So I blogged about my ordeal. Here’s the deal. My luggage NEVER left the airport of initial departure. Aaaaaargh. Good news is, I get my clothes tomorrow. Me happy.
Today… nothing of note happened. I did have eggplant juice a lunch, with spicy mango salad. Does that count? Since in Indonesia, the variety of available juices is mind boggling, I’ve resolved to try them all while I’m here.
So far I’ve had:
- Carrot juice (yummy) ;
- Avocado juice (delicious, seriously, there’s chocolate in there, it’s sinful) ;
- Starfruit juice (a bit bland, but whatever) ;
- Eggplant juice (dutch eggplant. It’s surprisingly pleasant).
I’m still struggling to put up the pics of my trip to Europe. My connection sucks. I’m sorry for the delays, really.
The Beaver
My guest map is wonderful ! And you'd all be wonderful to post, all of you lurk mode readers!
Thanks and may the winds of Fate blow your way !
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
May 08, 2008
January 26, 2008
First CSMeet in Antigua, an unlikely jam and those dang frijoles
So… I’m back from Antigua , and had an absolute blast. The people I met on the CS network are simply amazing. Denmark , Sweden , Brazil , Canada (coast to coast, with Nova Scotia and BC represented at the table), the UK , Poland and of course Guatemala
My guest map is wonderful ! And you'd all be wonderful to post, all of you lurk mode readers!
But I had a great time, and plan on doing it again, if I can – it’s wonderful to at last meet some like-minded people.
Curious about what the CS Network is? Click here.
Oh, another little anecdote from the field:
In Rabinal, I met a bunch of Peace Corps volunteers, and we went out to lunch. Amusingly, we decided to test out a new place… that had a total band set up, with battery, keyboard and guitar. Turns out the owner is a one man band, and he was more than willing to jam.
"Frijoles Volteados" - Refried Beans from Guatemala
| Category: | Side Dishes & Condiments | |
| Style: | Latin | |
| Special Consideration: | Vegetarian | |
| Servings: | 4-6 |
Description:
Here, a recipe for the famous frijoles. I'm not a big fan, but maybe you will be...
Ingredients:
· 3 cups (or two cans) cooked black, red, or pinto beans with liquid
· 1/3 cup chopped onion
· 1-2 cloves of crushed garlic
· ¼ cup chopped green pepper (optional)
· ½ teaspoon ground cumin
Directions:
1) In a blender, crush (or puree) all the ingredients above except for the ground cumin.
2) Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a medium frying pan and add the pureed bean mixture from above and the ½ teaspoon ground cumin
3) Simmer all the ingredients uncovered, over low heat, stirring occasionally. Let the beans thicken (this will take about 10-15 minutes).
4) Place beans on a serving plate with rice and tortillas.
Or use in burritos etc.
*Option: mash beans with a potato masher or fork. Saute veggies in the oil & add the mashed beans & spices. Cook as directed.
The BeaverHere, a recipe for the famous frijoles. I'm not a big fan, but maybe you will be...
Ingredients:
· 3 cups (or two cans) cooked black, red, or pinto beans with liquid
· 1/3 cup chopped onion
· 1-2 cloves of crushed garlic
· ¼ cup chopped green pepper (optional)
· ½ teaspoon ground cumin
Directions:
1) In a blender, crush (or puree) all the ingredients above except for the ground cumin.
2) Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a medium frying pan and add the pureed bean mixture from above and the ½ teaspoon ground cumin
3) Simmer all the ingredients uncovered, over low heat, stirring occasionally. Let the beans thicken (this will take about 10-15 minutes).
4) Place beans on a serving plate with rice and tortillas.
Or use in burritos etc.
*Option: mash beans with a potato masher or fork. Saute veggies in the oil & add the mashed beans & spices. Cook as directed.
Thanks and may the winds of Fate blow your way !
September 09, 2007
A new start
So I'm in Beirut now, and I still haven't posted my long post. Man, I have no word.
Well...
That only means I will be posting more for this location, and add to that the fact that I still have some things to post about Palestine.
