All things Thanksgiving

By Nadine Lymn, ESA director of public affairs

 In honor of our national holiday, here’s a look at some current and past blog posts on the subject.

The Chicago Botanic Garden’s blog earlier this week offered a reminder of the three Sisters—the three crops grown together by the Iroquois: corn, beans and squash.  According to the post, “the Iroquois called the Sisters “De-o-ha-ko,” which translates to “life support,” not only because the plants rely on each other as they grow, but also because, eaten together, they provide a healthy, life-sustaining diet for humans.”

Last Thanksgiving, EcoTone highlighted the true-life tale of a naturalist who raised a rafter of sixteen wild turkeys, gaining a newfound understanding and deep appreciation for them in the process.

A previous autumn, we wrote about the history of the both the holiday and the turkey.  Wild turkey populations in the United States had dipped to extremely low numbers by the early 1900s because of habitat loss and overhunting and it wasn’t until the 1940s that a wild turkey reintroduction effort turned things around.  That year’s post also noted Benjamin Franklin’s strong, favorable opinion of the wild turkey:

“….the Turkey is in Comparison [to the Bald Eagle] a much more respectable Bird, and withal a true original Native of America . . . He is besides, though a little vain & silly, a Bird of Courage, and would not hesitate to attack a Grenadier of the British Guards who should presume to invade his Farm Yard with a red Coat on.”

 

Photo: Three Sisters as featured on the reverse of the 2009 Native American U.S. dollar coin. 2009 reverse by Norman E. Nemeth.