ORGANIC TREASURES
Used in food, jewellery & more.
SOUGHT AFTER VALUABLE MATERIALS
This page on Oztreasure is dedicated to Organic Treasures:
Not just fruit and vegetables but lots of other things that many people may not realise are organic, such as: Valuable plants, animals,timber, ivory, organic gemstones, shells, pearls, pearl shells, red coral used in jewelry and much more!
Not just fruit and vegetables but lots of other things that many people may not realise are organic, such as: Valuable plants, animals,timber, ivory, organic gemstones, shells, pearls, pearl shells, red coral used in jewelry and much more!
COCONUTS
If you’re ever trapped on a deserted island surrounded by nothing except coconut trees, know that you're not as doomed as you might think.
While far from deserted, the island of Sri Lanka has long known about the power of the humble coconut tree. Here, it’s called the ‘Tree of Life’ because Sri Lankans can – and do – use literally every single part of it.
“It’s the main ingredient for our culture and we protect it closely,” said Kanchana Weerakoon, president of Sri Lanka’s Eco Friendly Volunteers.
Sri Lanka produces 2.7 billion coconuts each year and consumes 75% of them domestically, which is why it’s illegal to cut a Sri Lankan coconut tree before it has matured. The Cabinet of Sri Lanka even has a Minister of Coconut Development, whose mission is to ensure the availability of coconuts and coconut products.
While far from deserted, the island of Sri Lanka has long known about the power of the humble coconut tree. Here, it’s called the ‘Tree of Life’ because Sri Lankans can – and do – use literally every single part of it.
“It’s the main ingredient for our culture and we protect it closely,” said Kanchana Weerakoon, president of Sri Lanka’s Eco Friendly Volunteers.
Sri Lanka produces 2.7 billion coconuts each year and consumes 75% of them domestically, which is why it’s illegal to cut a Sri Lankan coconut tree before it has matured. The Cabinet of Sri Lanka even has a Minister of Coconut Development, whose mission is to ensure the availability of coconuts and coconut products.
‘STOP and SMELL THE ROSES’
Highly treasured for perfume.
The flowers are usually gathered at night because the fragrance of a rose is at its best before sunrise. The most widely grown rose for perfumery is the ‘Damask rose’ (Rosa damascene) from Syria.
No matter how similar in colour and shape a flower might be to another type of flower, there are no two floral fragrances that are exactly the same as each other.
The fragrance of a flower is the signal that directs a suitable type of pollinator to a particular flower whose nectar and/or pollen is the reward for the pollinator’s service.The fragrance’s composition is such that it works both as a long and as a short distance attractant to various types of insects.
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The fragrance’s composition is such that it works both as a long and as a short distance attractant to various types of insects. Some flowers give off their fragrance at night and this is to attract moths which detect the fragrance, visit and pollinate at night. Species pollinated by bees and flies have sweet scents, whereas those pollinated by beetles have strong musty, spicy, or fruity fragrances.
In addition to pollination some plants in hot, arid climates, use their fragrance as protection from drought. Thick volatile compounds in their fragrance provide a protective layer around their leaves and help to keep the plant and its surroundings cool.
[The oil of roses (Attar, an essential oil) has seven times the antiseptic (germ killing) strength of carbolic acid].
In addition to pollination some plants in hot, arid climates, use their fragrance as protection from drought. Thick volatile compounds in their fragrance provide a protective layer around their leaves and help to keep the plant and its surroundings cool.
[The oil of roses (Attar, an essential oil) has seven times the antiseptic (germ killing) strength of carbolic acid].
WILDFLOWER HUNTING
THE FLORAL TREASURES
OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA
16th September 2017: We enjoyed a 4000 klm trip to Exmouth Western Australia & back and saw thousands of wonderful wild fl0wers.
Given the right seasonal conditions of rain & sunshine Wreath flowers thrive on disturbed sandy soil such as recently graded roadsides.
ORGANIC TREASURE HUNTERS
Going bananas over banana seeds!
