XIV World Forestry Congress, Durban

 

 

Date of Issue : 7 September 2015

World Forestry Congress , Durban

This month in September , the World Forestry Congress was held in South Africa for the first time. Hosted by the South African Government, in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the XIV World Forestry Congress took place in Durban from 7 to 11 September. The main theme for this year’s congress was “Forests and people: investing in a sustainable future”.

New stamps in a souvenir sheet issue  by South African Post  aims to raise awareness of the environment and especially forests that are the lungs of our planet.The set of five stamps was designed by Annemarie Wessels, who worked closely with the DAFF. The stamps cover the main topics of discussion at the congress, such as transforming livelihoods and forest governance, as well as indigenous forest plants, trees and animals.

Stamp 1: Transforming livelihoods

Forests sustain small and medium enterprises such as small arts and crafts businesses and entrepreneurs and recreational activities such as tree canopy tours, hiking, biking, and sightseeing.

Stamp 2 Forest products

Logs are harvested from a forest plantation. Almost all timber products in South Africa are produced in forest plantations, thus limiting the pressure of timber harvesting on natural forests.

Stamp 3: Forest governance

Monitoring forest ecosystems and produce through science and research such as measuring growth of seven-week ferns.

Stamp 4: Forest dwellers (conservation): Indigenous forest dwellers from different South African regions

Indigenous animals found in South Africa’s natural forests, such as:

Samango monkey (Cercophitecus mitis)

Knysna Dwarf chameleon (Bradypodion damaranum)

Blue Duiker (Philantomba monticola)

Emperor Swallowtail butterfly (Papilio ophidicephalus zuluensis)

Other forest animals include doves, bush pigs, leopards and elephants.

Stamp 5 : Forest flora and fungi

This stamp features a forest recovering after forest fires showing examples of indigenous plants, flowers, fungi and trees.

Outeniqua yellow wood (Podocarpus falcatus)

James flower(Plectranthus fruticosus)

Falling star lilies(Streptocarpus candidus)

Tropical Cinnabar bracket fungi (Pycnoporus sanguineus)

Lepiota mushrooms (Lepiota species).

Forests are essential to life on our planet and are a source of income and livelihood to many. They provide mitigation and adaption to climate change, adequate supplies of fresh water, biodiversity in nature, food and shelter for humans and animals. Yet this life-sustaining resource is under unprecedented pressure from people, climate and competing socio-economic demands.

The World Forestry Congress was first held in Rome in 1926, and has since become the largest and most significant gathering of the world’s forest sector. Held every six years, its objectives are to inform, direct and influence international action in forestry; to elevate the sector’s role in global development and to project a new vision for the future. This congress was crucial, as the world was entering a new development era with the post-2015 sustainable development goals.

Tributes to Kargil War Heroes…

 

 

Kargil Vijay Diwas is celebrated on 26 July every year in honour of the Kargil War's Heroes. Philatelic Tributes to the great heroes who sacrificed their life in the war !!

New Delhi: As the nation marked the 14th anniversary of the Kargil war on Friday, Defence Minister A K Antony and the chiefs of the Army, Navy and Air Force paid tributes to the martyrs at Amar Jawan Jyoti here.A candlelight tribute was also paid to martyrs on the eve of the Kargil Vijay Divas in Jammu and Kashmir's Drass sector.

To commemorate the heroism displayed by the soldiers who laid down their lives during the Indo-Pak war in Kargil in 1999, a number of events have been planned all across the country. Special functions will also be held at Kargil and Drass in Jammu and Kashmir, the war theatre where Indian soldiers fought bravely and laid down their lives to safeguard our motherland.

The Kargil war, which began in May 1999, lasted more than two months before Pakistan soldiers withdrew from the mountain tops they had occupied overlooking the Srinagar-Leh highway.
In the battle with Pakistani forces, the Army nearly lost 500 officers, soldiers and jawans, many of whom were posthumously felicitated with gallantry awards.

A special Cover was issued in Tiruchirapalli on Kargil War hero Major Saravanan on 26 July 2008.

 

New stamps from Malaysia

Malaysian Salads

Pos Malaysia issued a set of four stamps on 25 July, 2013 featuring traditional Malaysian salads. The stamps illustrate Pegaga, Kacang botor, Petai and Pucuk gajus.

Pegaga (Centella asiatica) grows in tropical swampy areas. The stems are slender, creeping stolons, green to reddish-green in color, connecting plants to each other. It has long-stalked, green, reniform leaves with rounded apices which have smooth texture with palmately netted veins. The rootstock consists of rhizomes, growing vertically down. They are creamish in color and covered with root hairs. In Malay cuisine the leaves of this plant are used forulam, a type of Malay salad.

