Pantone
No.20
Summer 06
The Newsletter of the Initiative for Biodiversity Studies in Arid Regions
CMYK
White
“We need to better understand the value of biodiversity and do much more to conserve it for the sake of ensuring the future survival of our culture and our nation.� Dr. Salma Talhouk
Biodiversity Projects
IBSAR launches public garden project with native trees
Following our scheme to promote biodiversity, IBSAR have put into action a program that would promote the use of native trees, introducing them to the community, in a sustainable landscape design approach, and with the help of municipalities. The project started with the Municipality of Bhamdoun, in creating a public garden. IBSAR offered around 200 Cercis siliquastrum trees, a Lebanese native tree known for its attractive colorful flowers. Designed by Landscape Designer Jana Nakhal, the garden offers a playground, a cercis tree grove, a medicinal plant garden, a sitting area with vines (vitis vinifera), and a water fountain. The design is a multifold project that answers the needs of the community from different age groups and social backgrounds. Following the architect Bernard Tschumi’s words, the garden structure offers “regularity and fantasy, relationships and oppositions, and casual, unexpected elements that vary the scene; great order
By Jana Nakhal
in the details, confusion, uproar, and tumult in the whole.”
The Bhamdoun Project in the making
Illustrations of the project
IBSAR to launch IBDAA, a biodiversity awareness program for youth
IBSAR has conceived a nature conservation awareness program for Arab youth. This program, IBDAA, which is designed for schools, uses public art as a venue to foster creativity, leadership, and responsibility towards society and nature. The awareness program is based on community engagement and establishment of a social network between the schools and their communities. With this participatory approach, IBSAR will develop an insight into local perception of community needs. IBDAA, to be launched in Lebanon, is set to subsequently extend to the Arab region. We are
Workshops
By Nayla Naoufal
currently seeking funds enabling us to implement this awareness program.
IBSAR participates in the “Sustainable Wild Collection of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants” Mr. Ibrahim El-Saliby represented IBSAR during the workshop titled “Sustainable Wild Collection of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants” held in Bosnia by WWF Germany, TRAFFIC, and the Medicinal Plant Specialist Group of IUCN - The World Conservation Union, Teslic, on May 5 and 6 2006. His mission was to disseminate the ideas and objectives of IBSAR in Lebanon as well as ensure contacts with medicinal plant traders. The fifty participants included representatives from government conservation agencies, natural (organic) herbal product traders, manufacturers and retailers, herbalists, organic certification bodies and conservation groups. The workshop opened
with
presentations
charting the history of the standard’s development thus far, which encompassed a series of
consultation
workshops,
individual interviews and field assessments of the applicability of the draft standards in Brazil, Ecuador, India, China and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Dana Leaman presenting on international standards for sustainable wild collection of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants
Individual participants then gave their views on how the International Standards for Sustainable Wild Collection of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (ISSC-MAP) would help them achieve their objectives. Mr. El-Saliby introduced IBSAR by disseminating IBSAR booklet and calendar, and by individual person-to-person discussions. List of contacts was given to IBSAR outreach committee to make the suitable future steps in contacting important persons. Discussion session on the applicability of the proposed standards
By Mr. Ibrahim El-Saliby
IBSAR Participates in Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute Workshop The Global Plan of Action (GPA) for the Conservation and Sustainable Utilization of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (PGRFA) took an important step forward in May 2006 when people representing public and private sectors met at the Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute (LARI) center in Tel Amara to discuss how the GPA will be implemented. About 30 participants in the workshop on “Establishment of the National Information Sharing Mechanism on the Global Plan of Action in Lebanon for the Conservation and Sustainable Utilization of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture” (PGRFA), organized by LARI, included representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA); Ministry of Environment (MOE); Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (CCIA); LARI; private and public universities including the American University of Beirut who was represented by Mr. Ibrahim El-Saliby and Mr. Rony Chamoun on behalf of Dr. Salma Talhouk; nurseries; foundations; and NGOs. The workshop opened with presentations charting the state of the World Report 1996, the objectives of the GPA that includes 20 priority areas divided into 8 sections ranging from the diversity status to the contribution of managing the plant genetic recourses for Food and Agriculture, and the new approach for monitoring Implementation of the GPA. Participants then gave their views on what exactly should be included under the item “Food and Agriculture” and how the work should be done. By Rony Chamoun
Finally, a list of possible stakeholders who will contribute to the GPA has been made.
IBSAR standardizes its lab notebooks in a Research and Patent Committee workshop A workshop on lab notebook guidelines and validation methodologies was held on Wednesday May 17th, 2006. The purpose of the workshop was to update IBSAR research assistants and graduate students on the proper guidelines of keeping a lab notebook in order to standardize IBSAR lab notebooks and the validation methodologies that will make the notebook a legally valid document. Ms. Sereen Saadi, research assistant of the IBSAR Research and Patent Committee, held the workshop and informed the attendants that in order to have a legally valid notebook, the notebook has to be dated and signed by the keeper, the supervisor
IBSAR Field Work
By Sereen Saadi
and by a non-inventor. A total of sixteen persons attended the workshop.