Although there are more than 1,000 varieties of wild banana in the world, 95% of bananas in supermarkets come from genetically identical cloned plants. The big problem is the risk of fungus & Panama disease. If the cloned varieties that do not produce seeds are wiped out, then there are no seeds to replace them.
The bananas weighed exactly 200 grams each and were packaged like a rare treasure in a special padded box.
The fruit was developed by selecting the best qualities of over 100 banana species and are grown at 500 meters above sea level.
Another fruit company, who ripen their bananas in a room with Mozart playing all day, claim their bananas love the music and are the sweetest
The fruit was developed by selecting the best qualities of over 100 banana species and are grown at 500 meters above sea level.
Another fruit company, who ripen their bananas in a room with Mozart playing all day, claim their bananas love the music and are the sweetest
BANANAS ON THE BEACH!
Or as they say in Holland “Bananen op het strand”
$ MILLIONS FOR A SINGLE PEARL!
A bit of grit inside formed a pearl worth $32 million!
The main feature in a piece of jewellery that once belonged to Queen Marie Antoinette of France was a massive drop-shaped natural pearl which sold at auction in Geneva for a record $32 million. The pearl was the highlight in Sotheby's sale of jewellery from the Bourbon-Parma dynasty in Geneva. Sotheby's promotion for the sale said the sale was “a once-in-a-lifetime chance to scoop up heirlooms and jewels that have been held in the Bourbon-Parma dynasty for generations”. |
The pre-auction estimate was $1 million to $2 million, but the hammer eventually fell on the staggering bid of 32 million Swiss francs ($32 million USD) which with fees, rose to over $36.1 million.
Marie Antoinette the wife of King Louis XVI, was executed in the revolution of 1793.
Before facing the guillotine, she had secretly sent her most treasured possessions (including the pearl) to her relatives overseas. The pearl is an incredible link to the history of the French Revolution.
After the sale Sotherby’s senior director for jewellery said: "We had said when we did the press conference for this sale, that this was going to be the sale of this century, and I think that the results tonight prove that this is the case."
Marie Antoinette the wife of King Louis XVI, was executed in the revolution of 1793.
Before facing the guillotine, she had secretly sent her most treasured possessions (including the pearl) to her relatives overseas. The pearl is an incredible link to the history of the French Revolution.
After the sale Sotherby’s senior director for jewellery said: "We had said when we did the press conference for this sale, that this was going to be the sale of this century, and I think that the results tonight prove that this is the case."
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Some of Marie Antoinette’s jewellery had not been viewed by the general public for 200 years, but now the Pearl and diamond pendant, from the 18th century and sold on Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2018, is on public display at Sotheby's, in New York.
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CORAL
AS A GEMSTONE
Precious coral or red coral (Corallium rubrum) is found in a range of warm reddish pink, pale pink & deep red, is used for making jewellery. Red corals grow typically in dark environments in clear water on a rocky sea bottom in caves and crevices. It is found mainly in the Mediterranean sea at depths of 10 to 300 meters. Another type (Corallium japonicum) occurs in the waters off Taiwan at depths of 350 to 1500 meters in areas with strong currents.
Harvested since antiquity in carvings and jewellery, the hard skeleton of red coral can be polished to a glassy shine. Coral jewellery has been found in ancient Egypt in prehistoric burials.
Harvested since antiquity in carvings and jewellery, the hard skeleton of red coral can be polished to a glassy shine. Coral jewellery has been found in ancient Egypt in prehistoric burials.
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Corallium rubrum Video Vittorioinnocente -
The red coral (Corallium rubrum) is a Mediterranean colonial animal that lives in shady and sheltered from 20 to 200 feet deep. Over the centuries, the coral reefs have been exploited to collect what is known as the red gold. |
Its growth was slow rhythms. And 'sensitive to thermal anomalies.
It feeds on plankton through the transparent white polyps and equipped with 8 tentacles. In the depths of the Marine Protected Area of Portofino (Genova -Liguria), always rich in corals and sea fans, the presence of red gold is also increasing in size.
It feeds on plankton through the transparent white polyps and equipped with 8 tentacles. In the depths of the Marine Protected Area of Portofino (Genova -Liguria), always rich in corals and sea fans, the presence of red gold is also increasing in size.
