Trees granted rights by N. American town

The Earth's forests used to be very dense.

A tiny town in Quebec has become the first municipality in North America to officially recognize trees as living beings with a fundamental set of rights.

Terrasse-Vaudreuil, a town of about 2,000 people just west of Montreal, Canada, adopted a resolution on June 9, 2026, to sign the Universal Declaration of Tree Rights.

• 55,000 ancient trees in one forest that scientists still can't fully explain

This declaration was launched in 2018 in response to worldwide deforestation and the perception of trees as nothing more than objects and a resource to be extracted by humans. Its stated goal is to "recognize the Tree as a sentient living being, a source of Life, and a common good of humanity."

Why do trees need rights?🌲Let's give'em to robots

American activist Julia Butterfly Hill will be so happy to hear it as will Luna the Tree

A 2019 petition in support of the declaration had garnered just shy of 88,000 signatures, and Terrasse-Vaudreuil's adoption of its principles marks the first public entity in North America to sign on as well.

The town's Mayor Michel Bourdeau said in a press release translated from French: "By adopting this resolution, Terrasse-Vaudreuil reaffirms its commitment to building a sustainable future.

"This recognition will be accompanied by concrete programs aimed at protecting our tree canopy, planting trees, and raising public awareness of their importance."

Mayor Bourdeau told Canadian outlet CBC that "our biggest ally is the trees" when it comes to fighting climate change. The town's mayor said he is committed to protecting the canopy, raising awareness of the importance of trees, and planting more of them.

The Universal Declaration of Tree Rights was created in response to worldwide deforestation.

Town adopts tree rights principles

Terrasse-Vaudreuil has promised to abide by the three fundamental principles of the Universal Declaration of Tree Rights.

1.  The first principle states: "The Tree, a sentient living being and source of Life, is a common good of humanity."
2. The second principle states: "Life on Earth depends upon the existence of the Tree."
3. The third states: "Human beings, endowed with reason and conscience, must act with the Tree in a spirit of fraternity and solidarity."

According to the town's press release, adopting the resolution was a citizen-led initiative inspired by the film Des arbres et des arts ("Trees and the Arts"), by Quebec filmmaker André Desrochers. The film argues that trees are living beings that communicate with each other through [VOCs and] underground fungal networks that interact symbiotically with roots.

The first article of the Universal Declaration of Tree Rights, which claims trees are "sentient," makes a similar argument, though it also emphasizes a distinction between the rights of trees and those of humans.

"The recognition of Tree Rights must not automatically be confused with the attribution of legal personhood," the declaration states. "In certain legal systems, legal personhood may constitute one mechanism for protecting a natural entity. It is, however, neither a necessary foundation nor the exclusive objective of the Universal Declaration of Tree Rights."

The Universal Declaration of Tree Rights aims to change the perception of trees as simply a resource to be extracted by humans. 

The town adopted the resolution after being inspired by a film that argues trees communicate through fungal networks [called mycelia] connected by roots.

Trees recognized as sentient beings

Let the dryads (tree spirits) rejoice!

The main idea behind recognizing trees as sentient beings is to stop people from viewing the plants "solely as an object, property, raw material or resource available exclusively for human benefit," according to the declaration.

Other natural bodies have been granted similar legal protections in North America on occasion. Quebec’s Magpie River was given legal personhood in 2021 by the Innu Council of Ekuanitshit and the regional municipal council of Minganie (Duck River).

The protection granted the river nine rights, including freedom from pollution, the right to evolve naturally and a mandate to retain its natural biodiversity.

Lake Erie in Ohio was temporarily granted legal personhood similar to that of an individual or corporation through the 2019 Lake Erie Bill of Rights, but a federal judge ruled the measure unconstitutional in 2020. The Daily Mail has reached out to Bourdeau, the mayor of Terrasse-Vaudreuil, for comment. More

HELP WANTED: WQ assistant trainee

We need more than social media fame, Ji-Ji.

Help wanted. Recently, we were asked to come speak at a Buddhist temple in North Hollywood for Vesak (Buddhist Xmas) and did so. We were not told other speakers were speaking -- monks and philosophers.

Our Dharma editor so wowed the crowd and abbot with a powerful talk on the Three (most important) Things to understand in Buddhism that we were asked to return again a week later for the Friday night meditation group.