Kacang botor (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus) is a tropical legume plant native to New Guinea. It grows abundantly in hot, humid equatorial countries. This bean has been called the “one species supermarket” because practically all of the plant is edible. The beans are used as a vegetable, but the other parts (leaves, flowers, and tuberous roots) are also edible. The flavor of the beans has a similarity to asparagus.

 

Date of Issue : 25 July 2013

Petai (Parkia speciosa) is a plant bearing long, flat edible beans with bright green seeds the size and shape of plump almonds which have a rather peculiar smell, similar (but stronger) to the Shiitake mushroom, characterized by some as being similar to natural gas. They are best when combined with other strongly flavored foods such as garlic, chili peppers, dried shrimp or shrimp paste. In Malaysia, petai also commonly served with sambal, or mixed with dried shrimp, chili peppers, red onions, belacan (shrimp paste), soy sauce and prawn.

Pucuk gajus (Anacardium occidentale) are cashew leaf shoots that are used in many traditional Malaysian dishes.Nasi ulam, for instance. Nasi ulam in Malaysia consist of cold cooked rice that is mixed with shredded herbs such as daun kaduk (wild betelnut leaf), pucuk gajus, onions etc.

 

 

Herbs on stamps..

 

 

Planting and the use of herb plants have grown to be a trend in recent years. To showcase the enchanting beauty of these multipurpose plants, Chunghwa Post is issuing a set of four stamps featuring Mentha  piperita, Rosmarinusofficinalis, Salvia elegans, and Artemisia indica. The designs follow:

Mentha  piperita (NT$5): It is a perennial herbaceous plant of the family Lamiaceae. The plant has opposite, ovate or oval-shaped leaves. The flowers are either white or pink, and grown in whorls. It is edible, medicinally useful, and a common ingredient in essential oils, pesticides and pest repellants.

Rosmarinusofficinalis (NT$5): It is a woody, perennial plant of the family Lamiaceae. The leaves are opposite, long and narrow; the colors are rich green, with a pleasant sheen. The flowers are blue, white or pink. The plant is edible and extensively used for medicinal purposes. It is also a common ingredient in essential oils and bath products.

Salvia elegans (NT$12): It is a perennial herbaceous plant of the family Lamiaceae. The leaves are either ovate or heart-shaped; they emit a mild, fruity fragrance when brushed or rubbed. The flowers are red. The plant is edible.

Artemisia indica (NT$15): It is a perennial herbaceous plant of the family Asteraceae.

The leaves are pinnate, green, with dense white tomentose hairs on the underside.

When they just bloom, the flowers are light yellow. The plant is edible and a medicinal herb. It is also used in essential oils, scenting, and folk practices.

Oregano–aromatic herb on stamp

 

Here are some beautiful issues from Cyprus and Taiwan. Cyprus post issued an aromatic stamp featuring oregano. Chunghwa Post  issued a set of Greeting stamps.

Oregano

Oregano – or “rouvanos” – is a member of the Lamiaceae family. It is an aromatic bush or semi-bush growing up to 100cm tall with spade-shaped, succulent and thick hairy leaves.

It is a species native to Cyprus, restricted mainly to the Pafos forest area and thrives in rocky areas in various habitats, at an altitude between 200-100m. It is used extensively in cooking and is one of the most popular herbs in the Mediterranean cuisine. Oregano is effective against headaches and insomnia and acts as a cure for stomach ailments. It also has analgesic and sedative properties. Its essential oils are extracted and used in the perfumery and pharmaceutical industry.

Oregano can be used as an ornamental plant and provides ground cover in combination with other species. It is also used in rock gardens and pots. It thrives in well-drained soil and can be planted from seed.

New Greeting stamps from Taiwan

 

Chunghwa Post released a set of “Congratulations Postage Stamps” in 2012. Now it is following up with a second set of four stamps, each featuring one pair of tropical fish, swans, penguins or mandarin ducks. The stamps have round perforated centers with a predominately orange and yellow color scheme, with a red background that features the double-happiness character, which is commonly used in Chinese culture to celebrate marriage. The area surrounding the round center features a grid of double-happiness characters, which convey a sense of glad tidings. The designs follow:

1. Tropical Fish (NT$3.5): A pair of enraptured tropical fish is sealing their love with a kiss. The moving scene conveys the idea of “angelic lovers being lifted to the clouds.”

2. Swans (NT$3.5): The male swan wears a crown and the female swan a lace bridal veil. The scene demonstrates the idea of loving bonds that last “till death do them part.”

3. Penguins (NT$5): The male penguin wears a bowtie and dons a stovepipe hat and the female wears a lace bridal veil. The illustration symbolizes the idea of happiness and love everlasting.

4. Mandarin ducks (NT$5): The female duck bashfully turns her head to look at the male, symbolizing that they will be together through thick and thin over the journey of their lives.