ELEPHANT IVORYWhy kill these wonderful creatures ?
Ivory-seeking poachers have killed 100,000 African elephants in just three years, according to a new study that provides the first reliable continent-wide estimates of illegal kills. During 2011 alone, roughly one of every twelve African elephants was killed, for its ivory tusks, by a poacher. Aug 18, 2014 |
Ban imports of elephant ivory into all countries
SHIPWRECK IVORY
The VOC (Dutch East Indies Company) used to trade for Ivory and it is not uncommon to find elephant tusks on VOC shipwrecks.
The Western Australian Museum did extensive excavation work at the Vergulde Draeck (Gilt Dragon) site and removed and conserved a wide range of material. http://www.museum.wa.gov.au/maritime-archaeology-db/artefacts/gt691-animal |
The collection includes African elephant tusks, ballast bricks, beardman jugs, ceramic masks and medallions, clay tobacco pipes, bronze and brass utensils, various tools, glass bottles, an astrolabe and many silver coins.
Many of these artifacts are on display at the Western Australian Museum Fremantle Shipwreck Galleries.
Many of these artifacts are on display at the Western Australian Museum Fremantle Shipwreck Galleries.
US$8.5 Million IVORY DESTROYED
Mick Fleetwood co-founder of the rock band Fleetwood Mac involved in an effort to devalue the ivory market.
Since August 2014, New York law has prohibited the sale, purchase, trade of anything made from elephant or mammoth ivory or rhinoceros horn, except in limited situations with state approval.
As part of efforts to put an end to the illegal ivory market animal advocates cheered as Mick Fleetwood the co-founder of the rock band Fleetwood Mac and others used a rock crusher to crush and turn to worthless dust and splinters,
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almost 2 tons of confiscated ivory trinkets, statues and jewellery calved from the tusks of at least 100 slaughtered elephants.
But the Wildlife Conservation, who partnered with Tiffany & Co. for the crushing of the ivory, said no price justifies slaughtering elephants for their ivory tusks.
ABOVE: Mick Fleetwood with Fiona Karamanlidis.
Fiona Karamanlidis is a talented song writer from South Australia. On her CD of award winning Australian country songs called ‘Out of Nowhere’ Fiona has my painting ‘Outback Oddity’ Rex Woodmore. CLICK IMAGE AT RIGHT FOR AUDIO
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MORE ABOUT IVORY LOWER DOWN THE PAGE
FINDING FLORAL TREASURES
The most expensive flowers in the world
RARE & EDIBLE
Put your money where your mouth is.
It takes almost 5 years to bloom and
In 2005 it was sold at auction to an anonymous bidder for around US$202,000, making it the most expensive flower ever bought.
In 2005 it was sold at auction to an anonymous bidder for around US$202,000, making it the most expensive flower ever bought.
TRADING IN TULIP BULBS
I’ll give you one tulip bulb for your mansion
In 17th century Holland tulip bulbs were traded just like we might trade on the stock market.
In the tulip boom buyers were clamouring for rare varieties, creating the first speculative market that was soon followed by a crash. In the trading ‘boom’ the most valuable tulip, with flames of ruby red on white petals, was the Semper Augustus, worth 10,000 guilders (about US$5,700) for a single bulb. In those days that amount of money could buy a mansion in Amsterdam. |
A GHASTLY ORGANIC TREASURE
The Archaeologist’s Mummy is ugly!
Born into the most advanced civilisation in the ancient world, Hatshepsut took the throne of Egypt from her young stepson, Thutmosis III, and changing her name from Hatshepsut - which means Foremost of the Noble Ladies - to the male version, Hatshepsu had herself crowned around 1473BC.
To consolidate her position as the first female ruler, she wore the traditional clothes, head-dress and even the false beard worn by a male ruler of Egypt.
History shows that she was interested in plants and in the ninth year of her reign ordered a trading expedition to the land of Punt. Punt is believed to be in north eastern Africa, perhaps it was the present day Somalia. Punt was rich in organic products such as ivory, the biblical frankincense & myrrh, spices, and aromatic trees.
