Birdwatchers make lists. We list bird species seen by day, week, year, or lifetime. We list birds seen in a yard, town, state, or continent. We compete and get a special thrill from finding a stray from far away.
We are all experiencing the impacts of climate change more each day, in our own communities and around the world.
Recent data from the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication shows that 72% of Americans understand that climate change is real, human-caused, and happening now. Yet, only 36% discuss it even occasionally with family or friends, leading to a lack of public discourse and civic engagement to address one of the most critical issues of our time. Increased public discourse is a critical precursor for action.
In summer, many New England roads are lined with clouds of magenta flowers atop the tall stems of several species of Joe Pye weed, especially where the roads are bordered by damp ditches. Who was Joe Pye? A perusal of popular botanical sources reveals that he was a Native American, but little consensus beyond that (and not even that; one field guide describes him as a “Caucasian ‘Indian theme promoter’”). Various references place him in different tribal groups and different centuries. Many references credit him with using this plant to cure a disease, most often given as typhus, both in Native and European-origin communities, although details are often vague and differ among accounts. Fortunately, researchers Richard Pearce and James Pringle have recently reviewed these confusing accounts and delved into historical records to uncover what little can be known about the real man behind the stories.
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Hitchcock Center for the Environment
at Hampshire College
845 West Street | Amherst MA 01002 | 413.256.6006 | 413.253.2809 fax