A few weeks back, I had the opportunity to visit the headquarters of the National Tropical Botanical Gardens (NTBG) in Kauai. My goal during that visit was to check out the NTBG's green building - which is the first LEED Gold-certified building on the island. But by the time my tour was over, I realized there was a lot more to this story than solar panels and water reclamation systems.
I'll get to all the exciting green building applications in another post, but first I'd like to share with you why plant species conservation programs, like those operated by the NTBG, are so important.
Turns out, native Hawaiian plants are actually more endangered than any other plants in the U.S. In fact, 42 percent of the Endangered Species List is made up of Hawaiian species. Now I realize some folks may look at this as just an unfortunate reality that effects the landscape of the Hawaiian islands. But it's much bigger than that. This is not merely a cosmetic issue. This is an issue of inherent value. You see, the value of plant species is not limited to sweet smells and picturesque views. The fact is, we rely on plants for food, clothing, building materials and even medicinal purposes. In fact, back in 1995, ethnobotanist Dr. Paul Cox spent a year in a Samoan village where he watched Samoan healers use a water infusion of the bark of the mamala tree to treat hepatitis and intestinal problems. Dr. Cox ended up sending samples to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for evaluation.
The NIH ended up analyzing the bark and isolating prostratin. Prostratin is a protein kinase C — a family of enzymes that helps control the function of other proteins. (I'm not a scientist, so that's the best way I can explain it)
Now during their research, NIH scientists found that prostratin could potentially be used in the treatment of HIV - essentially flushing out latently-infected T-cells.
In 2008, after it was found that the the necessary quantities of the plant compound for lab work were too small, Stanford chemist Paul Wender, developed a way to synthesize prostratin in the laboratory. Large-scale harvesting of wild plants in Samoa could've also caused serious ecological damage. So Wender's team developed a way to synthesize prostratin using croton oil (a renewable resource), which is made from the seeds of the croton tree. Clinical trials are now underway.
Of course, it's all much more complex than what I'm explaining here. But the point is, these plant species - this natural capital that simply cannot continue to be liquidated without consequences - maintains immeasurable value. And those who seek to preserve and protect this natural capital are doing extraordinary work.
So if you have a moment, check out the National Tropical Botanical Gardens' website here. You can learn more about their conservation efforts here, and their scientific research here.
And of course, if you're ever in Hawaii or Florida (where the NTBG operates four separate gardens), do yourself a favor, and take a tour. You will not be disappointed.
The McBryde Garden, the Allerton Garden and the Limahuli Garden and Preserve are all located in Kauai. The Kahanu Garden can be found in Maui, and the Kampong is located on Biscayne Bay in Coconut Grove, Florida.
To a new way of life, and a new generation of wealth...
Jeff
P.S. - The World Health Organization has estimated that 85% of the world's population depends directly upon plants for medicines. To learn more about the important role plants play in regards to health and wellness, visit the Institute for EthnoMedicine here.