To consolidate her position as the first female ruler, she wore the traditional clothes, head-dress and even the false beard worn by a male ruler of Egypt.
History shows that she was interested in plants and in the ninth year of her reign ordered a trading expedition to the land of Punt. Punt is believed to be in north eastern Africa, perhaps it was the present day Somalia. Punt was rich in organic products such as ivory, the biblical frankincense & myrrh, spices, and aromatic trees.
One tree that she may have been particularly keen on is the Khat which is a leafy green plant containing two main stimulant drugs which speed up your mind and body. Their main effects are similar to, but less powerful than, amphetamine ‘Speed’ Khat was used as a beverage before the introduction of coffee.
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AMBER & AMBERGRIS Confusion
Sometime in the 14th century, the two were recognised as separate finds. The word amber was applied to the gemstone and ambergris (amber grease) was applied to the material ejected by whales. The two are easily distinguished by the fact that Ambergris floats in freshwater but Amber sinks in freshwater and yet it floats in saltwater.
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Amber from New Zealand coal seams are referred to as 'ambrite'. Amber from similar coal seam deposits found elsewhere might be called 'resinite'
Trapped inside amber one can sometimes see things such as plant material, spiders and their webs, annelids, frogs, crustaceans, bacteria and amoebae, marine microfossils, wood, flowers and fruit, hair, feathers and other small organisms have been found in amber. This has helped palaeontologists to identify over 1,000 extinct species that may otherwise not be known.
When amber is rubbed with a cloth it becomes electrically charged and like a magnet, can attract small particles. This resulted in the Greeks calling amber ‘elektron’ the same word that gave electricity its name.
In ancient times Amber was one of the many ingredients mixed with other natural ingredients extracted from plants, animals and minerals. An original medicinal formula by Nicolaus Copernicus consists of 22 ingredients, including amber.
In identifying amber, amber is warm against the skin, whereas glass and minerals are cool to the touch. When amber has a red hot needle touched to it, it smells like pine. Commonly Amber comes in many shades and colours of Honey, butterscotch, cognac, citrine. Less common colours are cherry red, green, whitish to pale lemon-yellow and brown to nearly black. In the Baltic there is a very rare blue amber which can be fluorescent: blue under natural and ultraviolet light sources with an almost white reflection under long wave UV. This fluorescent variety is the most rare amber. Amber can be transparent to opaque with a resinous luster. The most valuable amber contains inclusions of insects, plants or pyrite.
Trapped inside amber one can sometimes see things such as plant material, spiders and their webs, annelids, frogs, crustaceans, bacteria and amoebae, marine microfossils, wood, flowers and fruit, hair, feathers and other small organisms have been found in amber. This has helped palaeontologists to identify over 1,000 extinct species that may otherwise not be known.
When amber is rubbed with a cloth it becomes electrically charged and like a magnet, can attract small particles. This resulted in the Greeks calling amber ‘elektron’ the same word that gave electricity its name.
In ancient times Amber was one of the many ingredients mixed with other natural ingredients extracted from plants, animals and minerals. An original medicinal formula by Nicolaus Copernicus consists of 22 ingredients, including amber.
In identifying amber, amber is warm against the skin, whereas glass and minerals are cool to the touch. When amber has a red hot needle touched to it, it smells like pine. Commonly Amber comes in many shades and colours of Honey, butterscotch, cognac, citrine. Less common colours are cherry red, green, whitish to pale lemon-yellow and brown to nearly black. In the Baltic there is a very rare blue amber which can be fluorescent: blue under natural and ultraviolet light sources with an almost white reflection under long wave UV. This fluorescent variety is the most rare amber. Amber can be transparent to opaque with a resinous luster. The most valuable amber contains inclusions of insects, plants or pyrite.
FORMATION OF AMBER
High temperatures and pressure of overlying resinous sediments repel terpenes, which can cause deterioration and decay allowing the resin to change to copal which eventually hardens and becomes fossilized into amber. The resins of other trees decay.
