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5-MeO-DMT TOAD CONSERVATION PROJECT

Started by LogosOne, June 16, 2017, 05:32:41 PM

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LogosOne

http://www.terra-incognita-project.org/toad-conservation-project/

The Terra Incognita Project was founded in 2015 to pioneer the scientific exploration of consciousness and spirituality.  We support the sustainability of indigenous shamanic medicines in order to enable the integration of beneficial knowledge in the modern world. After two years gestating and forming relationships with scientists, academics, environmentalists and seekers alike, we are finally launching some cutting edge research studies that can directly help protect the toad and map a scientific understanding of the 5MEO experience.

The Terra Incognita Project is now seeking funding for a second-stage study on the sustainability of the Bufo Alvarius (Alvarius Incilius) toad in the Sonoran desert of Arizona (building on data from our 2016 Mexican study). The long-term goals of the Toad Conservation Project are to protect the Sonoran Desert Toad, Incilius alvarius, and it's habitat, throughout its native range in Mexico and the United States and support sustainable practices and risk reduction techniques for medicine gathering, where legally allowed. Funds raised will directly go towards logistical support for researchers to undertake this pilot study in August, 2017 and for analysis of skin and water samples of toads and their habitat.

You can paypal: [email protected] or make a direct bank deposit or for more information. The Terra Incognita Project (EIN 47-5001833) is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt nonprofit corporation and your donation is tax deductible. 

The conservation team is interested in a kind of mission/vision-setting to be established through a larger group process. We want it to feel inclusive, and not-top down, so we value the opportunity for supporters to voice their concerns and inquiries and to crowd-source this vision and let people know this the launching of a much larger, more inclusive effort to come into right-relationship with the toads, the land and each other. To nurture this community initiative we have also created a Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/838872206261240/ 

In terms of sustainable medicine gathering, our long-term vision is to:
   •   Help develop proper handling techniques that minimize stress to the toads (what age, sex, frequency & volume of collection is safe for toads)
   •   Reduce the risk of contaminating wild toad populations with know pathogens through human contact (such as amphibian chytrid fungus) 
   •   Track size and health of known toad populations (very long-term effort that will require the cooperation of diverse stakeholders)
   •   Assist in the development of toad sanctuary sites and habitat enhancement project (provide technical and organizational support)
   •   Provide information to the broader toad medicine community, including practitioners and seekers, about the spectrum of human impacts (regenerative and destructive) on toads

Full project details are at: http://www.terra-incognita-project.org/toad-conservation-project/  . I  hope that we can count on your support with this project, and that you can pass on the information to your community for their support as well. Let's keep growing together, and moving towards the Light.

Best,

Rak Razam
Director,
Terra Incognita Project

Migaloo

Great project. Id like to see some important issues discussed here like, fair trade toad, ranches. collecting protocols, working with mexican government, practitioner donations to toad conservation, narco traffickers, selling live toads, captive breeding protocols, alternative non toad 5 meo, Skype conferences amongst key players. Maybe admin we could see a heading called Toad Conservation Strategies and some of these and more issues can be discussed under that heading.

Xzen

QuoteMaybe admin we could see a heading called Toad Conservation Strategies and some of these and more issues can be discussed under that heading.

Thnx for the suggestion, Migaloo. The section we are currently in, Ethics & Ecology is totally dedicated to this kind of discussion, & eventually we will likely have all major topics, groups & projects represented here. You are very welcome to start your own thread in this regard. The more discussion we have here the more beneficial in relation to authenticity & correct action, i feel.

Can we, as a people, walk our talk this time around? Or will we witness growing consumerism chaos & superficial care, just as has happened with the popularisation of entheogen prior? I pray for the former.

Bancopuma

#3
I shared this on the DMT Nexus forum, a few queries and concerns about this project from Nexian SnozzleBerry. Are you able to comment on any of this LogosOne?

QuoteAt the risk of being a Debbie Downer (yet again), is there more information on this project? I haven't delved too deeply, but here are a few things that stand out to me right off the bat.

1) The funding request states "The Terra Incognita Project is now seeking funding for a second-stage study on the sustainability of the Bufo Alvarius (Alvarius Incilius) toad in the Sonoran desert of Arizona (building on data from our 2016 Mexican study)."

However, it then states "Funds raised will directly go towards logistical support for researchers to undertake this pilot study in August, 2017 and for analysis of skin and water samples of toads and their habitat."