That should make things a little more exciting for you guys.
In the meantime, have some Labaneh! It has been the discovery of the past month for me. Hmmmm it's amazing - and I still get some here in LEB.
Description:
Amazing, tastes like goat cheese !
Labaneh is yogurt cheese, a wonderful invention for everything from pasta to sandwich spread. It takes a minimum of 8 hours to drain the yogurt, transforming it into cheese, and the cheese can be refrigerated for several days. More than once, it has taken 2 days for the yogurt to drain to the desired thickness, so plan accordingly. Minimal time for preparing the yogurt cheese is included in the cook time.
Ingredients:
2 cups nonfat plain yogurt
1/2 clove garlic (optional)
Directions:
1. Line a strainer with 2 layers of cheesecloth; place the strainer over a bowl and pour the yogurt into the strainer; set aside at room temperature for at least 8 hours or until very, very thick.
2. If using the garlic, push it through a garlic press and stir into the thickened labaneh.
3. Refrigerate.
Thanks for you patience,
The Beaver
My guest map is wonderful ! And you'd all be wonderful to post, all of you lurk mode readers!Well...
That only means I will be posting more for this location, and add to that the fact that I still have some things to post about Palestine.
That should make things a little more exciting for you guys.
In the meantime, have some Labaneh! It has been the discovery of the past month for me. Hmmmm it's amazing - and I still get some here in LEB.
Description:
Amazing, tastes like goat cheese !
Labaneh is yogurt cheese, a wonderful invention for everything from pasta to sandwich spread. It takes a minimum of 8 hours to drain the yogurt, transforming it into cheese, and the cheese can be refrigerated for several days. More than once, it has taken 2 days for the yogurt to drain to the desired thickness, so plan accordingly. Minimal time for preparing the yogurt cheese is included in the cook time.
Ingredients:
2 cups nonfat plain yogurt
1/2 clove garlic (optional)
Directions:
1. Line a strainer with 2 layers of cheesecloth; place the strainer over a bowl and pour the yogurt into the strainer; set aside at room temperature for at least 8 hours or until very, very thick.
2. If using the garlic, push it through a garlic press and stir into the thickened labaneh.
3. Refrigerate.
Thanks for you patience,
The Beaver
Thanks and may the winds of Fate blow your way !
July 05, 2007
Afghani stuff
Well, I'm back in KBL and haven't got much to report from the fishbowl, so I'm posting a bunch of Afghani stuff.
I go home in 7 days, and I can't wait.
Afghani book
The Kite Runner tells the story of Amir, a well-to-do Pashtun boy from the Wazir Akbar Khan district of Kabul, who is haunted by the guilt of betraying his childhood friend Hassan, the son of his father's Hazara servant. The story is set against a backdrop of tumultuous events, from the fall of the monarchy in Afghanistan through the Soviet invasion, the mass exodus of refugees to Pakistan and the United States, and the Taliban regime.
It's a very, very taking story - and beyond touching. A must-read.
The author's website :
http://www.khaledhosseini.com/
Afghani food
Ingredients:
* 3 md Eggplants
* 2 1/2 tablespoons of Coarse Salt
* 1/4 cup Corn oil
* 1 1/2 cup Tomato sauce
* 1/4 tablespoons of Pepper
* 1 tablespoons of Hot red chili flakes - or minced fresh chiles
* 2 tablespoons of Ground cinnamon
* 1 tablespoons of Crushed dried mint
Directions:
Slice the eggplants crosswise into 1 1/2 inch thick pieces. Sprinkle them with 2 t. coarse salt and let stand for 15 minutes. rinse eggplants under cold water, which removes the bitter taste, rinse, and dry well on a towel.
Heat the oil in a skillet and lightly brown eggplant slices over moderate heat for 3 minutes. Remove and put into a serving bowl. Cool. Put the tomato sauce, pepper, chile, cinnamon, mint and 1/2 t. salt, if wanted, in a pan. Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes, which is long enough to
integrate the flavors. Pour this over the eggplant; refrigerate until ready to use. The salad can remain in the refrigerator for several days. Serve cold or at room temperature.
