Critter Purse : Harper Hedgehog - Wild Woolies

dZi Inc. has been working with artisans in the Tibetan exile community in India since 1990, and with Nepali artisans involved in traditional Tibetan style crafts since 1995. Their products are marketed as part of dZi’s ‘Tibet Collection’ line.

Authentic cloth prayer flags printed on hand-carved woodblocks are specially made for dZi by The Gu-Chu-Sum (9-10-3) Movement of Tibet, established in 1991 and based in Dharamsala, India. Gu-Chu-Sum was first organized by ex-political prisoners from the Tibetan freedom movement; monks, nuns and lay people who had escaped from Tibet due to political persecution. Its purpose is to provide employment and support to Tibetan refugees needing help in India, and to educate about human rights abuses in Tibet. You can try to visit www.gu-chu-sum.org, but the Chinese Government regularly sabotage their site!

dZi’s screen printed prayer flags are made by the Tibetan Nuns Projection (TNP), also based in Dharamsala, India. TNP’s mission is to provide a safe and supportive environment and education for Tibetan nuns who have fled Tibet for reasons of religious and political persecution. Visit tnp.org to learn more.

dZi’s Paper Prayer flags and incense are made by Tibetan Handicraft in Kathmandu Nepal, a member of Fair Trade Group Nepal and leader among the handmade paper export community. This business supports hundreds of people in the local community through it's income generation enterprise, and runs an elementary school providing free and low cost education for local children.

In South America, brazil nuts grow during the 4-month dry season that differs from region to region. The Brazil nut is a hard-shelled fruit, similar to a coconut, and takes about 14 months to mature. The fruit is about 4-6 inches in diameter and can weigh up to four pounds. The shell of the fruit is about a quarter of an inch thick and contains between 12-24 nuts.

Brazil nuts are primarily harvested from wild trees during the six-month period of the rainy season. Because the Brazil nut trees are so tall, harvesting the fruits consists of gathering the fruit after they fall. Once the fruit falls, it has to be gathered quickly so they are not susceptible to fungus and animals that can carry them away.

Madre de Dios, a mountainous area of pristine forests, is one of the poorest regions of Peru. The most lucrative industry here is the collection and processing of the Amazon (Brazil) nut into oils, candy, and candles for export. Unfortunately, few producers are informed or rewarded for extracting the oil in a sustainable manner meaning the region's rates of rainforest destruction are almost as high as its poverty.