So it sounds like the funds are going towards paying researchers and covering analytical costs. I'm personally unclear on what the analysis of "skin and water samples of toads and their habitats" has to do with understanding the sustainability of the toad in question. Actually, I'm rather unclear as to what it means to "study on the sustainability of the Bufo Alvarius (Alvarius Incilius) toad in the Sonoran desert of Arizona." Is this study focused on the sustainability of harvesting toads? Is this a study on ecological pressures on toads? It seems unclear from the information presented in this section of the write-up.

However, looking farther down in the write-up, it appears this is about "sustainable toad harvesting"...if such a thing is even possible. I'm curious as to why that isn't explicitly stated up front. Perhaps it was just an accidental omission? If so, it seems like a pretty glaring omission, to me.

Also, if this is the "second-stage" where is the information from the "first-stage?" Did I miss it?

2) The opening paragraphs here references a 2016 study. The TI website provides links to two "studies", however neither of them actually appears to be a "study" in the commonly-understood sense of the word, and neither of them appear to be peer-reviewed or published (which is fine, but does raise some questions). The 2016 writeup appears to be a loose abstract on "difficult reintegration experiences after receiving 5-MeO-DMT," and the 2015 writeup appears to be correspondence with an unknown chemist, relating the Nexus' critique of Octavio Rettig's claims re: bufo/5-meo conversions, and confirming the presence of 5-meo, but not bufo, in a sample of toad secretion.

I must say, I'm somewhat unclear as to how the proposed project builds on the 2016 investigation where TI

Quote:
...helped to facilitate treatment for an extreme case of trauma with one client who had smoked 5-MeO-DMT and reported symptoms of brain damage. Some of the reported behaviors and feelings included: high levels of anxiety, depersonalization, detachment, decreased motivation, and or memory difficulties.


My understanding is that EEG (especially EEG by itself) is not particularly reliable for providing meaningful data in the contexts it's being utilized, but I'm no expert. I do remember "Dr. Juan" receiving quite a bit of criticism when he attempted to share his EEG results at Psychedelic Science 2013. But either way, I'm not clear on the link between this write-up and the "sustainable harvesting" being presented as the current focus of TI.

3) I find myself a bit ill-at-ease when someone states they want something to "feel inclusive" or "feel communal" or "feel non-hierarchical" as it implies, to me, that the reality of the structure is different than the feeling. I understand some may view this as nit-picky, but if a hierarchical organization exists (or an organization with an established leadership/research team in place) I'm more interested in the mechanisms through which they are proposing horizontality and accountability, rather than what the organization "feels" like.

Through what means do stakeholders and community members have any control/influence/say over how the organization chooses to act? If the answer is "none" (or something along the lines of "we will take that into consideration"), it seems to me that the organization is more interested in the appearance, facade, or feeling, rather than the actuality of the matter at hand. That said, I'm not familiar with TI and don't know what framework (if any) they have in place to actually promote such a structure (but a facebook group is not a mechanism to that end, imo).

4) I see a lot of buzz words (and references to studies) that seem a bit light on content. I would be more interested in what their vision of toad harvesting looks like, rather than hearing their long-term goal is "sustainable harvesting" (especially as they drop the harvesting in their opening paragraphs). Given the controversy that erupted around Rettig at one point, as well as the lack of engagement with the whole bufo/5-meo conversion claims and critiques, I'm curious as to what the motivation is here.

If sustainable acquisition of 5-meo-dmt is the question at hand, why not fund synthesis efforts? Would that not be the least destructive to the toad? If the goal is bufotenin, yet there is no bufotenin in the secretions, why mess with the toad at all?

I'm not trying to bash this effort, but I think these are fairly significant/essential questions with regards to the institution at hand and efforts/goals presented.

Handshake

These are all really excellent questions raised by SnozzleBerry, Bancopuma. Thank you very much for sharing them here. I'm looking forward to seeing the response. And hopefully Snozz will come on over to join this conversation as well!

This part really stands out to me:
QuoteI see a lot of buzz words (and references to studies) that seem a bit light on content. I would be more interested in what their vision of toad harvesting looks like, rather than hearing their long-term goal is "sustainable harvesting" (especially as they drop the harvesting in their opening paragraphs). Given the controversy that erupted around Rettig at one point, as well as the lack of engagement with the whole bufo/5-meo conversion claims and critiques, I'm curious as to what the motivation is here.

If sustainable acquisition of 5-meo-dmt is the question at hand, why not fund synthesis efforts? Would that not be the least destructive to the toad? If the goal is bufotenin, yet there is no bufotenin in the secretions, why mess with the toad at all?