• A week in the life, THIS WEEK:

1. Vesak at Dhammakaya Garden Monastery, Sunday night
2. Prepping for DisclosureFest.org, Monday night
3. Visiting Hsi Lai Temple for lunch, Tuesday afternoon
4. Visit with abbot, Dharma Vijaya Buddhist Vihara, Wednesday afternoon
5. Zen Meditation sitting, Thursday night, Friends Meeting House, Pasadena
6. Three Things (Dharma Talk), Friday night, Buddhist meditation center, North Hollywood
7. Prom (dance), Saturday night, Morongo Casino, road to Joshua Tree
8. Vegan potluck party and BBQ, Pasadena, Sunday afternoon

What is Zen practice other than the ordinary?

It became clear that Wisdom Quarterly and the Dharma Buddhist Meditation needs help, a personal assistant eager to learn about Buddhism, meditation, yoga, spirituality, vegetarian/vegan health, Meetup.com, and helping organize for-profit events. We will train.

These qualifications are helpful:

• knowledge of social media
• proficiency in cellphone use
• living in Los Angeles or Orange County
• interest in meditation practice
• exercise of some sort (yoga, breathwork etc.)
• interest or knowledge of the various Buddhisms
• love and appreciation of some kind of music
• enthusiastic about beach, prom, helping with live events
• Appropriate for shy introverts, situational ambiverts, and even funny extroverts

Introduce yourself and indicate your interest at Dharma Buddhist Meditation (Dharma Buddhist Meditation) by sending a Meetup message to Ananda (using the Meetup Messaging System) or privately in the Comments Section below

'Must-Know Go-To Survival Plants' (book)

Must-Know Go-To Survival Plants of North America

American plant expert Christopher Nyerges

Local guide and prolific author Christopher Nyerges, founder of the School of Self-Reliance, and his wife Helen Nyerges have 4.0 out of 5 stars (with 1 review) with their guidebook Must-Know Go-To Survival Plants of North America.

This easy-to-read book includes a line drawing for each plant and photos that make identification easy. There is also a numerical graph that gives each plant a “score,” depending on how useful the plants are for

• food,
• medicine,
• water,
• fire,
• shelter, and
• other uses.

There is also a guide on how to use and store plants, showing whether a plant can be eaten raw or cooked, and whether it is best when stored dried, frozen, or pickled, or all three.

The authors include plants readers are likely to find anywhere across North America. They also include plants they use most of the time because these plants are widespread, common, easy to recognize, and good tasting.

Also available on Amazon

The book contains 29 entries, though it covers many more than 29 individual plants. For example, in the tree section, there is a discussion of elderberries, oaks, and willows. What they say about these three genera of trees is applicable to every species worldwide of elders, oaks, and willows.

There are 20 species of Sambucus (elder) worldwide, about 600 species of Quercus (oak trees) worldwide, and about 400 species of Salix (willows) worldwide. What is written about Rubus (blackberry) applies to all species, and comments about cattail apply to all 15 species worldwide.

The book talks about individual species used as food -- such as chickweed, lamb’s quarter, and purslane. Several in the section on herbaceous plants contain many individual species, such as grasses, with about 10,550 species worldwide, and onions of which there are about 500 species worldwide, and seaweeds.

Seaweeds are marine algae, divided into the three major categories: green, red, and brown for a combined total of about 10,000 species worldwide.

The book is a refreshing addition to any botanical collection whether one studies as a novice or expert.

• BOOK: Must-Know Go-To Survival Plants of North America (School of Self-Reliance)
• Christopher and Helen Nyerges, SchoolofSelf-Reliance.com; Amazon.com; Dhr. Seven, Xochitl (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Slavery ended Feb 1, 1865? 13th Amendment

Pres. Lincoln abolishes slavery with the 13th Amendment | Abraham Lincoln | HISTORY

Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

We are all taught to celebrate Juneteenth (June 19th) as if that were when the USA abolished slavery. But that happened with the ratification of the 13th Amendment on Feb. 1, 1865. Of course, the American government didn't bother to tell slaves and thereby free them. But that is when it became de jure (by law) illegal. De facto (by fact) we still have slavery in many forms -- human trafficking, working convicts, secretly employing the vulnerable, sexual trafficking of women, children, and boys...

(Forgotten History) Most corrupt series: Dishonest Abe Lincoln, Part 1

• When did [chattel] slavery really end in the United States? (Marquette University Law School)
• Slavery NEVER really ended because the 13th Amendment still allows it

• 

  Please end slavery already - MLK

  End Slavery NOW: February 1st is National Freedom Day in the USA. Celebrate it by learning about and sharing with others the importance of being a modern-day abolitionist to finally end slavery now.
• Feb. 1st is National Freedom Day in the USA, celebrated because in 1865, Pres. Lincoln signed the joint resolution from the House and the Senate that eventually became the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution—the amendment that officially ended slavery in the U.S. even though it still legally exists. More
• This Day in History: Lincoln signs proposed 13th Amendment
• Black History Month begins today
• Slavery in the United States
• Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
• CAAM | #blackhistory: On February 1, 1865, Abraham Lincoln signed the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution

(Weird History) What actually happened when the slaves were "freed"?

