In the Wind ... Nature Notes

In the Wind...

Nature Notes A collection of nature notes by Kate Chandler

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In the Wind . . . Nature Notes Edited by Kate Chandler, English

"So many days, spent outside the wwn, trying to hear what was in the wind ... . " Thoreau t, Mary's City is located in a particularly bea11tif11l part of th� w�rld. _ _ "Nature Notes" will honor this wondrous tidewater setting with mfor­ mational tidbits, musings, ramblings, meditations, and other contribu­ tions from St. Mary's College faculty, staff, and students and members of Historic St. Mary's City Commission. Anyone interested in contributing a column should contact Kate Chandler at krchandler@osprey.smcm.edu. For the March issue, anticipating the explosion that occurs yearly in "Daffodil Gulch" in Historic St. Mary's City, we asked Mary Alves, Horticulture and Landscape Manager of the commission, to write about daffodils.

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Daffodils

By Mary Alves, Horticulture and Landscape Manager, Historic St. Mary's City

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affodils are such a com­ mon sight in St. Mary's City in spring that many visitors wonder about their origins.

Because of their abundance, it would be easy to think of them as American flowers, but despite their familiarity; their homeland is far away. Early settlers brought them to the Tidewater where they reput- f edly bloomed at '.t the plantations J! along the James f River as early as 1620. We suspect they were at St. Mary's by the eigh­ teenth century, Like many plants, th�ir disper­ sal has been an interesting story.

Tucked into the knapsacks of Roman soldiers because their juice was thought to heal sword wounds, the bulbs first made their way to England from their homeland bor­ dering the shores of the Mediterranean.

Adapting to the climate, they prospered, acquiring many endear­ ing names like daffydowndillys, but­ ter and eggs, and codlins-in-cream.

Anne of Denmark brought a slight­ ly different species with her when she arrived as queen of James I in 1603. These jonquil-type 1,arcissus, which had reached Denmark by way of the Spanish, became

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extremely popular at court. In fact, they were so well beloved that flower dealers picked them by the thousands from Pembrokeshire, where they had naturalized. This provoked masses of people to protest, demanding legislation for their conserva­ tion.

Pan of the daf­ fodil's appeal, no doubt, lies in the blooms' defiance of the last gusts of win­ ter. John Parkinson, writing in 1629, ·delighted in them since they gave "the beauty and bravery J their colours" earlier . than many of England's "owne bred flowers." Shakespeare had said as much: "Daffodils that come before the swallow dares, And take the winds of March with beauty."

Most of us are familiar with the large golden crumpets framed by a ring of equally long "petals." There are, however, over eight thousand named varieties, organized into eleven divisions based on the char­ acteristics of their flowers. All belong to the genus Narcissus.

These are some of the easiest plants to grow, multiplying freely and seldom bothered by insects, disease, rabbits, or rodents. They will often outlive the homeowners who planted them, giving cheerful testimony to occupation of sites long deserted.

March 16, 20�

Women's History continued from page 3

However, Women's History Month can raise awareness about these issues, and about the history that's sometimes left out of our textbooks and classroom lectures.

"I think that the contributions that women have and continue to make both locally and globally are often overlooked in course curriculum," said senior Carrie Fulton. "It is important not only for women to know about their history, but also for men too.Women cannot continue to make great progress if men are stuck in the same old-fashioned mlndset. [Women's Hi.story Month) serves an important function of providing accurate information that might otherwise be neglected."

One of the greatest challenges women face today, particularly young women, is the backlash against feminism, explained Cognard-Black. "This backlash has meant, for example, that a film like "American Beauty" can win best picture: a film that says it's okay for a middle-age[d) man to objectify a sixteen-year-old girl; that it's okay for women to be valued for their

attractiveness alone; and that it's okay cha men ultimately speak for and control women's behaviors at all ages," she explained.

Though Fulton believes that women at SMCM don't "face as many challenges, partly because we have women in high positions (like our president) and also because of the high number of female stu­ dents," she explained that she does notice rhat "rhe attendance at women's sporting events is never comparable to that of men' events."

Ropshaw said she hopes that "high­ lighting and spotlighting women of the present and past may help to change nega­ tive, narrow-mlnded and hurtful attitudes" about women, both extemally and inter­ nally.

Amy Schenk, an area coordinator for Residence Life, said, "Women's History Month is a special opportunity to celebrate and learn about women's achievements throughout history. It is a time to stop and think about the contributions women have given to society to make it what it is now."

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