Category: Place in the World

Pilgrims were on an economic venture

English venture capitalists funded the pilgrims. Pilgrims had to provide material (fur, fish, forests) for seven years to return that investment. Then, capitalists gave the pilgrims a deed to the land. A deed that the Crown provided, but had no jurisdiction over.

Pilgrims had to survive and thrive to pay back the investment. They ended up incurring and capturing native land and so shrank natives’ place in the world.

For more, watch this PBS Newshour feature: Were pilgrims America’s first economic migrants?

Black and brown starlings move as one

A juvenile starling with gray and brown feathers
“Juvenile Starling” by Garry Knight shared with CC 2.0

I looked to the north as the low winter sun shone bright in the southern sky in the early morning.

A flock of starlings, two or three dozen, hopped onto a fence, jumped down on grass, and then flew off within three seconds. Most starlings were black with a iridescent shine. Some younger ones followed and joined in one collective movement.

You can pick the young out with their gray feathers.

A calendar to link the sky and the earth

Cahokia was a pre-Columbian city laid out on a celestial grid. People who lived there created solar calendars as landmarks. Archeologists found the remains of one such calendar. It stood as a ring of wooden posts. (So, the name Woodhenge).

Wooden posts spaced in equal distance from each other in a circle on a green field. In the center is one post.
“Woodhenge Cahokia” by QuartierLatin1968 shared with CC 3.0

Through observation of the position of the sun at sunrise, the people designed it such that the sun seemed to rise from one post at one time of the year and then another later in the year. One post corresponded with the winter solstice, another the equinoxes, and another the summer solstice.

With this calendar, observers could tell when to plant and harvest crops and when to gather for festivals. With tools, human ingenuity link the sky and the earth in a productive and commonplace way.

Click here to a clip about Woodhenge from the PBS special Native America.

Perennials and Annuals

Definitions

There are two types of plants. Perennials and Annuals. This terminology is kind of confusing so here are some simple definitions:

  • Perennial: Bloom and return each year (for several years)
  • Annuals: Bloom only once.

Benefit of Perennials

Wheat is an annual crop that requires burning or clearing fields at harvest time each year. This can lessen the quality of the soil and require more fertilizer.

Perennial crops last for at least two years and do not require clearing fields. Nutrients can remain in the soil. Watch the following short video on a new initiative to substitute wheat with a perennial crop.

Common Perennials in Southern California

  • Some Hibiscus
  • Rose
  • Mint
  • Jasmine (jasminum polyanthum)
  • Pomegranate (punica granatum)