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| Did you know that chimpanzees use tools? Chimpanzees 'fish' for termites in termite mounds by stripping thin twigs of leaves and poking them into the tunnels in the mound. Termites will grab onto the twig and be lifted out to the chimpanzee's waiting mouth! |  |
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The Biology and Traditional Management of Devil's Club
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Maintenance and investigation of a traditional medicinal plant
In recent years, the harvest of non-timber forest products, such as medicinal plants, has increased dramatically. Increasing demand from local and international markets is resulting in increased harvest of these forest plants. In particular, interest in Devil's Club has heightened dramatically among pharmaceutical companies. The roots of the plant are also often used by herbal companies as an inexpensive substitute for ginseng. Plants such as Devil's Club have traditionally been managed by First Nations groups, and these peoples have a long-term vested interest in these resources. Researchers from the University of Victoria, British Columbia, are aiming, by working with the Hupacasath (Opetchesaht) First Nation, to collect important biological data and document the traditional ecological knowledge that is vital in order to develop sound harvesting practices that are both culturally and ecologically sensitive.
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