By promoting environmentally friendly practices and providing a sustainable alternative for wood furniture buyers, we hope to do our part to help preserve and protect one of our planet's more valuable resources.
What is a Vermont Furniture Store Doing in the Amazon Rainforest?
April 12, 2015 May 14, 2015 Peggy Farabaugh 4 Comments
This post is one in a series about Vermont Woods Studios' mission of rainforest conservation and our support of Bolivian environmentalists dedicated to reforestation and ecotourism in the Amazon. Part 1. Part 2. Part 3. Part 4.
The view of the Serere Reserve from Casa Grande, where we shared meals, plans and stories with the amazing people of Madidi Travel who are using eco tourism to fund conservation in the Bolivian Amazon.
The Rainforest & A Vermont Furniture Store
Where is the link? Well, in the time it takes to read this series of blogs, an area of the Amazon rainforest larger than 200 football fields will have been destroyed. Can you believe that? Much rainforest destruction is done illegally, to feed the US markets for furniture and flooring. Hmm… Vermont makes wood furniture. With our 200 year tradition of using local, sustainably harvested wood, we can provide an excellent alternative to illegal furniture imports. At Vermont Woods Studios our mission is to raise awareness about the rainforest and persuade consumers to avoid illegal wood products (made from rare tropical woods like mahogany, teak and ipe) in favor of sustainable furniture and flooring made from North American woods (like cherry, maple, oak and walnut).
Riley is on the left, taking a break from his volunteer work to explore the rainforest with me and Severo, our knowledgeable (and entertaining) guide.
Finding A Way To Help
At VWS we've supported rainforest conservation since Day 1. But quite honestly, donating our profits to reforestation NGOs (impressive and legitimate, as they are) operating 5000 miles away was not very satisfying. We wanted to be more closely involved. We wanted to see (and be a part of) the progress being made through our contributions.
My last post was about how my son Riley happened to end up volunteering for the legendary conservationist, Rosamaria Ruiz, of Madidi Travel in the Serere Reserve of the Bolivian Amazon Rainforest. Perfect! Kendall (my other son) and I went down to see Riley and offer to help Ms Ruiz with her efforts in reforestation and "conservation through eco tourism".
This troop of Yellow Monkeys crashed through the rainforest right in front of the Casa Grande where we were eating lunch. They seemed as curious and unafraid of us as we were of them.
Many Faces of Rainforest Destruction
After flying over huge expanses of the Amazon and trekking through the Serere Reserve, I realized there are many different rainforest destruction problems and approaches to solving them. Some areas have simply been clear cut, the worst possible fate. But "luckily" the Serere Reserve was ravaged by illegal loggers who were just interested in large, high value trees. For example, I did not see a single mahogany tree other than the saplings planted by Madidi Travel. Cedar was also completely wiped out. The good news is that, otherwise the Serere Reserve is still intact, extraordinarily beautiful & teaming with wildlife.
The little spider monkey next to me is having a word with that 200 pound tapir nosing up to him. The two are rescues who've taken sanctuary at Madidi Travel's Serere Rainforest Reserve. In many cases, rescued animals have lost their parents, flocks, herds or other companions to illegal loggers who shoot them for food or sell them as curiosities.
It's an amazing place, filled with exotic birds, monkeys (we saw troops of howlers, yellow monkeys, spider monkeys, capuchins and a nocturnal monkey all in one day) fish and other wildlife. Serere is one of the most bio-diverse places on the planet– it's a nature lover's dream. Rosamaria says that wildlife is so abundant here because the animals feel safe.
Although illegal loggers cleaned out the huge, high value trees from Madidi Travel's Serere Reserve, there are still plenty of massive 200 and 300+ year old trees that will amaze you.
Conservation Through Eco Tourism
Last week I learned there's more to rainforest conservation than planting trees. In places where the rainforest is still standing, the goal is to protect what's left and restore what's been stolen. Illegal loggers are a constant threat so rigorous patrolling and enforcement are always required. That takes money. Rosamaria Ruiz is showing rainforest communities around the world how to raise that money through eco tourism. Devoted wildlife and nature lovers pay to experience the wonder of the rainforest, thus providing jobs for indigenous people to conserve and defend it.