Source : International Stamp News

Pitcher Plants

 

Date of Issue : 13 March  2013

These Special stamps issued by PHLPOST feature different varieties of Pitcher plants that can be found in the Philippines. The stamps have been issued in a miniature sheet and  a sheetlet of 16 stamps. The stamps are colorful and very attractive .It’s a beautiful set for those collecting on plants .

The families Nepenthaceae and Sarraceniaceae are the best-known and largest groups of pitcher plants.The Nepenthaceae contains a single genus, Nepenthes, containing over 100 species and numerous hybrids and cultivars. In these Old World pitcher plants, the pitchers are borne at the end of tendrils that extend from the midrib of an otherwise unexceptional leaf. The plants themselves are often climbers, accessing the canopy of their habitats using the aforementioned tendrils, although others are found on the ground in forest clearings, or as epiphytes on trees.

Pitcher plants are carnivorous plants whose prey-trapping mechanism features a deep cavity filled with liquid known as a pitfall trap. Foraging, flying or crawling insects such as flies are attracted to the cavity formed by the cupped leaf. The rim of the pitcher is slippery, when moistened by condensation or nectar, causing insects to fall into the trap.There are more than a hundred species of pitcher plants and many of them can be found in the Philippines.

Source : PHL Post

For Tea lovers…

 

Teas from Taiwan

 

Date of of Issue: 12 September 2012

Hi Here is a beautiful souvenir sheet Issued by Chunghwa ( Taiwan) Post . This souvenir sheet features teas from Taiwan. It’s a lovely souvenir sheet featuring  five different varieties of tea and special cups and kettle. I love green tea very much so this souvenir sheet just caught my attention and I am happy to write about this issue here !!

Teas produced in Taiwan are celebrated around the world for their quality. Based on the degree of fermentation, teas are categorized into several kinds: non-fermented tea (green tea), fully-fermented tea (black tea) and partially fermented varieties. The last is widely known as "Baozhong tea" in Taiwan's academic circle; it is further categorized by the differences of shape: "strip," "semi-ball type" and "ball type." The latter two are commonly known as Oolong tea and Tieguanyin tea.

To encourage better understanding in teas, Chunghwa Post features Baozhong, Tieguanyin, Black tea, Oolong and Oriental Beauty teas as theme for "Teas of Taiwan Souvenir Sheet" with five stamps.

The bottom of every stamp is accentuated with the featured tea variety and a cup of tea, and each stamp is set against the tourist attraction of the tea region in single color, complemented by a miniature teapot cutout on the upper right corner. Marginal inscription of the souvenir sheet is inspired by a tea-drinking scenario that manifests the timelessness of Taiwan 's tea culture.

The designs follow:
1. Baozhong tea (NT＄10): A lightly fermented tea, the liquid is honey-gold in color with a pleasant aroma, and a smooth, refreshing taste. It is grown primarily in Pinglin, Shiding in New Taipei City and Wenshan, Nangang in Taipei City . The backdrop of the stamp is set against the Pinglin Tea Museum .

2. Tieguanyin tea (NT＄10): A partially fermented tea, Tieguanyin is more oxidized than Oolongs. The liquid is amber in color, with a slightly acidic and fruity zest; it is mellow, sweet and smooth to the taste. Tieguanyin is produced primarily in Muzha in Taipei City . The Maokong Gondola is the backdrop of the design.

 
3. Black tea (NT＄10): A fully fermented variety, the liquid is a beautiful reddish brown with a light caramel aroma and rich flavor. Black teas are grown mostly in Yuchi in Nantou County and Ruisui in Hualian. The stamp is set against the Sun Moon Lake wharf.

4. Oolong tea (NT＄10): A partially fermented tea, the liquid is bright golden-yellow with strong fragrance. Nantou and Jiayi Counties are the primary Oolong-growing regions. The famed Alishan Forest Train is the backdrop of this stamp.

5. Oriental Beauty tea (NT＄10): Synonymous with White Tip Oolong, this variety is heavily fermented. The liquid is reddish orange that smacks of nectar or ripe fruit, with a rich and smooth aroma. The tea is grown in Emei, Beipu in Xinzhu County , Toufen in Miali County , Pinglin and Shiding in New Taipei City . The stamp features the suspension bridge astride Emei Lake in the backdrop.

 

My  Rainbow Covers…

 

I Just received this nice cover with rainbow stamp and FDC sent by my friend Andrzej Panachida from Poznan, Poland. Thanks Andrzej for these covers for my collection I was looking for this FDC  for my Rainbow collection.. Many Many Thanks !!

Andrzej Panachida, Poznan - Poland

Bonsai..

 

     

Sierra Juniper                                              Trident Maple

Date of Issue: 23 January 2012

   

Black Pine                                                    Azalea

 

Banyan

Hi !

