This post reproduces an interview with Erik Hoffner of Mongabay.com. Enjoy! Continue reading
Ficus
This ancient biomaterial making a 21st-century comeback could change millions of lives
Peeling away the bark to prepare barkcloth. Credit: Joyce Nanjobe Kawooya /Wikimedia Commons
Women in Uganda sewing barkcloth pieces together. Credit: Barktex
Across the tropics, people worked out long ago how to transform fig tree bark into comfortable cloth—the practice could even predate weaving. In Uganda, such barkcloth has served as a symbol of protest, a form of money, and the exclusive raiment of kings and queens. It has been suppressed by religion, colonialism, and war, yet the tradition has persisted. And now barkcloth has found a new life as a source of local pride, as well as in international markets for home furnishings, high fashion, and even aerospace materials. It is creating jobs, and is entirely sustainable. Continue reading
The nearly magical properties of fig trees
Living bridges made of fig tree roots in Cherrapunji, India
Scientists reveal yet another reason fig trees are titans of biodiversity
Infographic: 5 ways fig trees are titans of biodiversity
To mark the International Day for Biological Diversity, here’s an infographic I made to highlight how fig trees are so important to life on Earth. Please feel free to use it/share it. Continue reading
Religion + fig trees = a boost for biodiversity
A sacred fig tree at a Hindu temple in Bengaluru (Bangalore) – credit Anoop Negi
Two artists with fresh takes on the world’s coolest plants
The trees of life that became agents of death
Public execution of an Indian rebel in 1857
Under The Banyan 