If you love being up close and personal with nature, check out Madidi Travel and their eco tourism opportunities at the Serere Reserve. It's the last little corner of the Garden of Eden. Get down there soon. The rainforest continues to disappear at an alarming rate. The clock is ticking.
On my way to the Bolivian Amazon, I'm holding the National Geographic article I read 15 years ago, about Rosamaria Ruiz and her rainforest conservation work in Madidi National Park. It influenced me to create Vermont Woods Studios. On the right, I'm in the Amazon, helping Ms Ruiz's team members who are re-planting mahogany trees. It was a good feeling!
Vermont Furniture Meets the Rainforest
March 26, 2015 May 14, 2015 Peggy Farabaugh Leave a comment
The Vermont Furniture – Rainforest Connection
Last post, I shared the mission behind our sustainable furniture company. It's rainforest conservation and here are a few reasons why that's important to me:
Although the earth's rainforests cover less than 2% of it's total surface area, they are home to 50 % of the Earth's plants and animals
We are losing the rainforest at a rate of 1 acre every second!
About 100 rainforest species are going extinct every day
What nature has crafted over hundreds of millions of years is being destroyed with no thought as to the consequences
Much rainforest destruction is a result of clear cutting huge areas of land by organized crime
The timber is used to supply cheap furniture and flooring to companies like IKEA and Lumber Liquidators
The Amazon is the world's largest rainforest, storing 1/5 of the world's fresh water and producing 20% of the planet's oxygen
Vermont Woods Studios is my attempt to raise awareness about the plight of the rainforest and to offer sustainable, Vermont made furniture as an alternative to illegal imports. At VWS we share our passion with customers and support non-profits dedicated to rainforest conservation. We also plant a tree for every furniture order we take (through the Nature Conservancy's Plant a Billion Trees project).
Vermont Woods Studios is my attempt to raise awareness about the plight of the rainforest and to offer sustainable, Vermont made furniture (like this Cherry Moon dining table) as an alternative to illegal imports. We plant a tree for every furniture order we take work.
The Amazon is Disappearing: How Can We Help?
I've always wanted to visit the Amazon rainforest to understand what's happening there and find a way for Vermont Woods Studios to help. But it's a big place. At 2.72 million square miles, the Amazon Basin is roughly the size of the United States (minus Alaska). So where to start?
Serendipity Happens
A strange coincidence happened. Riley (my son) took some time off from college this year to backpack through South America. He called recently to say he'd be doing rainforest conservation work for a woman named Rosamaria Ruiz in the Bolivian Amazon. For some reason that name rang a bell. I pulled up Google and sure enough, Rosamaria is someone I read about in National Geographic 15 years ago (the article was written by Steve Kemper). Ruiz is an award-winning environmental activist who led a National Geographic team through parts of the Bolivian Amazon and brought about the creation of a protected national park called Madidi. Something else she had a hand in creating: Vermont Woods Studios! Her story and others like it planted the seed for our sustainable furniture company.
Madidi Travel and founder, Rosamaria Ruiz safeguard a protected area in the Bolivian Amazon with the greatest biodiversity in the world: the Madidi National Park. Riley is currently volunteering there and Kendall and I will join him next week.
So next week, Kendall (my other son) and I will be heading down to the Serere Reserve, an area of the Amazon rainforest conserved through the efforts of Rosamaria Ruiz. We'll meet up with Riley where he's volunteering in the Madidi National Park*. And we'll ask Rosamaria and her team at Madidi-Travel what we can do at Vermont Woods Studios to support their efforts. I'll keep you posted. If you're interested to know more, check out these websites:
National Geographic article about Madidi, written by Steve Kemper
How to Visit or Volunteer in Madidi
Tree of Rivers, The Story of the Amazon by John Hemming
* Fun Fact: The continental United States and Canada are home to about 700 species of birds. Madidi National Park (with 1/10 of 1% as much area) contains an estimated 1,000 bird species
The Story Behind Our Sustainable Furniture Store
March 24, 2015 August 31, 2018 Peggy Farabaugh 1 Comment
Last updated on August 31st, 2018 at 09:34 am
A Passion for The Rainforest
I have a confession to make. I did not start Vermont Woods Studios because I had a deep, abiding love of handmade furniture. Mind you, I HAVE developed a sort of reverence for it over these past 10 years, but that wasn't the driving force for me.
