Evening on the Washington Coast
Here’s a little game of 20 questions. See how you do. I came across this a couple of years ago, and thought that it was a pretty good indicator of what the modern age has done to us. I couldn’t answer all of these at the time I originally took the test. I’m sure that 200 years ago, and before, nearly everyone could answer them. This little quiz is adapted from “A Natural Way to Organize: Bioregions” from Bill Devail & George Sessions’ Deep Ecology, Bibbs M. Smith, 1985, p.22.
1. Trace the water you drink from precipitation to tap.
2. How many days until the moon is full – plus or minus a couple of days?
3. Describe the soil around your home.
4. What were the primary subsistence techniques of the culture(s) that lived in your area before you?
5. Name 5 native edible plants in your bioregion and their season(s) of availability.
6. From what direction do winter storms generally come in your region?
7. Specifically, where does your garbage go?
8. How long is the growing season where you live?
9. On what day of the year are the shadows the shortest where you live?
10. Name 5 native trees in your area.
11. Name 5 resident and 5 migratory birds in your area.
12. What is the land use history by humans in your bioregion during the past century?
13. What primary geological event/process influenced the land form where you live?
14. What species have become extinct in your area?
15. What was the total rainfall in your area last year?
16. From where you are reading this, point north.
17. What spring wildflower is consistently among the first to bloom where you live?
18. Name 5 wild animals that live in your bioregion.
19. What kind of rocks and minerals are found in your bioregion?
20. What are the primary energy sources (developed and potential) in your area?
Scoring: [from Deep Ecology, not from The Comfortably Numb]
0-3 You have your head in a hole. Open your eyes and check out the soil around you.
4-7 A good start on the obvious.
8-12 A firm grasp of the obvious. Make it a goal to look at the not so obvious.
13-16 You are definately paying attention to the world around you.
17-19 You have a strong sense of place
20 You not only have a strong sense of place, you also know what is there with you.
Hey let me know how you do! Add a comment!
The Comfortably Numb 
[…] quiz is adapted from Indigenize! but there are several more such as this one and also this one. This post and macro photos contributed by Rachael […]