pcplantdb

[Richard Morris <webmaster@pfaf.org>]

Stephanie Gerson wrote:
> hello again,
>
> So I began writing the application for the Lindbergh Foundation today, 
> and I have a few questions/requests:
This seems a much more academically oriented foundation,
a very different ball game to Threshold.

General feeling is that we should focus the application on the
a community driven plant database (which is what I think
most users will really want).

I think we should down play the guilds, relationships
and smart interfaces. Definitely in there but not the
central focus.

> 1.  Can all of you interested in being included in the project (meaning 
> you are committing to dedicate time, and would be eligible for a small 
> stipend - depending on how much funding we get) please respond and 
> confirm your participation?  Along with that, please send me your resume/
> CV.  And Chad, if you plan on being involved (which I hope you do!), 
> please also send me a 1-paragraph bio on yourself (I have bios from 
> everyone else).
CV at http://www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/cv.html

> For those of you that are non-U.S. citizens, please indicate country of 
> citizenship, type of visa if U.S., and place of birth. 
United Kingdom

> 2.  The application requests a list of relevant publications for all 
> professional personnel.  I will include the websites you have worked on 
> (PFAF and Eden) - is there anything else?  If so, please send.
One paper in a conference proceedings

A.K. Chhabra, R.S. Banga  M.S. Punia, K. Fern and R.J. Morris (2002). 
World Wide Web as an Aid to Search and Explore New Plants of Global 
Importance. In Symposium Proceedings, Perspectives in Medicinal & 
Aromatic Plants: Research & Development, pp 73-80,  March 7-9, 2002, 
Department of Plant Breeding, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar 
125 004, India.

The Plants For A Future book might also be worth referencing

Plants For A Future, Ken Fern, Permenent Publications, Clanfield, 
Hampshire, 1997.


Snipped from another grant app we are putting together:

Plants For A Future has achieved an international reputation through the 
compilation of a database of 7400 plants which provides details of the 
edible, medicinal and other uses of the plants; the publication of a 
book which has become a minor classic and is now in its second reprint; 
and the production of a website containing a full online version of the 
plant database which has been referred to by over 500 other websites[1]. 
The database has been incorporated into the America Associations for the 
Advancements of Science’s Traditional Ecological Knowledge Prior Art 
Database [2].
        
[1] Google links to website - 
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=link%3Awww.comp.leeds.ac.uk%2Fpfaf%2F&btnG=Search

[2] AAAS TekPad Partners 
http://ip.aaas.org/tekindex.nsf/Partners?OpenPage&AutoFramed.

Also links to the various sites Laurence has worked on at ibiblio.

> 3.  Please tell me the amount of time you plan on spending on the project 
> (hours/week).
Hard to say, I guess about a day a week.

> 4.  They request that we, "Provide a summary describing the research that 
> is already in place, most recent advances made in your area of work, and 
> how your proposed work will contribute. Originality and innovation are 
> important factors in the review process. Also provide a listing of 
> literature cited."  I've found limited information on relationships 
> between plants (besides companion planting) and guild design (which would 
> actually support our cause).  Any ideas?  At least on the viability of 
> relationship-oriented landscape design?
Toby Hemingways book (must get a copy) seems to be best
one about guilds.

There is a very large list of litrature cited in the existing
database:
http://www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/biblio_p.html
It might be an idea to include that in an appendix.

Might be worth a reference to wikipedia, and other community
driven sites.

> 5.  They request, "A limited amount of material in support of your 
> project (articles, letters from collaborators/collaborating institutions, 
> photographs, etc.) may be included as part of your application. Eight (8) 
> copies are required for our review process. These materials cannot be 
> returned."  Anything I should include here?  Perhaps a letter from 
> Ibiblio, or a collection of posts to PC listservs requesting 
> relationship-type information - to show that this kind of resource is 
> needed?  What do you think?
I've sent a couple of emails to academic colegues. We may
get a good letter of support from them.

> Thank you, I look forward to hearing back.

A few emails of support:

>>>>>>
 Wanted to thank you for your most incredible (and edible) database.  I 
have been searching for much of this info.  Finding bits and pieces. 
And now your excellent repository.  A generous gift to the earth.  Thank 
you.