High temperatures and pressure of overlying resinous sediments repel terpenes, which can cause deterioration and decay allowing the resin to change to copal which eventually hardens and becomes fossilized into amber. The resins of other trees decay.
What Is Amber - Natural Baltic Amber
Buy And Sell Amber at http://www.natural-baltic-amber.com/ Amber is a natural, petrified resin, or tree sap, from pine trees that grew millions of years ago. There are many different types of amber that can be found in countries around the world. The chemical composition of these different ambers varies with the region. So the answer to the question what is amber really depends on the region from which the amber comes. This video describes amber in terms of natural baltic amber from Poland and the baltic sea coast.
Buy And Sell Amber at http://www.natural-baltic-amber.com/ Amber is a natural, petrified resin, or tree sap, from pine trees that grew millions of years ago. There are many different types of amber that can be found in countries around the world. The chemical composition of these different ambers varies with the region. So the answer to the question what is amber really depends on the region from which the amber comes. This video describes amber in terms of natural baltic amber from Poland and the baltic sea coast.
THE ‘AMBER ROOM’
A missing treasure!
It’s walls were clad in amber, together marble and inlaid with many mirrors framed with gold leaf. On October 14th 1716 - King Friedrich Wilhelm I of Prussia gave the Amber Room to the Tsar of Russia, Peter the Great. The room was disassembled and transported to Russia, where it was reassembled and enlarged at the Catherine Palace just south of St Petersburg, in modern day Pushkin.
During the German invasion of the Soviet Union the treasured room was dismantled in less than two days by the Nazi army and its treasures were packed in wooden crates, transported back to Prussia and reassembled at Königsberg Castle until the advancing Soviet Army began to infiltrate the city.
Hurriedly the Nazis again disassembled it and hid it in the cellar. Under heavy bombing the castle was almost entirely levelled to the ground. The treasure was put on display in a castle in Kaliningrad, now part of Russia, but was never seen after Russians stormed the city and the castle was left in ruins.
During the German invasion of the Soviet Union the treasured room was dismantled in less than two days by the Nazi army and its treasures were packed in wooden crates, transported back to Prussia and reassembled at Königsberg Castle until the advancing Soviet Army began to infiltrate the city.
Hurriedly the Nazis again disassembled it and hid it in the cellar. Under heavy bombing the castle was almost entirely levelled to the ground. The treasure was put on display in a castle in Kaliningrad, now part of Russia, but was never seen after Russians stormed the city and the castle was left in ruins.
Even though many have searched for it and many say none of it has been found, there is one report of one panel was discovered in 1997 with a family who inherited it from a relation who was a Nazi soldier.It seems that the room could have been destroyed by the bombing, could still be hidden in Kaliningrad, or have been taken elsewhere in the last months of the war.
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Other theories include: After the bombing, soldiers and locals souvenired what they could from the rubble and kept quiet about their illegal activities.
Some people in the Ore mountains near the Czech border are convinced that the Amber Room is hidden in the labyrinth of old mines there. Documents were discovered in 1996 that showed valuable items were transported to the region in the final years of the war.
One treasure hunter claimed that the dismantled chamber is hidden beneath Schloss Friedland, a castle now in the Czech Republic. Stenz’s evidence hinges on a cook, who claimed to have seen SS trucks offload crates into the castle in 1945. Some historians believe the amber is at the bottom of the Baltic Sea when the ship transporting it sank.
Some people in the Ore mountains near the Czech border are convinced that the Amber Room is hidden in the labyrinth of old mines there. Documents were discovered in 1996 that showed valuable items were transported to the region in the final years of the war.
One treasure hunter claimed that the dismantled chamber is hidden beneath Schloss Friedland, a castle now in the Czech Republic. Stenz’s evidence hinges on a cook, who claimed to have seen SS trucks offload crates into the castle in 1945. Some historians believe the amber is at the bottom of the Baltic Sea when the ship transporting it sank.
Treasure hunters might be put off when they hear fate suffered by people linked to the treasure. In 1945 allegedly the day before they were due to be interrogated by the Soviets, it was reported that Dr. Alfred Rohde, who was in charge of the Amber Room in the 1940s and his wife suddenly died of typhus.