What do you mean you want to rape/enslave me?

There may have been more Native American (Indigenous, "Indians," Amerindians) slaves than Blacks or African imports. Most of them were worked to death or contaminated with diseases they had no immunity to deal with, and they are rarely spoken of; however, historians have documented this fact.

And when the USA invaded the Old West using the "Monroe Doctrine" and "manifest destiny" as pretexts, it stole half of the land that was Mexico, under Spanish rule. So a large part of this country is in fact Mexico except that "might makes right."

Train across Siberia to Buddhist Russia

(Justin & Alina) The Trans-Siberian Railroad to the Asian part of Russia we are rarely shown: Buddhist Buryatia, Russia

• Buddhism in Buryatia
• Buddhism in Russia
• Religion in Russia
• Justin & Alina, YouTube; Amber Larson, CC Liu (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Why is Israel trying to split Somalia?

(TANN) Somalia humiliates Israel at UN over a dirty scheme to split Somalia into "Somali Land"

We stand with Israel to kill anyone they want.

Somalia [a], officially the Federal Republic of Somalia [b], is the easternmost country in continental Africa. Stretching across the Horn of Africa, it borders Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti [c] to the northwest, Kenya to the southwest, the Gulf of Aden to the north, and the Indian Ocean to the east.

Somalia has the longest coastline on Africa's mainland. Somalia has an estimated population of more than 18 million, of which 2.7 million live in the capital and largest city, Mogadishu.

• Britain included the conditional provision that the Somali residents would retain their autonomy, but Ethiopia immediately claimed sovereignty over the area. This prompted an unsuccessful bid by Britain in 1956 to buy back the Somali lands it had turned over [120]. Britain also granted administration of the almost exclusively Somali-inhabited Northern Frontier District (NFD) to Kenyan nationalists [125, 126]. This was despite a plebiscite [rule by the people] in which, according to a British colonial commission, almost all of the territory's ethnic Somalis favored joining the newly-formed Somali Republic [127].

As one of Africa's most ethnically homogenous countries, around 85% of its residents are ethnic Somalis. The official and national language of the country is Somali, while Arabic is recognized as a second language. The overwhelming majority of the population are Sunni Muslims. More

Better Jesus preserved in Ethiopia

Dark skinned Middle Easterner (Northern African) with intense eyes like Dr. Hillman explains

Who dares question ancient written scripture?

(Freely) Hollywood Mel Gibson: With its 88 books, the "Ethiopian Bible describes Jesus in incredible detail" -- and it's not what we [have been taught by the official Church to] think! The Book of Enoch openly talks about extraterrestrials, realms, UFOs, and visitations/abductions, but Catholics and Protestants are not able to read or believe it. The Ascension of Isaiah... The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church was made invisible to the West and its imperial Christianity run to serve empire.

• The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Bible (Here is a list of 81 of the 88 books from the canon)
• Was Ethiopia part of "Israel," N. Africa?
• Igziabeher (Jesus) is the Lord of the Tribe/Nation
• Jesus: Ashkenazi who conquered Israel for white Jews, setting stage for a "Greater Israel" with Emperor Bibi?
  

Eli from Russia: 70 parts of Soviet Union

(Eli from Russia) One redhead, an adventure traveler, sees the former USSR through 70 regions

• Buddhism in Russia (Where?)
• Buddhism in Kalmykia
• Buddhism in Buryatia
• Buddhism in Europe
• Buddhism in Central Asia

Untouched pyramid stuffed with treasure

Archaeologists uncover an untouched pyramid stuffed with treasure

What is buried in the sand?

Reports of archaeologists opening an untouched pyramid chamber overflowing with treasure have raced across social feeds, framed as a once‑in‑a‑lifetime discovery that rewrites Egyptian history.

When I trace those claims back to their sources, however, the story that emerges is less about a single sensational find and more about how modern audiences consume, amplify, and sometimes distort real archaeological work in Egypt’s pyramids.

Instead of a verified new pyramid packed with gold, the available evidence points to a swirl of older excavations, educational explainers, speculative commentary, and click‑driven headlines that have been stitched together into a viral narrative.

• Archaeologists spotted strange 'anomaly' buried near Giza pyramids | watch
• They built a robot in secret, entered the pyramid, and revealed photos no one had seen | watch

Understanding how that happened is essential if we want to separate genuine breakthroughs from unverified tales while still appreciating the very real wonders that Egyptian archaeology continues to reveal.