The Beaver
My guest map is wonderful ! And you'd all be wonderful to post, all of you lurk mode readers!I go home in 7 days, and I can't wait.
Afghani book
| THE KITE RUNNER |
| Category: | Books |
| Genre: | Literature & Fiction |
| Author: | Khaled Hosseini |
It's a very, very taking story - and beyond touching. A must-read.
The author's website :
http://www.khaledhosseini.com/
Afghani food
| BONJAN SALAT (AFGHANI SPICY EGGPLANT SALAD) |
| Category: | | Salads |
| Style: | | Other |
| Special Consideration: | | Vegetarian |
| Servings: | | 8 |
Ingredients:
* 3 md Eggplants
* 2 1/2 tablespoons of Coarse Salt
* 1/4 cup Corn oil
* 1 1/2 cup Tomato sauce
* 1/4 tablespoons of Pepper
* 1 tablespoons of Hot red chili flakes - or minced fresh chiles
* 2 tablespoons of Ground cinnamon
* 1 tablespoons of Crushed dried mint
Directions:
Slice the eggplants crosswise into 1 1/2 inch thick pieces. Sprinkle them with 2 t. coarse salt and let stand for 15 minutes. rinse eggplants under cold water, which removes the bitter taste, rinse, and dry well on a towel.
Heat the oil in a skillet and lightly brown eggplant slices over moderate heat for 3 minutes. Remove and put into a serving bowl. Cool. Put the tomato sauce, pepper, chile, cinnamon, mint and 1/2 t. salt, if wanted, in a pan. Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes, which is long enough to
integrate the flavors. Pour this over the eggplant; refrigerate until ready to use. The salad can remain in the refrigerator for several days. Serve cold or at room temperature.
The Beaver
Thanks and may the winds of Fate blow your way !
October 23, 2005
Beaver FAQ
Never, ever hesitate to ask a question. I will answer, and do the research if I do not know the answer.
N’hesitez jamais a poser une question. Je repondrais, et ferais les recherches necessaires si je ne connais pas la reponse.
I decided to directly answer, to all's benefits, to some comments made by some regular and some not so regular readers :
I decided to directly answer, to all's benefits, to some comments made by some regular and some not so regular readers :
Pour le benefice de tous, j’ai decide de repondre directement a certains commentaires de lecteurs plus ou moins reguliers :
Salt Water asked : Does your hair style matter in Guinea?
I should say it does, because african women are usually very well groomed, unless they are home. African hair can be nappy or kinky (as in very curly) which allows for funky, extravagant, sophisticated looks, mostly involving intricate braiding. While Senegalese women invested a lot in their hair, Guinean women are more sober, so I don't have to step up to so high a standard.
Je dirais que oui, car les femmes africaines sont d’habitude tres soignees, a moins qu’elle ne soient chez elles. Le cheveuz Africain peut etre tres frise ou crepu, ce qui permet de faire des coiffures farfelues, extravagantes ou sophistiquees, en general a l’aide de tressage complique. Alors que les Senegalaises investissent beaucoup dans leur coiffure, les femmes Guineenes sont plus sobres, ce qui m’enleve une certaine pression.
I on the other hand, have straight hair that won't hold anything, so I just comb it and let bad hair happen. That's mostly why I cut it short.
En ce qui me concerne, j’ai les cheveux tres lisses et les coiffures complexes ne tiennent pas. Alors je me contente de brosser mes cheveux et de laisser la nature faire son travail. C’est la raison principale pour laquelle je porte mes cheveux courts.
I for some reason look much better when dirty. Does it do anything special for you?
Mes cheveux sont plus beaux quand ils sont sales. Est-ce que ca marche pour toi?
I need to shampoo everyday. Sweat and dust make it impossible to skip this step. For the same reason, wearing make-up is totally NOT an option (then again, I just never wear any.)