It was my passion for the rainforest that got this sustainable furniture company started.
I think it may have been Jane Goodall and Dian Fossey who initially drew me into environmental conservation in the 60s. Or maybe it was Mom, who had us kids outdoors all the time and kept a stack of National Geographic magazines handy for the rare moments we were in the house.
Anyway, for some reason, when I lost my job in 2005 I decided to quit the corporate world and get back to my youthful aspirations of doing something "green". I had become convinced that our generation's most important conservation priority was to preserve the world's rapidly disappearing rainforests. I wanted to focus the rest of my working life helping people understand the tragedy of this loss and the fact that they could do something about it.
Ken had just finished building a woodworking shop on the back of our house. I thought maybe we could marry his woodworking background with my love of the rainforest to create a new kind of green business. After several attempts and stumbles we came up with Vermont Woods Studios: a website where Vermont furniture makers could market and sell furniture made from sustainably harvested wood.
The company would be a vehicle to help us persuade people to stop buying furniture and flooring made with illegally harvested rainforest wood.
Global rainforest destruction is happening now at a rate of 1 acre per second. 60 seconds per minute. 60 minutes per hour, 24/7/365. It's the greatest extinction in the history of the earth. Once the rainforest is gone, it's gone forever. Interested in conserving the rainforest and preserving the iconic species who've lived there for millions of years? Learn how your choices for furniture, flooring and other forest products can help.
Not That Easy Being Green
But soon reality hit and although I was always guided by conservation, I quickly learned that small businesses don't have a lot of time or money for environmental projects. We did what we could… making support of environmental non-profits (like the World Wildlife Fund, the Rainforest Alliance, Vermont Center for EcoStudies and many others in our own community) a cornerstone of our business. We also work with The Nature Conservancy's Plant a Billion Trees project to plant a tree for every furniture order we take. And a number of times we've traveled to the rainforests of Costa Rica and Panama where we did some volunteering.
In retrospect I can say that we have made progress on our mission.
But I feel like we've fallen short in getting the word out that how we build and furnish our homes has a huge impact on the future of our planet.
We have to figure out how to spotlight the difference consumers can make by choosing sustainably harvested wood flooring and furniture as opposed to that made from illegally harvested rainforest woods (think: Lumber Liquidators and Ikea).
A Trip to The Amazon
So I'm taking a trip to the Amazon rainforest.
It's something I've always wanted to do but never had the opportunity. Next post I'll share how this trip came about and what I hope to accomplish. I am so grateful to our customers, employees and other allies who have supported our business throughout these 10 years, thus making such an endeavor possible.
Eco Friendly Wood Furniture = American Made Wood Furniture
February 16, 2015 October 3, 2022 Peggy Farabaugh Leave a comment
Our mission at Vermont Woods Studios is to raise awareness about where your furniture comes from. Is Forest to Table furniture as important to you as Farm to Plate food? Let us know why or why not on our Facebook.
Where Does Your Furniture Come From?
I started Vermont Woods Studios in 2005 to promote sustainable wooden furniture. I'd been studying the impacts of illegal logging of the earth's tropical rainforests and wondered "why isn't anybody doing anything about this"? With the destruction being driven by demand for cheap wood furniture, I realized there was something we could do to help… even from way up here in Vermont. Thus our Vermont made furniture store was born, with the mission of raising awareness about where your furniture comes from and persuading people to buy eco friendly furniture made from sustainably harvested wood.
FSC Certification Problems
That purpose is still at the heart of our mission, although the definition of "eco friendly wood furniture" has changed. Ten years ago the prevailing thought was that the hallmark of sustainably harvested wood furniture was a formal certification by the FSC, Forest Stewardship Council.
FSC is an international not for-profit group that promotes responsible management of the world's forests. It has been considered the "gold standard" for green certification and labeling of forest products since 1993. Unfortunately, as pure as FSC's intentions may be, the job of monitoring the entire planet's forests has proved impossible. With so much at stake and land areas too big to monitor, organized crime has taken over the global timber industry. FSC certification is now systematically forged to the point where you cannot tell whether "certified" furniture is made from legal wood.