Then in 1992 General Yuri Gusev, deputy head of Russia’s foreign intelligence unit, died in a car crash while he was on his way to give information to a journalist about the precious room.
In 1987 Georg Stein, a strawberry farmer and treasure hunter, who was found dead,naked in a forest near Munich with two kitchen knives in his stomach. It is said that he discovered arecord of a radio message giving details of the concealment of the Amber Room after it had supposedly been destroyed.
A replica of the room was created in the Catherine Palace in 2003.
Then in 1992 General Yuri Gusev, deputy head of Russia’s foreign intelligence unit, died in a car crash while he was on his way to give information to a journalist about the precious room.
In 1987 Georg Stein, a strawberry farmer and treasure hunter, who was found dead,naked in a forest near Munich with two kitchen knives in his stomach. It is said that he discovered arecord of a radio message giving details of the concealment of the Amber Room after it had supposedly been destroyed.
A replica of the room was created in the Catherine Palace in 2003.
AMBERGRIS
A Product of SpermWhales
Ambergris is a rare & valuable substance occasionally found on beaches. It is produced by only about 1-5% of the sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) and the pygmy sperm whale (Kogia breviceps). It can be black, white, grey or brown.
They used to think it was vomited from the whale’s mouth, but science has changed its mind & now suggest that it is ejected through its rear end. At that stage it is a black and sticky substance with a foul odour. (Not a pleasant thought when we hear that for centuries Egyptians used ambergris to make teas, medicine, scented candles and perfumes). It floats on the surface of the water and eventually the odour is reduced as it oxidizes in the sun & air to a waxy grey, material.
When the whaling industry was at its pinnacle, the whalers sold ambergris to the perfume and medical industries. When added to perfumes it slows evaporation. In cheaper products it has been replaced by synthetics, but manufacturers such as ‘Chanel’ and ‘Lanvin’ still use ambergris in their high-end, high priced, perfume products. The three major chemical components in ambergris are triterpene alcohol ambrein, epicoprostanol and coprostanone.
1 gram of ambergris can retail for US$25.00
It has been found in lumps of a few grams and up to over 400 kilos.
1 gram of ambergris can retail for US$25.00
It has been found in lumps of a few grams and up to over 400 kilos.
AMBERGRIS A STINKING RICH TREASURE! Fishermen’s net profit
One of the fishermen is reported to have said ”The smell didn’t bother us, because we knew what it was and know it would be change to a sweet smelling perfume”.
He went on to say ‘With joy and happiness we put a rope around it, dragged it inside the boat and took it to the beach"
At about 60 kilos, it is estimated to be worth US$3 million. A Saudi trader has already offered them US$2.8 million for their catch of a lifetime. And that’s nothing to be sniffed at!
He went on to say ‘With joy and happiness we put a rope around it, dragged it inside the boat and took it to the beach"
At about 60 kilos, it is estimated to be worth US$3 million. A Saudi trader has already offered them US$2.8 million for their catch of a lifetime. And that’s nothing to be sniffed at!
TEST FOR AMBERGRIS
To test to see if your find is Ambergris heat a needle in a flame, dig it into the sample about a centimetre. If it instantly melts into dark chocolate opaque fluid and the needle has a sticky musty smelling residue on it, then you have made a rare find of valuable ambergris.
But if in Australia then don’t get too excited about it!
Under Australian law ambergris is considered to be
a whale product and it is illegal
to profit from whale products.
To test to see if your find is Ambergris heat a needle in a flame, dig it into the sample about a centimetre. If it instantly melts into dark chocolate opaque fluid and the needle has a sticky musty smelling residue on it, then you have made a rare find of valuable ambergris.
But if in Australia then don’t get too excited about it!
Under Australian law ambergris is considered to be
a whale product and it is illegal
to profit from whale products.
AMBERGRIS VIDEOS
on YouTube
on YouTube
The Science Channel Published on Feb 26, 2017
Ambergris, sometimes known as “floating gold”, can fetch millions of dollars. But it’s not as glamorous as it sounds – it's a gray, waxy substance expelled from sperm whales' intestines.