The ET Sumerian King's List of the Middle East - Worth more than gold in ancient times: jade

How a “sealed pyramid” story went viral

Which other pharaohs got a mask?

The core claim behind the viral posts is simple and cinematic: a 4,000‑year‑old pyramid, supposedly untouched since antiquity, is opened to reveal a chamber stacked with treasure and perfectly preserved artifacts.

That framing appears in multiple sensational write‑ups, including one widely shared piece describing a “sealed Egyptian pyramid” whose opening allegedly “shocked” archaeologists, language that is echoed in a similar narrative carried by a separate online news story.

Both accounts lean heavily on dramatic description, but neither provides the kind of concrete details that would normally accompany a major archaeological announcement, such as the pyramid’s precise designation, the lead excavation institution, or peer‑reviewed documentation. More

• Alexander Clark, Morning Overview via MSN, "Archaeologists uncover an untouched pyramid stuffed with treasure"

Leaving behind White supremacy, almost

Former right-wing extremist now warns others about adopting extreme ideologies (doc)

Far Right Network in Canada

(wocomoHUMANITY) UNITED STATES. Brad Galloway was a white 18-year-old punk rocker in and out of trouble with the law, a street brawler already at his fourth high school, a kid without direction, and therefore a prime target for a neo-Nazi recruiter.

Promising comradeship in a gang of “like-minded” guys, a place where Brad could finally find what he wanted most: belonging.

I really want white Canada to be my 51st state.

SKINHEAD tells Brad’s story – how he spent 13 years in “the movement,” climbing the ranks from skinhead rabble-rouser to the Canadian boss of an ultra-violent U.S. gang called Volksfront.

Brad has been out for five years, raising a family and getting his university degree in criminology. But most of all, he’s been working on leaving behind the hate groups that defined who he was for so much of his life – and watching those groups come back to life.

• Life After Hate website: LifeAfterHate.org (McAleer)

Babe, I'm Hitler in Mein Kampf

“I call them white supremacy groups because that's all it is,” says Brad Galloway. “What they are presenting as new is actually a very old idea of white marginalization. “I think my message is this: understand by adopting these types of extreme ideologies, that you are signing up for losing those years of your life.  You will definitely lose time and you will be affecting others negatively. You will lose that time in your life.”

CHAPTERS

▷ 00:00 - Introduction

▷ 01:20 - From a typical Canadian kid to the president of a white supremacist organization

▷ 05:03 - Warren Kinsella, author of Web of Hate: The Far Right Network, talks about far-right groups in Canada

▷ 07:20 - Manipulation and seduction: How people become far-right white supremacists

▷ 18:37 - Donald Trump and anti-immigration

▷ 21:23 - Brad Galloway's journey leaving his skinhead life behind

▷ 28:11 - Setting up a Volksfront chapter in Vancouver

▷ 35:15 - American academic Randy Blazak interviews another former skinhead

▷ 38:27 - The importance of finding belonging elsewhere

▷ 42:14 - From meeting in pubs to meeting online

▷ 45:12 - Discussion between a former white supremacist gang leader and a former Black gang leader ▷ 51:15 - Credits

Neo-Nazism could never happen in US Capitol

FILM: SKINHEAD steps back and takes a look at the scope of racist movements not only in the USA but in Canada, too. SKINHEAD is largely Brad’s story – his journey into a movement, his journey out, and what he sees happening next in this hyper-partisan age of racial tension under Pres. Trump. Original title: Skinhead. Directed by Andrew Gregg © 2018, licensed by Jambika.

ABOUT: Wocomo HUMANITY is part of the Wocomo channel network by NIKITA VENTURES. Wocomo - wonderful content in motion. Subscribe to wocomoHUMANITY: goo.gl/5Sp36B. Follow on Facebook: wocomo. Documentaries about people and cultures from around the globe: wocomoHUMANITY offers high-quality content which is produced by leading production companies. Check out other channels to watch high quality documentaries: ▷ wocomoDOCS: wocomodocs ▷ wocomoWILDLIFE: wocomowildlife ▷ wocomoHISTORY: wocomohistory ▷ wocomoTRAVEL: wocomotravel ▷ wocomoCOOK: wocomocook #Trump #documentary #farright #skinhead #Oregon #fulldocumentary #Canada #US #wocomohumanity.