Illegal Wood: Not Just About Climate Change & Loss of Biodiversity
A recent article by Alexander Zaitchik titled, Blood on Your Ottoman: Your Furniture's Link to a Murderous Logging Epidemic chronicles the September 2014 murder of Edwin Chota and 3 other indigenous people in the Amazon rainforest. The article highlights the fact that organized crime has upped the ante for illegal timber. Murder is now fair game in their book and it's happening more than you'd like to know.
"The first thing people can do is to revisit the assumption that buying "certified" wood products absolves them of responsibility for destroying the world's remaining primary rainforests. If you're buying Peruvian mahogany, or Brazilian rosewood, or Indonesian teak, there's no way to determine whether or not it came from a legal, carefully managed tract, or whether a villager was killed for trying to keep that tree standing".
Our message to conscious consumers shopping for eco friendly furniture, flooring, paper or other forest products is simple: buy American made. In the United States logging is regulated and enforced. There are more trees now than there were 100 years ago. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization FAO, "North American forest growth has exceeded harvest since the 1940s. The greatest gains have been seen on the East Coast with average volumes of wood per acre almost doubling since the '50s".
Learn more about American made eco friendly wood furniture on our website and find out which companies say they're "American made" versus those that truly are.
Hardwood Flooring Bargains: The Real Cost
November 1, 2014 October 3, 2022 Peggy Farabaugh 1 Comment
Buying new hardwood flooring? Ask if it's made from legal sustainably harvested wood.
As a sustainable wood furniture company, we don't usually have much to say about hardwood flooring. But recent news & events in this area are so compelling I thought our readers would be interested to hear a few details.
A report by the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) reveals that Lumber Liquidators (America's largest retailer of hardwood flooring) is under investigation by federal authorities for possible violations of the Lacey Act – a law banning the illegal harvest and trade of wood and timber products.
Hardwood Flooring and the Future of the Forest
Every year about 7.5 billion square feet of flooring is purchased in the USA (Freedonia). If it takes roughly 1 acre of forest to produce 500 sq ft of flooring (UN Report by TimberGreen) then by my calculations it would take about 15 million acres to produce 7.5 billion sq ft of flooring (the amount sold annually in the USA). By comparison, the state of Vermont is 5.9 million acres so each year an area of forest about 2.5 times the size of Vermont is logged to supply the American wood flooring industry. Granted, my calculation is mushy and imprecise but even so, it begs the question: where is all that hardwood flooring come from?
Where Does Your Hardwood Flooring Come From?
We always encourage people to buy American made wood furniture because we know that environmental, health, safety and quality standards are high here in The States. The same is true for American made wood flooring, but that integrity built into American made wood products makes them more expensive than imports. So, not surprisingly about half of the hardwood flooring in America is imported.
The Siberian Tiger's Fate Rests with you, the consumer and global timber companies like Lumber Liquidators.
The Trouble with Imported Wood
The imported wood products industry is now controlled to a large extent by organized crime. A recent report Liquidating the Forests: Hardwood Flooring, Organized Crime, and the World's Last Siberian Tigers reveals that "demand for hardwood flooring and furniture in the United States, European Union, Japan, and China is fueling corruption and making the world's last temperate hardwood forests into a major epicenter for illegal logging… Organized criminal groups send out logging brigades to steal valuable hardwoods from protected areas" thus decimating the last remaining habitats for iconic species like the Siberian tiger (in fact all species of big cats are now critically endangered as are all species of big apes, such as gorillas, chimps and orangutans).
Consumers Will Ultimately Decide the Fate of the Forest
As consumers we need to ask ourselves whether we want to buy the cheapest wood products we can without regard to the legality or sustainability of their origins. Think about it. How could it be that hardwood flooring from the rainforest of South America or the Russian Far East is half the price of local hardwood flooring?
What You Can Do To Help
Maybe you're not in the market for hardwood furniture or flooring but you still want to help protect the forest and it's inhabitants. Help support the folks at Sierra Club as they support the Lacey Act which seeks to eliminate trafficking in illegal wood products and penalize those who import illegally harvested wood products and wildlife. Sign it today!
EIA (Environmental Investigation Agency), Liquidating the Forests: Hardwood Furniture & Flooring, Organized Crime, and the World's Last Siberian Tigers
Timber, a book by Peter Dauvergne and Jane Lister
Global Tiger Day, Organized Crime and Timber (the New Heroin)
IKEA Cuts Down 600 Year Old Trees, Suspended From FSC
American Wood Furniture Is Linked To Global Forest Conservation
Is Your Wood Furniture Brought to You by Organized Crime?