Putting IBSAR policy in action My work as field coordinator for IBSAR necessitates that I travel all over Lebanon to do several things. One of these things is search for potential plant species that may in a way or another feed into the policy of IBSAR in preserving the endangered plant species. Orchids, in general, are considered endangered, and IBSAR is involved in finding a way to preserve them and started making tissue
One of the most primitive orchids, the Cephalanthera damasonium orchid
culture experiments for this purpose. In support of these experiments, I make sure that we collect plant seeds without harming these species besides taking useful data and pictures of them. That’s not to forget that finding them in
By Khaled Sleem
the wild is an adventure in itself.
Epipactis Latifolia
Orchis Coriophora
Research and Patents
Himantoglossum caprinum, the flower during opening
Online and In Print
By Sereen Saadi
By Yarob Marouf, IBSAR Webmaster
Ophrys sp
IBSAR’s Research and Patent Committee supports patentable innovations The objective of the IBSAR Research and Patent Committee is to cultivate research activities and encourage those leading to patentable innovations. Responsibilities include providing assistance to IBSAR members with proposal submission procedures and reviewing proposals to ensure conformance to IBSAR, university policies, and sponsor guidelines. When it comes to RPC activities, they encompass organizing a workshop on the guidelines of keeping a legally valid lab notebook, establishing IBSAR Research Guidelines for external funding, and organizing monthly IBSAR seminars in the form of journal club series. RPC also submitted research proposals to the European Commission, National Science Foundation, American Institute for Cancer Research, American Orchid Society, and the German Council for Research, among other private investors.
IBSAR website unveils its new image Re-designing the website was a real challenge: we wanted to create a new visual identity for IBSAR on the Web, reorganize existing information, and present it in the best way possible. I decided to work on the concept of an Arab identity for the website. Therefore, after thorough research on the question of Arab/Islamic art, I concluded that calligraphy was the most respected graphic art in our culture. This is why I decided to base the website’s design on Zoomorphic Arabic Calligraphy, which uses the Arabic script to draw animal shapes; and thus evoke Biodiversity, the central theme of IBSAR. The address to visit is www.ibsar.org
Pumped, lifted and cleaned! When asked to write an article explaining changes made to IBSAR’s image, I found no better way to put it than...nip and tuck! The scapula was replaced by the mouse, the doctor by designer, a simple tweak here and there and voila...the new and improved IBSAR image. The IBSAR Map (illustration by Lorette P. Shebaya)
New color schemes were introduced, white space brought in, and Icons integrated into text, keeping IBSAR up to date on the design scene. Horizontal page layout also kept the idea of vast space and growth in mind. Photography was another important tool used to portray IBSAR’s ideas and projects. Used both in the 2006 “Orchids from Lebanon” calendar and the IBSAR brochure, fantastic photos were available and taken by the IBSAR team.
Bugs illustration by Lorette P. Shebaya
The IBSAR team was a joy to work with!
By Lorette P. Shebaya
IBSAR issues cultivation and production pamphlets
Since the beginning of wild plants production and
domestication
activities
within
the
framework of IBSAR center, the idea of information documentation and dissemination was considered a high priority. In the past three years, the IBSAR production team succeeded in producing many wild species that were considered important for either their medicinal or ornamental potential. At the same time, collection of data on different aspects of production requirements and cultivation conditions enabled the publication of pamphlets that are useful for growers willing to start One of IBSAR’S many cultivation and production pamphlets By Ibrahim El-Saliby
producing that type of plants. These pamphlets will soon be available on the IBSAR website at www.ibsar.org
INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
IBSAR provides young people with new internship opportunities IBSAR is providing interested young people with the opportunity to work on the various IBSAR projects. If you are working towards a university degree or are a university graduate, this opportunity can be yours. You can work with a dynamic research group on projects ranging from in situ nature conservation to cancer research and documentation of indigenous knowledge. The possibilities are many and challenging. The intern will receive recognition.
CAMPUS ACTIVITIES
By Dr. Malek Batal
IBSAR’s stand at the AUB Outdoors makes science accessible to all During the AUB Outdoors 2006, at the IBSAR stand, children and grown-ups were able to realize fun scientific experiments, allowing them to discover science in an original way. The activities were conceived by Nayla Naoufal and were based on the postulate that in order to apprehend reality, not only children, but also adults, have to be able to grasp and see things. For instance, the public extracted DNA from a banana, using simple material such as alcohol, dishwashing liquid and salt. The public approaching our booth was mostly composed of children, teenagers and families. The proposed activities aroused a lot of enthusiasm, especially among the children, who were very happy to perform the experiments themselves. Science is not confined to laboratories and researchers, but accessible to everyone!
A shot of the IBSAR stand at the AUB Outdoors 2006 By Nayla Naoufal
Send your news, articles, and editorial comments to ibsar@aub.edu.lb. Visit the IBSAR website at www.ibsar.org. Submission deadline for next issue is beginning of December.
Designed by the Office of University Publications