Vlog
Rescue Medicinal Plants
for
Health and Happiness
Charity Number CC46860
News
What We Are
We are an educational institute specialising in Health Management, Sustainable Medicine, and other related aspects of Sustainability.
Why We Are
Because of the global significance of environmental issues, sustainability will be in the forefront of the SIF's work. The World Economic Forum and Joint Research Centre of the European Commission's 2008 Environmental Performance Index (EPI) focuses on environmental outcomes with two broad objectives:
- Reducing environmental stresses on human health
- Promoting ecosystem vitality and sound natural resource management.
Our Vision
We see ourselves as reviving the human connection with the natural environment by promoting biodiversity conservation, and our heritage of the world's many cultures, in a large, public botanic gardens in Auckland:
The New Zealand Herb Gardens
A Herb Ark botanic gardens
This Botanic Gardens will contain, among other facilities, a Sustainability Systems Exhibition Centre, as well as an Education Centre which will include The Secret Garden: a childrens' chronic conditions education facility.
We are, at present, undertaking the valuable work of health education. We will be working with all age groups, but our focus is on children, helping them to help themselves with all aspects of health management from 'obesity prevention', through 'asthma attack avoidance' to increasing their activity as well as increasing the activity of the community in general, in a gentle outdoor setting.
We are, at present, in the 'Feasibility Stage', investigating various locations for our gardens. Through our work with our partner organisations and by our own educational work we will become a world leader in the teaching of Sustainable Health Systems. We will make Sustainable Health and Medicine relevant to those whose needs have not previously been catered for by botanic gardens.
We are a member of Botanic Gardens Australia and New Zealand (BGANZ)
Hello people,
The SIF's health food reviewer went to Caravanserai, in the Chancery, off High St., Auckland, yesterday.
This is a newly re-furbished development of shops and restaurants. Unfortunately, despite high winds, and strong gusting rain, the fronts of several of the restaurants were wide open, and so I picked a narrow cafe, and went to the very back, so as to escape the weather. No icy blast machines, however, hurray.
The waitresses were most obliging, and gave me a lunch menu whereon all of the dishes were $15.00 each. The Moussaka contained mincemeat, with a smearing of tomato paste (as opposed to a robust sauce of real tomatoes and onions), but whereas the Greek original, of which I have had many, has thick layers of aubergines, there were two miniscule slivers, of less than a gram each. The mince slice was held together with a slick of white sauce. A bit disappointing, but at least the dish wasn't rendered inedible by the addition of sugar, or worse, sweeteners. The accompanying salad made an attempt at variation, but, yes, the dressing was sweetened. This was, I suppose, my fault, as I forgot to say no to the menu description of that present 'hi-Art' ubiquitous ingredient: pomegranate. Ergh, Nigella has a lot to answer for.
There were 'herbal' teas and music. My only complaint was that, although they kindly turned the deafening level down, near to me, their choice was of a decent soprano doing her best with a Puccini aria, while some Philistine was hammering away at a drum and high hat cymbals, on the same track, double time; um cha, um cha. Poor Puccini must be turning in his grave.
Our Feasibility Study report is out next weekend (under password on our website). Just to give you a giggle, we've attempted a collage image concept for it: please see below.
Gros Bisous