Organized Crime Is Getting Rich By Cutting Down The Rainforest
What Is Eco Friendly Wood Furniture?
October 16, 2014 June 11, 2019 Peggy Farabaugh Leave a comment
Last updated on June 11th, 2019 at 12:00 pm
This Woodland Table and Modern Mission Dining Chairs are made from solid cherry wood, that was sustainably harvested in North America.
We started Vermont Woods Studios out of a passion for forest conservation. It was this one astounding statistic that really lit a fire under me:
Every second an acre of rainforest is lost forever
Along with trees, some of my favorite iconic wildlife species that live in the rainforest are being lost. For example, all the great cats (lions, tigers, leopards, cheetas, etc) are critically endangered as are all the great apes (gorillas, chimps, orangutans, etc). Our planet is actually losing over 100 species/day. The cause is habitat destruction. Rainforest trees are being clearcut for timber to make cheap furniture and flooring.
Eco Friendly Wood Furniture: What It Is
So to me, eco friendly wood furniture is first and foremost, furniture that's made from sustainably harvested wood. More specifically, North American wood (recycled or newly milled) that's been obtained through legitimate local partners, thus minimizing transport distances and helping regional economies (and greatly reducing fuel usage and carbon emissions).
Other aspects of eco friendly furniture relate to how a tree is transformed into, say… a table or a bed. Vermont furniture makers use both traditional and modern methods to maximize the yield from each tree and minimize (or eliminate) wood waste. All wood processing by-products are put to some type of use here in Vermont. For example: sawdust is used by local farmers for animal bedding and wood chips are used for heating.
Non-toxic furniture finishes are also characteristic of eco friendly furniture.
Eco Friendly Wood Furniture: What It Is NOT
Unlike many large American furniture companies, we do not consider imported wood furniture eco friendly. The global timber trade has been infiltrated by organized crime to the point where illegal wood (often clear cut from the rainforest) is pervasive throughout the imported wood furniture and flooring industry. Much of it is accompanied by counterfeit documents labeling it as green certified by the Forest Stewardship Council FSC (here are a couple articles reporting on this: Liquidating the Forests and Corruption Stains the Global Timber Trade).
National Geographic recently reported on a UN study showing that the global environmental crime industry (with illegal logging being the primary component) has now surpassed the global drug trade in terms of estimated annual revenue. "We have regulations, but we need to inform consumers," said Indonesian official Budi Susanti, "if buyers won't buy the products that aren't sustainable, there won't be demand."
How to Know the Difference
A google search for "eco friendly wood furniture" turns up all sorts of questionable results from big, multinational companies that pledge to use green certified wood. Of course your best bet would be to find something made locally from local wood. But if that's not possible or practical for you, any furniture that's truly 100% Made in America is likely to be an environmentally friendly choice.
How Social Media Can Save the Monarchs
October 4, 2014 March 12, 2018 Kelsey Eaton Leave a comment
Whenever we post about our work with Monarchs, we'll be using the hashtag #MonarchsVT! (For twitter, FB, etc) Please post your photos, stories, and butterfly inspiration using the same hashtag to raise awareness for this cause!
Monarch Butterflies are incredible. These delicate creatures weigh less than a gram, but travel thousands of miles every year in an extraordinary, multi-generational migration journey. They're beautiful, well known for their bright orange and black wings, and they are a staple of American childhood. Many school children learn about metamorphosis through watching Monarchs grow from a caterpillar to a beautiful butterfly. They are one of the most popular butterflies in the world…so why are they dying?
Despite how loved they are, Monarchs are in trouble, and the evidence is everywhere. A few years ago, we'd have these wonderful butterflies all around our gardens and backyards, but this year we've only spotted one. Monarch populations have plummeted more than 90% in the last 20 years, and that's sad news. (Read more about Monarchs and the reason for their disappearance here.)
Milkweed: The Elixr of Life for Monarch Butterflies
But we still have hope.
This is where social media comes in. If you've been keeping up with us, you've probably noticed an influx of posts on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and even Pinterest about our passion for Monarchs. While it's all good fun to share photos and stories, it's even more important to raise awareness about this pressing issue.
You can help save the monarchs by getting active and sharing your work on social media! Picking milkweed & planting the seeds or sending them to organizations like Monarch Watch is a great first step. Contacting your local legislators, getting involved with local environmental groups that work to save Monarchs, and writing to your local papers is even better!
We're on a mission to bring Monarchs back to Vermont, and we hope that you will join us! Use the hashtag #MonarchsVT to share your activity with us, and the world! We'll always follow you back & re-share. If you need help finding milkweed or seeds, send me an email at kelsey.eaton@vermontwoodsstudios.com and I'll gladly help you out.
Just get out there and make your voice heard! Together, we can bring back Monarchs. Sign petitions, write to the companies who are responsible for their disappearance, write to your local government, get active! The Monarchs need us now more than ever.
Monarch Butterflies & Milkweed Restoration
October 2, 2014 November 10, 2017 Peggy Farabaugh 4 Comments
Last updated on November 10th, 2017 at 02:08 pm
A Monarch butterfly on milkweed. Photo by Elizabeth Howard, founder of Journey North.
The Mind-Boggling, Magical Journey of a Monarch
Monarch butterflies migrate from Vermont (and other northern regions) 2500 miles south to Mexico every year at this time. In the spring and summer they return- that's an annual journey of 5000 miles! The butterflies migrate to the exact same tree each and every year. In order to make the trip without literally falling apart, they reproduce 4 times en-route so it's actually the 4th generation that returns to Mexico every winter.
The Monarch Population is in Free Fall
Last month I wrote about monarchs and the 90% drop in their population over the last few years. "In human-population terms it would be like losing every living person in the United States except those in Florida and Ohio" according to Tierra Curry, a senior scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity. The free fall is largely due to recent decimation of the butterfly's habitat and food source, milkweed.
I recruited (somewhat skeptical) staff members at Vermont Woods Studios to help collect milkweed seeds. We gathered over 1000 seedpods and separated the seeds from their fuzzy parachutes.
A Milkweed SeedBank is Born in Vermont
After researching the Monarch's plight, I couldn't live with myself if I didn't at least try to do something to help. So last weekend I spent much of my time wandering through an empty lot on Rt 142 in Vernon, collecting milkweed seeds. I recruited Dennis, Kelsey and Nina to help me. Realtor, David Berrie of Berrie Real Estate in Newfane, VT owns the lot and he was kind enough to allow us to "take all the milkweed you want!" I think that ended up being about 1000 seedpods. The Nature Institute estimates there are an average of 226 seeds in each milkweed pod so we probably harvested around a quarter of a million seeds. We'll keep them on hand for awhile in case anyone in the area would like to plant some. Otherwise we'll donate the seeds to Monarch Watch, an organization that maintains a free milkweed seed bank.
Even Pepper pitched in as we worked well into the night hours separating seeds.
Sowing the Seeds: A Trial Run
Annette and Fia helped me with a trial run at Malhana Farm. It was a beautiful Fall day for planting milkweed!
Annette volunteered to sow milkweed seeds in a couple of her pastures at Malhana farm and I did the same in the meadows at Stonehurst. Now we wait until the spring to see what comes up.
I hope you'll think the monarch's mind-boggling, magical phenomenon is worth conserving! Please spread the word and join scientists, conservationists, teachers, road crews and nature lovers in planting milkweed in backyards, gardens, fields and highway medians. Need seeds? Let me know on Facebook, or email me (Peggy@VermontWoodsStudios.com).
To learn more, visit the Journey North website, founded by Elizabeth Howard of Norwich, VT or any of these organizations that are working hard to keep the Monarch alive:
Monarch Watch
Vermont's Monarch Butterflies: Help Bring Them Back!
September 22, 2014 October 11, 2022 Peggy Farabaugh 2 Comments
Click on the National Geographic video above to learn about the amazing 2000 mile annual migration of the Monarch butterfly.
Vermonters over 10 years old will remember the colorful Monarch butterflies that used to grace our fields and backyards every summer and fall. But unfortunately, many young children have never even seen a Monarch. What a shame! I remember when Kendall and Riley were in grammar school we used to bring their entire class to a field across from the school playground and every child would find a Monarch caterpillar to watch as it went through metamorphosis (the inset above shows Kendall with a Monarch that has just emerged from it's chrysalis and is waiting for it's wings to dry before it's first flight). That was only 10 years ago and now there's nary a Monarch to be found in all of Vermont.