J’ai besoin de me laver les cheveux tous les jours a cause de la transpiration et la poussiere. C’est aussi pour cette raison qu’il est quasi inutile de se maquiller (ce qui ne me concerne guere, puisque je ne me maquille pas.)
Do you wear field clothes or business attire?
Portes-tu des vetements de brousse ou de style corporatif?
Portes-tu des vetements de brousse ou de style corporatif?
When I go into the office, I wear casual clothes, clean and simple. Khakis and a shirt are typical. The one thing I do allow myself to wear which is to make sure I keep a progessional look is the high heels, despite the fact that I am already a giant.
Quand je vais au bureau, je porte des vêtements decontractes, propres et simples (des pantalons de toile et une chemise, par exemple). La chose que je me permets de porter pour maintenir une allure de professionnelle est les chaussures a talons hauts, malgré le fait que je sois déjà une géante.
If you should happen to hear how the Leaf sauce is made or composed, we would like to try and copy it here.
Si d’aventure tu apprenais comment la sauce feuille est faite, ou ses ingredients, nous voudrions essayer de la reproduire chez nous.
Si d’aventure tu apprenais comment la sauce feuille est faite, ou ses ingredients, nous voudrions essayer de la reproduire chez nous.
I asked about leaf sauce. As I understand it, the leaves are potato leaves. They need to be boiled in water along with "cube Maggie" which is some beef stew concentrate powder. They also add fish, shrimps and other condiments. Then, at the end, palm oil is added. This is as much as I could find out, but I could not get a fix on the quantities or cooking time, because the woman I asked said she made it instinctively.
J'ai posé des questions sur la sauce feuille. Tel que je l’ai compris, les feuilles sont des feuilles de pomme de terre. Elles doivent être bouillies dans l'eau avec du '"cube Maggie" qui est une poudre de concentré de bouillon de boeuf. On ajoute également du poisson, des crevettes et d'autres condiments. Puis, à la fin, on ajoute de l'huile de palme. C'est tout ce que j’ai pu découvrir, mais je n’ai pas pu obtenir specifiquement les quantités ou le temps de cuisson. La femme aupres de qui je me suis renseignée cuisine instinctivement.
007 in Africa said : "I can't get over the fact that you are transcribing each and every one of your posts from one language to the other--that's so much work. You are crazy. But that's nothing new :)"
007 en Afrique a dit : "je n’en reviens pas que tu transcrives chacun de tes textes d'une langue à l'autre – c’est tellement de travail. Tu es folle. Mais c'est rien de nouveau:)"
You know, I must admit I've been using Alta Vista for those. But after I got some complaints from my mum that my french writing was getting bad, I started reviewing more attentively. OOps !
Vous savez, je dois admettre que j'ai utlise Alta Vista souvent. Mais après que j'aie obtenu quelques plaintes de ma maman selon lesquelles ma redaction en francais devenait mauvaise, j'ai commencé à mes reviser plus attentivement. OOps !
Liquidplastic said : "I would also like to know what happened to H".
Liquidplastic a dit : "je voudrais également savoir ce qui est arrivé à H".
I did not see H since that night, nor did I see N, the lady I went for pizza with originally. I did go back to the Pizza place, though. The owner there had seen N the day before, and apparently, H had reported to work. More to come on the matter.
Je n'ai pas vu H depuis ce soir-la, ni N, la dame avec qui je suis allée manger une pizza. Je suis retournée à la pizzeria, par contre. Le propriétaire avait vu N la veille, et apparemment, H avait repris le travail. A suivre...
Anonymous said : "any advice for others of us looking for jobs that require international travel?Have teaching and business experience and have travelled extensively throughout the world already but am not an attorney."
Anonyme a dit: "quelque conseil pour ceux d’entre nous en recherche d’emplois exigeant des deplacements internationaux? J’ai de l'expérience en affaires et en enseignement et j’ai voyagé intensivement dans le monde entier mais je ne suis pas avocat(e)."
Internal audit does not require to be an attorney. In fact, CAs and CPAs have better chances than lawyers in that field.
