Mike and I visited the nearby Rachel Carson Homestead, and we walked the 1/4 mile trail through lands Rachel explored as a child — lands that provided a foundation for her love of nature and concern for the environment. Her book Silent Spring (1962) shook the world by highlighting the dangers of pesticides and led to new environmental protection policies.
Mike taught me something new on the trail. The trunks of Black Locust trees (Robinia pseudoacacia) contain thorns. I grew up with a Black Locust nearby — climbed it from time to time — and never knew. I also took the same biology class Mike took in high school. I must have been absent on Robinia pseudoacacia day!
Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts.
- Rachel Carson, American author, marine biologist, conservationist
This is of great interest to me. Silent Spring means that DDT softens birds' eggs, and so through continual use, the birds will cease to exist and the season of spring will be silent. Children used to chase after the clouds of DDT from the public trucks used to eradicate mosquitoes in neighborhoods! I believe it's still used in some places in Mexico. Anyway, Charlie's mother had a first edition book signed by Carson herself that we inherited. When I retired as a teacher, I had a student who did a report about Rachel Carson and so admired her, that I gave the book to her.
@janeandcharlie Wow, Jane, that was very kind of you to give the book to your student. What a treasure! Rachel Carson grew up just minutes from us, and her modest childhood home is open for public tour. We learned so much about her early life today. We saw a picture of a mother puffing DDT into the air above her child’s bed in an effort to keep away the mosquitoes as DDT was advertised as being harmless to everything except insects. So hard to imagine doing that! We are glad that her legacy is being preserved. Thank you so much for commenting!
I learned a lot about Rachel Carson while at Chatham University (Chatham College back then) where she also went. Chatham has always related to her environmental studies and interests and been a leader in that area. An interesting picture to go with your day.
@milaniet We learned yesterday about her college days. She was a strong, intelligent young woman. Her childhood writings beautifully reveal her early, deep connection to the natural world. I only took a few pictures during our visit, and I got some lovely shots of the jewelweed in the sunshine; but this shot was the most meaningful because of Mike sharing his memories with me of the Black Locust trees in his childhood. :)
