Simply Darjeeling!

“A teacupful of medicine? Green tea has held a long-standing place in traditional Asian medicine. Scientific research is now beginning to explain why” – this is the title of the editorial published in the June 2008 issue of the medical journal Nature Structural & Molecular Biology. A new study in the journal discusses the effects of the polyphenol most abundant in green tea, (-) –epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). Erich Wanker and colleagues at the Max Delbrück Institute for Molecular Medicine in Berlin-Buch, Germany have looked at the effect this substance has on the formation of certain fibrils associated with Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. According to the editorial cited above, these “new findings suggest that EGCG may prevent toxic fibril formation” (p. 537).

These findings follow on the heels of another story. In the September 2007 issue of Blood: Journal of the American Society of Hematology a scientific letter appeared about the possible effectiveness of green tea in curing amyloidosis, a medical condition in which amyloid proteins are abnormally deposited in organs and tissues of the body. The author Werner Hunstein, a renowned professor emeritus of hematology (University of Heidelberg), who suffers from amyloidosis himself, traces the effects of green tea in improving his own illness. Hunstein was diagnosed with amyloidosis in 2001, and the aggressive chemotherapy treatment that followed left him shattered. That he managed to recover his strength and go back to normal in his daily life, Hunstein attributes to green tea. When he began to drink large amounts of green tea (usually about two quarts per day), his condition improved significantly; the deposition of amyloid proteins was stopped, and his heart resumed beating more strongly.

Needless to say, he also believed in drinking clean tea. The tea Professor Hunstein drank was the Green Darjeeling from Teekampagne / Tea Campaign.

Another focus of project SERVE, financed by Tea Campaign, is maintaining the water catchment area at Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary. The Sanctuary, established in 1915, comprises an area of 38 square kilometers around Tiger Hill. It is home to many rare and endangered species.

Located about 6 miles south-east of Darjeeling City, the Sanctuary is crucial for the water supply of the town. In 2007, about 40,000 seedlings were planted in the catchment area.  A local tree nursery has been established to provide the seedlings. Since the area is infested with bamboo, regular clearing and maintenance work is necessary for the plantings to survive. Maintenance and protection of Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary are supervised by an Eco Development Committee.

(Source: Annual Activity Report 2007)

Among project SERVE’s ecological activities in Darjeeling is the planting of shade trees. Tea bushes require shade. It boosts the flavor, the color, and the yield of the tea harvested. Project SERVE, in cooperation with the WWF India, has been planting different species of shade trees to improve the biodiversity of the tea gardens. The tree seedlings are raised in the project’s own nursery. 70,000 shade trees were planted in 2007.

Read more under ‘Green Commitment‘ and in upcoming blog entries.

(Source: Annual Activity Report, 2007)

Replanting trees is one major activity of project SERVE. It is essential for reversing soil erosion on the steep slopes of Darjeeling. Degraded areas are identified and surveyed, weeds are cleaned away, and pits dug before the monsoon rain starts. Seedlings are raised in the project’s own nursery and supplied through local committees or groups.

82,500 seedlings were planted in 2007.

(Source: Annual Activity Report 2007).

The project “Save the Environment and Regenerate Vital Employment” (SERVE) was initiated in 1992 by Teekampagne (Tea Campaign) in collaboration with the World Wide Fund for Nature, India. The overarching goal of the project is to restore the environment of Darjeeling Hills, one of the global biodiversity hotspots, which is threatened by deforestation and degradation of forests, by uncontrolled tourism, and by soil erosion.

Major objectives of project SERVE are

• Restoration of the environment by improving the natural habitat;
• Generating sources of income and employment through reforestation programs and alternative livelihood programs;
• Environmental education and awareness programs for local communities and students.

SERVE works closely together with government officials, local communities, schools and NGOs in the Darjeeling region.

Read more about SERVE’s activities and achievements in upcoming posts.

(Source: Annual Activity Report, 2007.)