Ambergris, sometimes known as “floating gold”, can fetch millions of dollars. But it’s not as glamorous as it sounds – it's a gray, waxy substance expelled from sperm whales' intestines.
DON’T CONFUSE AMBERGRISS and ‘FATBURGS’
The white blobs covered in bacteria, smell like diesel.
In the UK toxic mounds of fat and congealed vegetable oils are being washed up on beaches. Called ‘fatbergs’ They pose a serious threat to children and animals.
If you find a fatberg on the beach-Keep your dog away from it.
A woman on the English coast was taking her dog for a walk on the beach when something had caught his attention and he started pulling at the leash. Finally, the woman saw what was making her dog so excited. It was a chunky, white lump that gave off a powerful aroma. At first she thought it was a jellyfish, but then she looked closer…and recoiled in horror.
IN AUSTRALIA TREASURE IS NOT FOR THE FINDER
(A quote from treasure hunter Allan Robinson)
(A quote from treasure hunter Allan Robinson)
In Australia a find of ambergris must be reported.
I remember, when I was a teenager, finding a smelly lump of ‘rock’ on the beach in Western Australia. My friends and I joked about what it might be, said “Yuck!” and threw it back into the water.
If you find ambergris, you should report the find to your state or territory environment department (listed below). Information on when and where you find the ambergris may assist us to better understand the life cycle and distribution of the sperm whale.
Check with your State or Territory Government before you collect or attempt to trade in ambergris.
Commercial export permits for ambergris will not be granted and there are substantial penalties for attempting to export ambergris without the proper CITES documentation.
Within Australia, ambergris is most valuable to museums and universities.
I remember, when I was a teenager, finding a smelly lump of ‘rock’ on the beach in Western Australia. My friends and I joked about what it might be, said “Yuck!” and threw it back into the water.
If you find ambergris, you should report the find to your state or territory environment department (listed below). Information on when and where you find the ambergris may assist us to better understand the life cycle and distribution of the sperm whale.
Check with your State or Territory Government before you collect or attempt to trade in ambergris.
Commercial export permits for ambergris will not be granted and there are substantial penalties for attempting to export ambergris without the proper CITES documentation.
Within Australia, ambergris is most valuable to museums and universities.
All whale and dolphin species are strictly protected under EU law and international trade in whale products is banned. However, ambergris is treated differently, since CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) regards the substance as an excretion, like urine or faeces, and therefore, as a benign byproduct and hence not requiring to be covered under the Convention. The EU is currently happy to support this definition.
The situation is very different in the US and Australia, where possession of, or trade in, ambergris is banned.
In the US, sperm whales are protected under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, which prohibits the use of any product from an endangered species. However, ambergris is regarded as a bit of a ‘grey area’, being a waste product and thus capable of being 'salvaged' without needing to harm whales.
In Australia, ambergris is considered to be a whale product and therefore, its export and import is regulated under part 13A of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, 1999.
The situation is very different in the US and Australia, where possession of, or trade in, ambergris is banned.
In the US, sperm whales are protected under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, which prohibits the use of any product from an endangered species. However, ambergris is regarded as a bit of a ‘grey area’, being a waste product and thus capable of being 'salvaged' without needing to harm whales.
In Australia, ambergris is considered to be a whale product and therefore, its export and import is regulated under part 13A of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, 1999.
'NATURAL PEARLS'
Organic Gemstones of the sea
Their high price was due to their beauty and the fact that they were rarely found and when they were they seemed to appear like magic hidden inside a mollusc.The natural formation of a large, beautiful and perfect pearl is a rare event. Only about one in every 1000 or depending on species 5000 molluscs will ever make a pearl and if they do, the pearl is usually small, dull coloured or flawed.
The pearl is formed by the oyster as a protective coating around irritating bits of shell or bone or as is often the case, a parasite, that makes its way into the soft body of the mollusc. Calcium carbonate crystals and protein are secreted in layers to slowly build up a cover around the irritating object. This then, becomes a pearl. If it grows entirely within the body of the mollusc it will be a ‘cyst pearl’ if it grows attached to the shell it is ‘blister pearl’.