Il n’est pas necessaire d’etre avocat pour etre verificateur interne. En fait, les comptables agrees ont de meilleures chances d’etre selectionnes que des avocats dans ce domaine.
In the States, USAID, Africare, Care, CRS (Catholic Relief Services), the CDC (Center for Disease Control) and other NGOs have internal auditors. In Canada, it's more uncommon.
Aux Etats-Unis, l’USAID, Africare, Care, CRS (Catholic Relief Services), le CDC (Center for Disease Control) et d’autres ONG ont des auditeurs internes. Au Canada, c’est plus rare.
Il est aussi possible de travailler a l’etranger en gestion de programmes. Il n'y a pas de moteur de recherche consacré à de tels postes, mais DevNetJobs a un bon bulletin qui donne des idees d’endroits où appliquer. Care Canada a un site merveilleux pour le chercheur d’emploi (www.care.ca) qui cumule des affichages de postes pour de différentes O.N.G.s canadiennes. Pour des citoyens canadiens, il y a également un emplacement appelé Canadem (http://www.canadem.ca/) qui recrute pour l'ONU. Finalement, vous devez aussi appliquer directement. La plupart des organisations ont un site Web et affichent des postes a l’externe dans la section carrieres.
It’s also possible to work overseas in Program Management. There isn't a search engine dedicated to such positions, but DevNetJobs has a good news letter to get ideas on where to apply. Care Canada has a wonderful site for job hunter (http://www.care.ca/) where they cumulate postings for various canadian NGOs. For Canadians, there's also a site called Canadem (http://www.canadem.ca/) which recruits for the UN. Otherwise, you need to apply directly to the Organization. Most of them have websites and will post positions externally in the carreer section.
Il est aussi possible de travailler a l’etranger en gestion de programmes. Il n'y a pas de moteur de recherche consacré à de tels postes, mais DevNetJobs a un bon bulletin qui donne des idees d’endroits où appliquer. Care Canada a un site merveilleux pour le chercheur d’emploi (www.care.ca) qui cumule des affichages de postes pour de différentes O.N.G.s canadiennes. Pour des citoyens canadiens, il y a également un emplacement appelé Canadem (http://www.canadem.ca/) qui recrute pour l'ONU. Finalement, vous devez aussi appliquer directement. La plupart des organisations ont un site Web et affichent des postes a l’externe dans la section carrieres.
The important thing is not to abandon and to follow-up on applications. If you're new to the arena, get someone with experience in NGO work to review your resume and cover letter - terminology is different. Also, if you're currently idle, take the time to do volunteer work on a weekly basis. It pays off in the end.
L’ important est de ne pas abandonner et de faire un suivi de ses applications. Si vous êtes nouveau dans le domaine, demandez a quelqu'un qui a de l'expérience de travail dans les O.N.G.s de passer en revue votre cv et votre lettre d'accompagnement car la terminologie est différente. En outre, si vous êtes actuellement en disponibilite, prenez le temps de faire du benevolat sur une base hebdomadaire. Ca paye à la fin.
Good luck, don't hesitate to ask away if you're curious of anything !
Bonne chance, n'hésitez pas à poser d’autres questions si votre curiosite est piquee !
Bonne chance, n'hésitez pas à poser d’autres questions si votre curiosite est piquee !
The Beaver
Merci, Sam a TMR, d'avoir mis ton grain de sel sur ma carte !
Merci, Sam a TMR, d'avoir mis ton grain de sel sur ma carte !
My guest map is wonderful ! And you'd all be wonderful to post, all of you lurk mode readers!
Thanks and may the winds of Fate blow your way !
August 01, 2005
Domesticity and other short stories
The Stove Gimmick
My stove is ok ! After I got into a scrap with my landlady, the handyman who witnessed it decided to fix my stove ! I'm very happy I don't have to deal with changing stoves anymore.
Beaver the Baker
This weekend, I learned to make bread with Dave's mum. It's kinda fun to put your hands in there and get covered in flour. The bread we made was really good (especially coming out of the oven). The smell was heavenly, so I couldn't resist trying it. Turns out it was really good.
