chemical. These products are manufactured by pharmaceutical companies, sold in pharmacies in Germany and a doctor's prescription is required to purchase them. In the United States artichoke extracts are available as natural products and sold in health food stores.

Some examples of these plant derived medicines follow:

Digoxin - Digitalis purpurea

Atropine - Atropa belladonna

Caffeine - Camellia sinensis

Camphor - Cinnamomum camphora

Cocaine - Erythroxylum coca

Codeine - Papaver somniferum

Emetine - Cephaelis ipecacuanha

Ephedrine - Ephedra sinica

Morphine – Papaver

Papavarine - Papaver somniferum

Pilocarpine - Pilocarpus jaborandi

Pseudoephredrine - Ephedra sinica

Quinine - Cinchona ledgeriana

Salicin - Salix alba

Scopolamine - Datura species

Strychnine - Strychnos nux-vomica

Many of our newest drugs are coming from plants of the Rainforest. And yet the rainforests are being burned, slashed and destroyed daily. The future cure for AIDS or cancer may already be extinct due to these practices!

Thus far seven plant-derived anticancer drugs have received Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for commercial production. Some of them are listed below:

Taxol from the Pacific Yew

Vinblastine from the Madagascar Periwinkle

Topotecan from the Chinese tree Campototheca acuminate

Teniposide from the Mayapple plant family

Definitions of the Ways to Use Herbs

There are many accepted ways to use herbs. You will occasionally find references to a tea, an infusion or a decoction….are they the same or different? How are they dissimilar?
This small piece will hopefully add to your understanding of the differing terms and allow you to make wise choices in how you utilize the herbs.

Compress - In a compress an infusion or decoction is made first and a piece of clean cloth or gauze is soaked in the resultant liquid. The cloth or gauze is applied to the affected area. When using a compress, use it as hot as can be tolerated, you can cover the compress with plastic wrap, to keep it hot longer, and change it when it cools off.


Decoction - an infusion which has been reduced to one/half of its original volume by slow steam release. Not brought to a boil, the decoction is taken to the point of steam release and the heat is then reduced very low to continue the steam process. Decoction is handy for those herbals which taste bad or bitter, requiring only one quarter the dose. Decoctions are strong and can be kept longer if gin or vodka is added.

When you’re dealing with roots, bark, seeds or hard dense pieces of herbs a decoction is usually the better choice. Pieces should be small.

Extracts - These usually require a still and are difficult and expensive to try to do at home. There are a wide variety of extracts on the market, check your local health food store.

Infusion - a tea made from the flowers, leaves or roots of an herb, with a longer steeping time than a general tea. The water is boiled fully, the cup or pot is heated and the herbs and water are covered during the steep to prevent steam escaping. The standard measure is one teaspoon of dried herbs, two of fresh, to one cup of boiled water. Covered steeping time is generally up to ten minutes for flowers, twenty minutes for leaves and up to four hours for the root.


Most appropriate for stems, leaves, flowers you can infuse bark, roots and seeds, but seeds should be bruised (use a mortar and pestle for this) and bark and roots should be powdered first.

If you wish to make larger quantities at one time, be sure to refrigerate after brewing, herbal infusions are usually so rich that bacteria can multiply and thrive very quickly. Even a refrigerated infusion shouldn’t be kept more than 2 days.

Inhalations – Inhalations have been used for centuries, it conveys the therapeutic essences of the plants through hot, moist air through the nose and into the lungs. A simple form can be used with hot, steaming water, a few drops of essential oil and a tea towel over the head while inhaling the steam (be careful of burns if the steam is too hot). It can be used for treatment of many respiratory disorders and emotional states.


Poultice - For a poultice you would use the plant material itself. For poultices, you can use fresh or dried herbs. Fresh herbs can be bruised and applied directly to the skin. If the skin is particularly sensitive, the poultice can be placed between layers of gauze. When using dried herbs they must be moistened first. Make a paste by adding hot water or apple cider vinegar to the dried plant material. Keep the poultice warm as for a compress. You may want to cover the skin with a thin layer of oil as this protects the skin and may make removing the poultice easier.


Salve - an herbal decoction blended with a beeswax or olive oil base, reduced and placed in jars. These are semi-solid and are usually used externally, applied to the skin. For use on burns, chapped skin, scrapes and other skin irritations, depending on the herb used.
Some people use petroleum jelly as a base. I know, I know, it isn’t "organic". But…it’s easy and quick, it isn’t absorbed by the skin, it’s fairly water-proof and makes a great covering which won’t let anything in from outside either. It simply acts as a carrier and lets the herbal stuff sink into the skin... and it works!

Syrup - an infusion or decoction which is then mixed into a sugar base, using brown sugar, molasses, honey or corn syrup. (Caution - children under three should not ingest honey) Syrups are used in cases of sore throat, upset stomach in children, etc.

Tea – a tea never boils the plant matter, only steeps it, and only to taste. Place the plant matter in a pot, pour boiling water over it and allow to sit until desired strength is reached

Tincture - a strong infusion or decoction prepared in an alcohol base (vodka, brandy or gin) and are much more stable for storage and long life. Most times, alcohol makes a stronger tincture than water, glycerin or vinegar.


NOTE: any use that heats the herb causes some volatile oils to be lost and cell wall destruction, if those factors are not desired it is recommended by many to use tinctures instead of teas, infusions or decoctions.

How to Make Your Own Recycled Paper

First off.....I need to apologize in advance......Not for this article, but because of the authorship of it. Years ago I found this article, online. I didn't know much then, I didn't copy the URL or the name of the author......SO, I honestly don't know where it came from. It is a great, short piece on recycling paper, I knew it needed no improvement, so include it here. Again my apologies if it is your work with no credit.