Mike Larsen
Minneapolis
>>>>>>>
 Sir,

I am simply astonished at the wealth of valuable and practical 
information I continue to find on and through the PFAF site.  Speaking 
as someone who is working through the particulars of self- treatment for 
a degenerative nerve disease, (this after having run the full gamut of 
helpful/harmful treatment the AMA has proffered) the exacting nature of 
the information provided by your site and by many of those sites listed 
in your links has given me a great deal of new hope and the confidence I 
need to proceed on my quest knowing that I have been very well informed.
The nature of the World Wide Web is at once both wonderful and 
frighteningly impersonal, however, I have personally chosen to move IT a 
little closer to the former by as many personal notes of well deserved 
thanks as I am able to produce.
Thus, THANK-YOU ! For all that you do and all that you have provided to 
me and my family, a well-earned thank-you is certainly due.

Sincerely,

Terry Buchacher
Belgrade, Montana, USA
>>>>>>>>>
I just found your website for the first time and wanted to say thankyou. 
I have been interested in so many of the uses that you cover for so long 
and have had to scrabble around for any information that I can find. The 
hard work that you have already done will make things alot easier for me 
in the future.

Regards,

Rebecca Smith.
>>>>>>>>>>
thank you for such a wondeful website! I needed information about 
medicinal plants for biology class and your website was more than 
helpful: I actually learned interesting facts about plants! Your webiste 
is clean and to the point, like most informative sites should be. I'll 
definetly be back to your site for more info.
THANKS AGAIN!
Amanda Cronin
>>>>>>>>>>>
Hey,
I just found your site, especially your database, wonderful! I knew there
had to be an online permacultural compendium of plants, but 7,000 entries
and not "avocado"! I guess they don't grow in the UK. Very good work though.

Bear K
>>>>>>>>>>>
   From: mIEKAL aND
Subject: Does Plants for a Future have 1000 friends?

(FOLKS, IM SPREADING THIS TO ALL MY LISTS, THESE GUYS PRODUCE, IN MY
MIND THE MOST IMPORTANT PLANT DATABASE ON THE WEB...  IT IS DREADFULLY
UNDERFUNDED & TOP NOTCH WORK.  PLEASE CONSIDER HELPING THEM OUT, or in
the very least, bookmark their site & make use of the extensive
information.   mIEKAL)
>>>>>>>>>>>>
Keep up the great work.

Your web site was one of the best ones that I found. I had been surfing for
about 3 days.  Your site was most useful.  I have linked your site to hard
copy flyer of a list of web sites to be visted in regards to permaculture.

Best of Luck
Czzxzq@******
>>>>>>>>>>>
 Wasabi is a state secret of Japan, for those of us with a less than 
firm grip on latin and scientific taxonomy your website has provided the 
only useful information and referances that I have been able to find in 
4 hours of searching.

Thank You.
Chuck Trout
>>>>>>>>>>>
Dear Rich,

My name is Andrea Cordone, I live in Córdoba, Argentina.

I write you to say you that your web site is excellent, and results me from
much usefulness in my work -I´m permaculturist and technical in 
floriculture.

The information that there is in español  is very few and, though we 
lived in
different hemispheres,  the information that you have put at the disposal of
all the people  is so complete that serves me to draw conclusions and to 
learn
 about the election of plants.

Thank you very much by your generosity,

Andrea Cordone

PS sorry for my English (I speak as Tarzan).
>>>>>>>>>>>
 My daughter in the sixth grade is doing a report on the Sweet Violet. I
found your website. Thank you so much for all the information, we were not
able to find this information at the library or any other website. Thank 
you
so much for the help!
                                    Sandra McGee
                                    Mississippi
                                    USA
>>>>>>>>>>>>
Thanks for your wonderful website. I found it looking for information about
whether my new bay tree needs a sunny or shady spot.
I'm a new but very enthusiastic future-aware London gardener and I'm very
excited to have found this great source of advice and information.
Frankie
>>>>>>>>>>>>
hi,
i just want to tell all of you affiliated with PFAF that i absolutely 
love what you are doing.  i find your page to be the most valuable page 
anywhere on the net.  i'm a college student with an interest in finding 
practical uses for both wild plants and garden plant alike.  i continue 
to be amazed with the completeness of the PFAF database every time i use 
it--probably about once a week.  you have so much info that i simply 
cannot find anywhere else.  i plan on having a permaculture home/village 
sometime and owe most of my knowledge to PFAF.  thank you so much and 
keep up the good work.   ben.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>

--
Plants for a Future: 7000 useful plants
Web:   http://www.pfaf.org/ same as http://www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/
Post:  1 Lerryn View, Lerryn, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0QJ
Tel:     01208 872 963 / 0845 458 4719  
Email: webmaster@pfaf.org
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