Here's the recipe (you don't need any special equipment !)
TO MAKE THE YEAST :
2 teasp. dry yeast
1 teasp. sugar
1/2 cup lukewarm water
* Mix and let it rise. (that's impressive)
TO MAKE THE DOUGH :
STEP A :
2 tbsp. veggie fat (Grisco)
2 tbsp. sugar
2 teasp. salt
1 cup boiling water
* Mix all this together and when it's gone lukewarm, add the yeast mix.
STEP B :
1 cup lukewarm milk
6 cups flour (any is ok, except for baking flour which is way to light)
* In a very large bowl, add the yeast mixture to the milk and 3 cups of flour.
* Blend well. It's going to become like cookie dough.
* Take the dough out of the bowl and onto the counter (spread some flour so it's not sticky) and progressively work the remaining flour into the dough. If the dough looks like it can't take anymore and you have 1 cup of flour left, it's ok.
* Work the dough with your hands for 15 minutes to put some air in it.
* Let the dough rise in a cloth covered bowl for 45 minutes. (If it's cold in your kitchen, preheat your oven at low temperature, then close it and make the dough rise in there.) The dough's volume should double.
* Again, work the dough with your hands for 15 minutes to put some air in it.
* Again, let the dough rise in a cloth covered bowl for 45 minutes. (If it's cold in your kitchen, preheat your oven at low temperature, then close it and make the dough rise in there.) The dough's volume should double.
*Make 2 loaves of dough (you can put them on a flat dish or in a cake pan).
* Cook at 350F (175C) for 35 minutes.
Going from Scruffy to Comfy
We are getting a new couch this week ! (My in-laws are giving it to us.) I'm very excited to have a nice, clean, comfy couch in my living room instead of an old dead brown half couch.
That's it for now !
ON ON !
The Beaver
My stove is ok ! After I got into a scrap with my landlady, the handyman who witnessed it decided to fix my stove ! I'm very happy I don't have to deal with changing stoves anymore.
Beaver the Baker
This weekend, I learned to make bread with Dave's mum. It's kinda fun to put your hands in there and get covered in flour. The bread we made was really good (especially coming out of the oven). The smell was heavenly, so I couldn't resist trying it. Turns out it was really good.
Here's the recipe (you don't need any special equipment !)
TO MAKE THE YEAST :
2 teasp. dry yeast
1 teasp. sugar
1/2 cup lukewarm water
* Mix and let it rise. (that's impressive)
TO MAKE THE DOUGH :
STEP A :
2 tbsp. veggie fat (Grisco)
2 tbsp. sugar
2 teasp. salt
1 cup boiling water
* Mix all this together and when it's gone lukewarm, add the yeast mix.
STEP B :
1 cup lukewarm milk
6 cups flour (any is ok, except for baking flour which is way to light)
* In a very large bowl, add the yeast mixture to the milk and 3 cups of flour.
* Blend well. It's going to become like cookie dough.
* Take the dough out of the bowl and onto the counter (spread some flour so it's not sticky) and progressively work the remaining flour into the dough. If the dough looks like it can't take anymore and you have 1 cup of flour left, it's ok.
* Work the dough with your hands for 15 minutes to put some air in it.
* Let the dough rise in a cloth covered bowl for 45 minutes. (If it's cold in your kitchen, preheat your oven at low temperature, then close it and make the dough rise in there.) The dough's volume should double.
* Again, work the dough with your hands for 15 minutes to put some air in it.
* Again, let the dough rise in a cloth covered bowl for 45 minutes. (If it's cold in your kitchen, preheat your oven at low temperature, then close it and make the dough rise in there.) The dough's volume should double.
*Make 2 loaves of dough (you can put them on a flat dish or in a cake pan).
* Cook at 350F (175C) for 35 minutes.
Going from Scruffy to Comfy
We are getting a new couch this week ! (My in-laws are giving it to us.) I'm very excited to have a nice, clean, comfy couch in my living room instead of an old dead brown half couch.