Here are five beautiful stamps issued by US Postal service showing Bonsai, the plant art which gives a magnificent shape to the plants in small pots !! These are wonderful stamps  showing some well developed trees in small pots  and these nice stamps are  sure to be liked by all plant lovers and thematic stamp collectors !!

With these five stamps, the U.S. Postal Service celebrates the beauty of bonsai. The word “bonsai” (Japanese for “plant in a pot”) refers to the art of cultivating plants — usually trees — in trays, pots, or other containers. Favorite bonsai plants include evergreens, maples, and azaleas, but many other trees and shrubs are also suitable.

One of the common styles of bonsai is shown on each of these five stamps. The first stamp depicts a Sierra juniper in semi-cascade style, in which the tip projects over the pot rim but does not extend below the base. Second is a trident maple in informal upright style, in which the trunk bends slightly to the left or right. Third is a black pine in formal upright style, with the trunk straight and tapering evenly, with symmetrical branches, from base to apex. Fourth is an azalea plant in multiple-trunk style, with several trunks emerging from one root system. The fifth and final stamp shows a banyan in cascade style, in which the trunk evokes a stream flowing down a mountainside, with the tip extending below the pot’s base. The plants depicted are roughly 15 to 20 inches tall.

Although no one knows when the first bonsai was created, it is generally accepted that Buddhist monks brought the practice from China to Japan about a thousand years ago. The bonsai collection at the National Arboretum began in 1976 when the Nippon Bonsai Association in Tokyo, Japan, presented the people of the United States with 53 plants as part of the U.S. bicentennial commemoration.

A bonsai master begins with seeds, cuttings, a naturally stunted tree, or a very young tree. Over time, he or she prunes the roots and branches, uses wire to shape and “train” the branches, and sometimes scrapes or peels bark to achieve desired effects. The plant is watered and repotted when necessary, and can live a hundred years or more.

Native Trees of New Zealand..

 

 

2012 New Zealand Native Trees

Date of Issue : 1 February 2012

Hi !

Here is a beautiful set of stamps issued by  New Zealand Post on February 1, 2012  featuring  five iconic native New Zealand trees. Each of the beautiful species is depicted in a detailed illustrative style and the scientific name of each species is included in the design . This is an awesome set of stamps on Flora ! Each stamp design has a very cool light color background that contrasts with the color of the flower giving a very attractive look to the stamps. The special feature of the stamps is that they give botanical details of the plant. This set is sure to be liked by Flora theme collectors as well as a general plant lover !! Kudos to the designer of this beautiful set !! This is all for Today….Till Next Post…Have a Great Time !!

 

FDC

New Zealand’s isolation from the rest of the world has allowed its unique flora to evolve and flourish, resulting in the distinctive array of native trees present today. This high degree of endemism makes New Zealand’s native trees truly special, so much so that Conservation International has recognised New Zealand as a world biodiversity hotspot. Almost all of New Zealand’s native species of conifers, flowering trees and tree ferns occur nowhere else – resulting in native forests like no other on Earth.

Miniature Sheet

The individual stamps in this issue are as follows:

60c - Pōhutukawa

The pōhutukawa is a species of Metrosideros, and is often referred to as the New Zealand Christmas tree due to its display of bright red, pollen-producing stamens in summer. The undersides of the leaves and flower buds are densely furry with white hairs. Although it is widely cultivated throughout the country, in nature it is restricted to the northern North Island, mostly in costal habitats.

$1.20 - Cabbage Tree

The cabbage tree (Cordyline australis) or tï kouka is found throughout New Zealand in moist soils and swamps. It is a tall, much-branched tree, and has long, narrow leaves with many parallel veins. The abundant small white flowers are attached to the branching stems of large inflorescences, and the fruits are white to purple berries.

  $1.90 - Kōwhai

The vibrant kōwhai tree is most conspicuous in spring, with its large golden-yellow flowers. Its flowers are bird pollinated and the petals are arranged in a sort of tube to contain a sufficient quantity of nectar. Sophora microphylla is widespread and grows near streams and at lake edges.

$2.40 - Nīkau

The nīkau (Rhopalostylis) is the furthest south palm in the Southern Hemisphere. It is impressive in height, and the top of the trunk is crowned by a spreading cluster of enormous leaves divided into leaflets. Flower clusters arise below the crown of leaves and form bright red berries. Where the nīkau is plentiful it gives the feeling of a tropical forest.

$2.90 - Mānuka

The mānuka (Leptospermum scoparium) is a widespread shrub that sometimes grows to a small tree. Its leaves are very small and quite sharply pointed, and it is abundant with small white flowers (although pink and red varieties are cultivated). The mānuka is well known for the dark, strong flavoured honey it produces.

: New Zealand Post