Don't throw away your old newspapers. Try making your own recycled paper!

Recycled paper can be made from old newspaper, following the instructions below. Recycling paper uses cellulose (plant fibers) over and over again, it uses less electricity, less water, a lot less pollution, and it saves trees from being cut down!

You will need:

a food processor or an old blender
an electric iron
an old wire hanger
an old pair of panty hose
newspaper or other paper, torn into 2-inch squares
white glue
water
an insect screen or strainer (optional)
food coloring (optional)
a big sink or tub filled with 4 inches of water

Make sure you have a place to work where you can make a big mess!

Step One:Make a frame out of the coat hanger. You'll need a frame for each piece of paper you make. Stretch the hanger and bend it into a rectangle/square shape. Take one leg of the panty hose and stretch it carefully over the hanger frame. Make sure it is tight and flat.

Step Two:Put a handful of the torn up paper and some water into the food processor or blender. Blend the mixture on high until it becomes mushy. Keep adding paper and water until you have a big gray blob. You may have to add a little more water to keep things moving smoothly. Keep the food processor on until all the paper has disappeared. Then leave it on for 2 minutes.
For some color, add a handful of brown or red onion skin (not the onion itself, just the papery outer skin).

Step Three:Put 2 tablespoons of white glue in the sink water and add all of the paper pulp you just made. Mix it really well. Use your hands.

Step Four:Scoop the frame to the bottom of the sink, then lift it slowly. (Count to 20 slowly while you are lifting.) Let the water drain out for about a minute.

Step Five:Hang the frames on a clothesline or put them out in the sun. Wait until they are completely dry with no dampness at all. You can then gently peel off the paper.

Step Six:Use the iron, set on the hottest setting, to steam out your paper. You can keep making paper until the pulp is all strained out of the sink. Mix up the sink every time you make a new piece.

Try other things like using in insect screen over a wood frame, or a strainer instead of the pantyhose and hanger.

Try adding lots of food coloring, for colored paper, or try adding lint or leaves to the food processor. Your paper will have an interesting texture.

Making your own paper can be fun, and it's a great way to re-use old paper.
You can recycle all kinds of paper for re-use.
Sometimes paper printed from color-inkjet printers will run, that is, the color will bleed off and become part of your new paper, but that can make for an interesting effect!

Wildcrafting the Herbs You Use

When you walk the earth, there is a need to remember that she is our Mother, without her we have no place to be. In remembering she is our mother we need to bear in mind that it is our responsibility to care take all her creatures great and small. It is our duty to harvest conscientiously, remembering that we impact the 7 generations that follow us.

In the Native way we do not harvest the first plant we spy, but rather offer a gift of tobacco to thank the “Grandparent” plant for the sacrifice of the others we might harm. We never harvest from an area that does not have an abundance of the herb we seek, and we never, ever take all of a plant in an area.

If you are in a position of having the ability to plant gardens in your self acclaimed space, then do so. Consider also planting a Wild Garden in which you plant the wild herbs you use most often. A bed developed with Echinacea, Black Eyed Susan, Queen Anne’s Lace, Violets, Butterfly weed, Chickweed and others can be stunning. The scents can make the mind reel with their delicacy, and reward the soul.

When you do go to harvest in the wild remember to consider if the plant is endangered. If it is, you do not take it. To find out if the plant is rare, endangered or threatened in your area, contact the state horticulturalist or the local chapter of the Native Plant Society.

When you are out in the ‘wild’ remember to look around you, see the land, the animals, the insects, the wind, feel the vibrations of life around you. Connect to your Mother, feel her breath lift your hair, wet your fingers in the streams of her life giving waters, gently probe her skin, walk with beauty, walk in gentleness…..impact your Mother with care. When you have found the proper stand of plants from which you decide to harvest; take note of the other plants in the area. Are there sufficient plants to continue growing after your harvest year after year? Are the plants healthy enough for you to use? Can you harvest a few seeds to scatter in a new area? Are there sufficient seeds to allow natural reseeding in that area for the future?

There are a few things to consider before harvesting a plant….is it the right time of the year? Will it do harm to the plant? Can the harvesting be done in a less impacting way?
Never take so many leaves from a plant that the plant looks denuded, try to make the plant look like it has not been harvested at all…..in other words take a little from many to get the amount of herb that you need. If it is bark do not strip the main trunk, but rather take bark from downed wood or from branches that you cut and strip. Try not to harvest from steeply pitched slopes, as the removal of plants may make an erosion problem. If possible harvest from gently inclined slopes.

Let me regress a little….you must have an absolutely positive identification. Without a definitive identification you could poison yourself. I cannot stress this too much, for example…Queen Anne’s Lace and Poison Hemlock have flowers that are very similar in look…the mistake has been made before with deadly results. Do not jeopardize your safety that way!
The next consideration is the distance from a roadbed. There are noxious fumes given off by gasoline and diesel engines that will affect the plants along the roadside. Many plants like disturbed areas, like along roadsides, so care must be taken to harvest only plants at least a minimum of 50 feet from the nearest source of the contaminants.

Next a few suggestions for the actual harvest:
Select only 2 – 5 plants to harvest on any one trip
Keep plants totally separate from each other to not cross contaminate
Harvest early, but after the nights dew has dried
Process the plants as quickly as possible to avoid loss and waste
Leave all sites just as you found them: fill any holes, cart out all trash, etc.
Never harvest in excess of your expected use