That's it for now !
ON ON !
The Beaver
June 23, 2005
Patrolling the mountain
What is the mountain ?
The mountain is also known as "Le parc du Mont-Royal". It is classified as a municipal park, but it is Montreal's largest parc, and though it is open to the public, it is somewhat of a natural sanctuary in my eyes, because much of the forest and of the fauna has been preserved.
At the same time, parts have been terraformed to welcome the public and encourage out-door activities such as hiking, biking, skying and skating.
The increased sollicitation of the park, however, is slowly impacting on the flora and fauna as some species are becoming rare and some groups (such as toads and frogs) have now completely disappeared.
What is patrolling ?
Because of the afore mentionned issues, 2 Organizations (The Centre de la Montagne and Les Amis de la Montagne) have decided to inform, educate and train the population on the behaviors that endanger the mountain. In reach this goal, they instituted a conservation patrol which involves a mix of enployees and volunteers.
It's great exercise, as I walked up-hill, down-hill and up-hill again for 5 hours, and it allows for a better understanding of the realities of the park.
The mountain is also known as "Le parc du Mont-Royal". It is classified as a municipal park, but it is Montreal's largest parc, and though it is open to the public, it is somewhat of a natural sanctuary in my eyes, because much of the forest and of the fauna has been preserved.
At the same time, parts have been terraformed to welcome the public and encourage out-door activities such as hiking, biking, skying and skating.
The increased sollicitation of the park, however, is slowly impacting on the flora and fauna as some species are becoming rare and some groups (such as toads and frogs) have now completely disappeared.
What is patrolling ?
Because of the afore mentionned issues, 2 Organizations (The Centre de la Montagne and Les Amis de la Montagne) have decided to inform, educate and train the population on the behaviors that endanger the mountain. In reach this goal, they instituted a conservation patrol which involves a mix of enployees and volunteers.
It's great exercise, as I walked up-hill, down-hill and up-hill again for 5 hours, and it allows for a better understanding of the realities of the park.
Issues addressed are :
1. Feeding the animals : which impacts on the natural balance of the eco-system and creates overpopulations. Over the years, the squirrels have completely outnumbered the tamia and now monopolize the natural resources of the mountain. The bottom line is, THE GUMMY WORM BELONGS IN YOUR MOUTH, NOT IN HIS !
2. Moutain biking and walking out of set trails : these activities create ground compaction and eventually, render flora growth impossible. They also create a situation where tree roots are dug up, endangering the trees on the mountain. Because of the very extensive use of the park, the damage is more visible and tangible than in National Parks where biking is authorized.
3. Flower and plant picking, espescially that some people pick plants (considered to be medicinal) by the bag, without any consideration for the flora. Given that some plants and flowers on the mountain are turning rare, this is also an issue touching the preservation of biological diversity. So it's best to avoid picking plants, but otherwise, here are some nature friendly tips on plant picking :
- Do not pick plants or plant parts if they belong to endangered or rare species.
- Only uproot plants if you want to use their underground parts. And only if these plants are common, widespread and abundant.
- When picking you should remember to leave enough foods - fruits, berries, nuts, flowers, etc. - for the wild animals, birds and bees.
- Take only a few leaves from each plant according to its size. If you take all the leaves the plant will not survive.
- Do not take all the flowers or seeds from annual plants. They are needed to produce a new generation. (from http://www.danish-schnapps-recipes.com/picking.html)
4. Dogs without a leash are not allowed anywhere in Montreal for obvious security reasons. We enforce this rule even more so in the park, because a wild happy dog can unwittingly disrupt the local inhabitants of the park, who are all small rodents and amphibians. As well, an infectious illness has been spreading from the racoons to the dogs and inversely, so we try to keep that in check.
All in all, the conservation patrol's mission is to promote responsible behaviour in the park. We also provide information and directions to anyone who needs it. And at the end of the day, we get the best reward of all, which is to see the sunset from the Belvedere on the summit of the mountain.
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