Could Vermont's state butterfly be heading toward extinction?
Recently a legal petition was filed seeking Endangered Species Act protection for monarch butterflies. "Monarchs are in a deadly free fall. The 90 percent drop in the monarch's population is a loss so staggering that in human-population terms it would be like losing every living person in the United States except those in Florida and Ohio" said Tierra Curry, a senior scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity.
Milkweed: The Monarch's Elixir of Life
Monarch caterpillars feed exclusively on milkweed and it is the only plant on which the butterflies will lay their eggs. But over the last several years, milkweed has been eradicated by the increased use of herbicides on genetically modified corn and soybean crops (GMO's). This is the only field of milkweed I could find in Vernon today.
"Fewer monarch butterflies are crossing North America to winter in Mexico, and the biggest culprit seems to be the disappearance of milkweed in the United States" according to Lindsay N Smith's recent article in National Geographic. "Although illegal deforestation and severe weather have contributed to the decline, research… suggests that the overwhelming concern is U.S. farms' large-scale use of herbicides that destroy milkweed."
It's hard to believe that milkweed has nearly disappeared from Vermont's landscape in just a few short years. In the Green Mountain State, corn crops are everywhere and along the edges of those fields, we used to find lots of Monarch caterpillars feeding on milkweed. Not anymore. The Midwest has lost much of it's milkweed too, as more land is being planted with (GMO) corn and soy to meet the world's increasing demands for biofuels.
Monsanto and Round Up
The Monarch's decline is being driven by the widespread use of genetically engineered crops that are made to be resistant to Monsanto's Roundup herbicide, a uniquely potent killer of milkweed, the monarch caterpillar's only food. The dramatic surge in Roundup use with Roundup Ready crops has virtually wiped out milkweed plants in corn and soybean fields.
Sean, Douglas, Loryn and Michelle are preparing milkweed seeds to be donated to the seedbank at Monarch Watch.
Plant Milkweed
Those of us who eat corn or soy (or any of the foods that contain them) can't very well blame the farmers for milkweed's eradication. So scientists, conservationists, and butterfly enthusiasts are encouraging road crews and property owners to grow the plant in their own yards, gardens and along roadsides. Are you up for that? If you need seeds, visit us at Stonehurst and we'll give you as many as you'd like. You can also contact the Monarch Watch Seed Bank where you can donate or request seeds. Directions for planting milkweed seed can be found at LiveMonarch.com. Vermonters can support Elizabeth Howard and her Journey North organization by reporting their sightings online. Together and with a little help from Mother Nature we can bring back the Monarchs!
Let us know your thoughts on Facebook or in the comments section below.
Lunch with Lyndon Furniture
September 17, 2014 August 15, 2018 Peggy Farabaugh 1 Comment
Douglas Fletcher & Dennis Shanoff of Vermont Woods Studios and Christine Drown & Brian Ball of Lyndon Furniture. These guys work incredibly hard to promote Vermont's sustainable furniture economy. Today they're taking a lunch break at Brattleboro's favorite eatery: the Whetstone Station.
Lyndon Furniture was one of our very first partners when we started Vermont Woods Studios as an online fine furniture store. That was nearly 9 years ago and since then we've created a close partnership with Brian Ball, Dave Allard, Christine Drown and the whole Lyndon Furniture crew.
Truth is, I started Vermont Woods Studios out of a passion for forest and wildlife conservation. I really didn't know anything about furniture. But Dave Allard, who owned Lyndon Furniture at the time, took us under his wing. He too, had grown up loving Vermont's woodlands and like me, he chose a line of work built around forest conservation.
Lyndon's sustainable, handcrafted wood furniture fills a special niche in our new fine furniture gallery at Stonehurst. Lyndon's bedroom, dining, living room and home office furniture is known for it's simple elegance and classic American shaker style. It pairs beautifully with other elements of Vermont home decor including Simon Pearce glassware, Hubbardton Forge lighting and JK Adams wooden tableware.
Today we celebrated our strong partnership with Lyndon Furniture over a handcrafted harvest table full of locally grown food at Brattleboro's Whetstone Station. We are looking forward to the next 9 years of collaboration and success with our friends from Lyndon, Vermont!
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