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ABU DHABI
LEGEND OF THE LOST PEARL
The main character in the story is girl called Dana in the pearl diving village of Qaryat Al Jewana. Long ago the village gained fame & fortune when a huge pearl was discovered. But a tremendous storm reversed the village fortune when the pearl was lost.Slowly the wealth disappeared and they were became the target of bandits.The story of the lost pearl became nothing more than a legend told to children. As a child, Dana who was the daughter of a pearl diver was particularly impressed by the legend and after a conversation with her friend, a dolphin, she hurried off to find the pearl.But her conversation was overheard by bandits who followed her through the desert.
This girl must have been quite a Dr Doolittle because she talks to the animals and makes friends with a camel, an antelope and a falcon, each of whom have their own story. They say that the pearl will be found “where sapphire is set in gold, where gold is studded with emeralds and where innocence falls to sapphire”
The riddle is unravelled and clues point to an oasis near the village. The bandits get to the oasis first but mistake the moon’s reflection in the water for the huge lost pearl. It seems that they give up & so too does Dana who sits by the water and weeps. Suddenly there is a gurgling and the pearl magically bubbles up from the water, the village again becomes prosperous.
This girl must have been quite a Dr Doolittle because she talks to the animals and makes friends with a camel, an antelope and a falcon, each of whom have their own story. They say that the pearl will be found “where sapphire is set in gold, where gold is studded with emeralds and where innocence falls to sapphire”
The riddle is unravelled and clues point to an oasis near the village. The bandits get to the oasis first but mistake the moon’s reflection in the water for the huge lost pearl. It seems that they give up & so too does Dana who sits by the water and weeps. Suddenly there is a gurgling and the pearl magically bubbles up from the water, the village again becomes prosperous.
And so do the executives behind the Yas Waterworld theme park.
‘The Legend of the Lost Pearl of Abu Dhabi’ is a fictitious story used in the promotion of Yas Waterworld www.yaswaterworld.com The ‘Legend’ was developed specifically for the park. |
MAMMOTH IVORY
During the Ice Age, woolly mammoths roamed across vast areas, covering Europe, northern Asia and North America.
More than 50 percent of ivory sold into China is thought to be mammoth tusks. Unlike Elephant ivory, the trade in mammoth ivory is not illegal and Russia exports about 55,000 kilos per annum.
The ivory is unearthed from the mud of riverbanks and sells for AU$1000 per kilo. (Elephant ivory sells from $1500 per kilo) |
At one time the northern part of European Russia was the main supplier but over the centuries ivory hunters have moved further north and east.
The last profitable areas are in the Far East with huge quantities of Mammoth ivory being found on islands of New Siberia in the Laptev Sea.
The last profitable areas are in the Far East with huge quantities of Mammoth ivory being found on islands of New Siberia in the Laptev Sea.
A MAMMOTH SIZED MAMMOTH TUSK
The ivory tusk was discovered by workers who were excavating a construction site when they hit something hard and uncovered what is believed to be the biggest and the most intact Columbian mammoth tusk ever found in Seattle.
ELEPHANT IVORY
According to World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF):
Ivory tusks are actually massive teeth
that protrude well beyond the mouths of elephants.
Ivory tusks are actually massive teeth
that protrude well beyond the mouths of elephants.
Behind every piece of ivory,whether it be a full tusk or carved trinket,is a dead elephant.
THE ELEPHANT KILLERS
First Ever Access to Tribal Poachers
Who are Both Hunters — and the Hunted.
This is something few have seen before —a journey into the bush with heavily armed African poachers who are actively hunting and killing elephants. And while they are hunting elephants without compunction — they themselves are being hunted by Kenya's park rangers. It's a life or death struggle for ivory — life or death for the poachers, for the rangers, and of course for the elephants. This level of access to poachers has never been shot on video before. And it reminds us that if China's voracious demands for ivory does not cease, the majestic elephants will continue to be culled.
Email Rex Woodmore: [email protected]
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