HerbalEGram: Volume 8, Number 2, February 2011
ABC by the Numbers in 2010 Despite a challenging economy, in 2010, the American
Botanical Council successfully continued its mission to spread science-based
information regarding the use of beneficial botanicals and herbal medicine.
Presented here is a quick review of the tactics, accomplishments, and
milestones resulting from these efforts.
New
Audiences 19,600,000 people! The power of television—and more
specifically, PBS—is the catalyst for this amazing number of individuals who
have been or soon will be exposed to ABC’s unique nonprofit educational
mission. ABC has recorded 14 “Herbal Insight” video segments for the PBS series
Healing Quest, co-hosted by
singer-actor Olivia Newton-John and broadcast on 145 PBS channels across the
United States. Each Herbal Insight segment, featuring ABC’s founder and executive
director, Mark Blumenthal, focuses on the history, uses, and benefits of a
single herb, making the science behind that herb easily accessible and
interesting to the viewer. To view these
segments, readers can check their local PBS listing or look on ABC’s website under “News.”
Increased
Media Education As a reliable third-party educational resource, ABC is
regularly contacted by the media for interviews regarding recent studies,
reports, or articles on herbs and herbal products. In 2009, ABC participated in
64 interviews. In 2010, ABC gave 91 interviews to the media including: The Wall Street Journal, WebMD, Martha Stewart Living, USA Today, Natural Foods Merchandiser, and AARP. In addition, Blumenthal
coauthored an article for the Dr. Oz Show website. These media education efforts
are essential to redirect the often misinformed articles on botanicals
appearing in magazines, newspapers, and online publications throughout the
United States and the rest of the world.
Increased
Global Education
In 2009, ABC—primarily Blumenthal—gave 34 lectures,
speeches, and/or talks. In 2010, Blumenthal traveled 118,288 miles to 24
cities, 12 states and 7 countries and gave 57 presentations that directly
educated thousands of individuals. This
amounts to his having traveled 4.75 times around the world.
Increased
Internships for Pharmacy and Dietetic Students Each year ABC offers internships for pharmacy doctoral
students and students achieving dietetic bachelor’s or master’s degrees in
their final year of study, helping them understand the vital role that herbs
and medicinal plants play in selfcare and healthcare. The interns’ experiences
at ABC are also designed to teach them how to find reliable information on the
potentially beneficial role of herbs and other plant-based dietary supplements
and how to incorporate them responsibly into their future professional
practice. In 2009, ABC provided 15 internships; last year, the number of
internships awarded was boosted to 21.
Honored
with the Varro E. Tyler Prize
In 2010, Blumenthal was the recipient of the prestigious
Varro E. Tyler Prize bestowed by the American Society of Pharmacognosy (ASP).
Dr. Tyler was an early member of the ABC Board of Trustees and a mentor to
Blumenthal. According to ASP, Blumenthal was given the award because of his
enduring and dedicated service to the botanical supplement and phytomedicine
communities, as well as his commitment to the development and dissemination of
accurate information about the safety and benefits of botanicals.
Launched
Educational Herbal E-Cards Last year, ABC began offering registered users of its
website and ABC members the opportunity to send beautiful herbal education electronic cards free of cost. Each E-card, designed by
ABC, focuses on a specific herb, features stunning photography by Steven
Foster, and provides science-based herbal education on the uses and benefits of
the featured herb. There are currently 29 ABC E-cards covering health-related
topics such as heart health, vision, and colds; botanicals for each birth
month; holidays such as Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and Valentine’s Day; and
several all-occasion cards. Not only are these cards a pleasure to look at,
they also advocate the spreading of herbal medicine messages to new audiences
and increase knowledge about the science behind correct herb uses. To date, ABC’s
E-cards have been sent to more than 4,895 people, presumably some of who were
previously unacquainted with ABC’s nonprofit educational mission.
Hosted
Visitors at the ABC Homestead
In 2010, more than 300 people visited ABC’s office/homestead
located in Austin, Texas. Some were local Texans popping in to help ABC celebrate
HerbDay; others were visiting for the Council for Responsible Nutrition or the
American Herbalists Guild conferences, both of which were held in Austin in
October of last year. Other visitors included US Military/Baylor University
Graduate Program in Nutrition students. The majority of visitors were treated
to herb walks through ABC’s 30+ medicinal demonstration gardens, including the
newest Ayurvedic garden dedicated in 2010. Published
by ABC in 2010
- 4
issues of HerbalGram covering topics
including: Replacing Animal-Based Remedies with Plants; Fair Trade Botanicals;
Essential Oils for Drug Resistant Bacteria; Bacopa and Memory; Costa Rican Plants;
The Rising of Herb Sales During the Recession; and Saffron and Alzheimer’s
- 12
issues of HerbalEGram, ABC’s monthly e-newsletter featuring recent news stories
on herbal topics written by the ABC editorial department, community and
industry news, media watch links, PDFs of recently published books, and a
calendar of upcoming events.
- 360
HerbClips, summaries and/or critical reviews (15 produced twice monthly) of
clinical trials, articles, or other publications related to medicinal plants.
These publications are a benefit of ABC membership. More
information about how to become an ABC member and thus support ABC’s
educational efforts is available by contacting ABC at 512-926-4900 or development@herbalgram.org.
In 2010, 14 ABC employees provided services to over 3,000
members in approximately 80 countries. The accomplishments outlined in this
article are made possible mainly by the dedication of the many volunteers who
offer their time and talents to keep ABC the premier herbal education
organization, as well as to the members who provide the necessary resources to
meet ABC’s unique and essential nonprofit education mission. The ABC staff
dedicates all of its successes of 2010 to this wide and varied group of people
who are interested in the beneficial roles that herbs and medicinal plants can
and will play in selfcare and healthcare.
—Denise
Meikel
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