• wacomoHUMANITY, Nov. 8, 2025; Pfc. Sandoval, Sheldon S., Seth Auberon, Ashley Wells (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Ukrainian girl stabbed; Karen baseball bully

This mode of stabbing/murder is taught in U.S. prisons among convicts penned together in distress

What did she do to him? She read his mind, or so he is now claiming

• GRAPHIC VIDEO: Ukrainian refugee Irina Zarutska (Iryna, Irena Zarutskaya) was stabbed to death by a random... | 24vids
• DOJ hits [Black] train stabbing suspect with federal charge as FBI investigates on-camera attack [of beautiful white victim]

HORROR: Shocking stabbing of young Ukrainian woman in Charlotte, NC...and why national media ISN'T covering it

(Megyn Kelly) Sept. 8, 2025: Megyn Kelly is joined by Rich Lowry and Charles C.W. Cooke of National Review to discuss the horrifying [mind control?] stabbing of a young Ukrainian woman in Charlotte, NC [here because the Pentagon, CIA, EU, and NATO provoked Russia into invading, while concocting a story of a power mad Vlad Putin wanting to take over the world like Hitler when the unacceptable truth is Pres. Putin was pushed to react and did], the decision by the national media not to cover it, details about the incident and the repeat offender, shocking remarks made by the Charlotte mayor, and more.

• Stop the cruel abuse of innocent donkeys
• Right Wing Rita Pannaji, Sky News Australia; Megyn Kelly; Pfc. Sandoval, Seth Auberon, Sheldon S. (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Pyramids found in Poland...and Bosnia?

USA has pyramids, but no one seems to know it.

.

Polish archaeologists have found two megalithic tombs over 5,500 years old that teach us more about the burial practices and engineering abilities of one of Europe’s earliest agricultural societies.

The structures—sometimes called “Polish pyramids” or “giants’ graves” due to their triangular, monumental shape—were uncovered in the village of Wyskoć, in General Dezydery Chłapowski Landscape Park in the Wielkopolska province.

• Pyramid hidden for millennia discovered in snow of Antarctica

The discovery was made by archaeologists from Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań during a field survey regularly conducted using remote sensing technology.

The tombs, whose existence was confirmed through excavations, were constructed by the Funnelbeaker Culture, a Neolithic society characterized by pottery and monumental burials.

The new findings are the second of their kind to be identified in the Wielkopolska region, the first being in 2019. More: archaeologymag.com

5,500-year-old 'Polish pyramids' discovered in western Poland reveal Neolithic engineering | Archaeology News Online Magazine

• 5,500-Year-Old Pyramids Found in Poland Predating Egypt by 900 Years
• Mysterious structures unearthed beside the Great Pyramid of Giza
• Trump humiliated by Jerome Powell as pair argue in front of reporters
• Pyramid builders revealed by old writings?
• The Daily Star: News with a Wink: Megalithic tombs, pyramids in Poland found, and Bosnia, Europe: ancient Egyptian-style discovery
• Dario Radley, Archaeology News Online Magazine, July 11, 2025; Pat Macpherson (ed.), Wisdom Quarterly

Is Russia the Evil Empire? No. Look!

Russian beauties on pinterest.com

(Kayse Melone) From Evangelical Christian patriot to Anti-Empire Atheist: Isn't US the EE?

Modern Russia has extraordinary structures | Liden & Denz Russia

Life in Russia: SHOCKING MYTHS about the country will leave viewers speechless

(Wild to Travel) Why would any American be shocked that Russia is a beautiful and modern non-communist country? It's because we've been lied to in the West for so long that there is no setting us straight. And we don't travel out of our country enough to know anything directly for ourselves. Go out into the world! Stop being duped by PR propaganda from both sides. That's why Wisdom Quarterly has special correspondents like Eli from Russia and AgentNesty:

• Buddhism in Russia

I prefer beloved modern Russia to Central Asia

From Evangelical Patriot to Anti-Empire Atheist

(Kayse Melone) June 26, 2025: We had a great question asked on a chat on one of my recent livestreams. What does it mean to love yourself as an American when you no longer believe in what [North] America stands for? As someone who grew up in evangelical Christian nationalism in the heart of red-state America, I’ve had to unpack the myths I was raised on, face the guilt and shame of living in the belly of the beast, and begin the long process of internal deconstruction and healing. We talk about American exceptionalism, the spiritual cost of capitalism, and why letting go of nationalism might be the most patriotic thing we can do.

#exchristian #exvangelical #unitedstates #deconstructingchristianity #atheist. Remember to join the live show at 7:00 am CT every Sunday-Wednesday on YouTube or Twitch. Connect with Kayse. Website: kaysemelone.com

• Evil Empire (album by Rage Against the Machine); Kayse Melone, June 26, 2025; Wild to Travel) June 19, 2025; Eli from Russia, Pfc. Sandoval, Ashley Wells (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly