“Where are you living?
What are you doing?
 What are your relationships?
Are you in right relation?
Where is your water?
Know your garden.
It is time to speak your Truth.
Create your community.
Be good to each other.
And do not look outside yourself for the leader.”

~attributed to an unnamed Hopi elder, Hopi Nation, Oraibi, Arizona

Bioregionalism calls us to become knowledgeable residents and guardians of the places where we live. We inhabit naturally unique physical, ecological, historical, and cultural areas whose boundaries are often defined by ridgetops rather than county lines or state borders. To connect with our bioregion and its genius loci, the spirits of place, we must learn about the local land and water, observe the local weather and sky, identify local plants and animals, and engage with local neighbors and communities. By joining our hearts, hands, and minds with what has been, what is, and what could be in this place, we foster a deeper connection with our environment and the spiritual essence that inhabits it. This connection is vital for our well-being and the well-being of our home.

We do this to cultivate a sense of place, which helps us recognize our environment as a unique part of the living earth. By developing a sense of place, we learn to treat our surroundings with respect, gratitude, and care, and shift towards living in balance and harmony with the broader web of life.

The Bioregional Quiz: “Where You At?”

The bioregional quiz, first appearing in 1981 in CoEvolution Quarterly (later The Whole Earth Review), provides a starting point for getting to know your living home region. The quiz aims to increase our awareness of our bioregion and, in turn, the spirits of place.

• Approach the Quiz as an Opportunity
• Choose questions that resonate with you.
• Find answers through various means:
• Ask your neighbors.
• Visit the library.
• Read the newspaper with a focus on local issues.
• Spend time outside, observing and paying attention daily.
• There’s no way to cheat. Investigate, ask for help, and feel free to create additional questions.
• By taking the time to explore and connect with our bioregion, we can deepen our awareness and appreciation of the genius loci, the spirits of place, enriching our relationship with the environment and fostering a sense of belonging and stewardship.

MAKING CONNECTIONS

1. Where does the water in your house come from? Trace the water you drink from rainfall to tap. Where did the cloud gather its moisture?
2. Where does the water go that drains from your sink? What about the water (& other stuff) leaving your toilet?
3. Choose a favorite meal and trace the ingredients back through the store…the processing plant…all the way to the soil. How many people, states, or even countries helped produce this meal? What went into the packaging and transportation of its ingredients? How many of the ingredients could you (did you?) get locally or even grow yourself?
4. What kind of energy do you primarily use? Where does it come from? Trace the path of energy that powers your home from its sources to you.
5. When your garbage is thrown away, where is “away”?
6. What are the primary sources of pollution in your area?
7. What are the major natural sounds you are aware of in a particular season?
8. What agencies are responsible for planning future transportation and land use in this area?
9. List three critical environmental issues in your area. What can you do to help?
10. Draw a map of your territory, the areas you travel regularly – without using human markers like buildings or street names.

NEIGHBORS

1. What Spring wildflower is consistently among the first to bloom where you live?
2. Name seven common trees in your area. Which ones are native? For the others, how did they get here? Why were they brought?
3. Which indigenous people inhabit(ed) your region before you? Are they still here?
4. What were the primary subsistence techniques of the culture that lived in your area before you?
5. Name five edible wild plants in your region and their season(s) of availability.
6. Name three medicinal wild plants in your region, and what they can be used for. BONUS: which parts are the most effective (stems, roots, fruits…)?
7. Name seven mammals common to your area. Which are native and which are new here? From where did they come? Which animals are extinct from your area?
8. Name ten birds common to your area. (Extra Points: Which are year-round residents? Which are migratory?) (For the EXPERT: Where do the latter winter over?)
9. If you have deer in your area, when do they rut, and when are the young born?
10. Name five grasses in your area. Are any of them native?
11. Name four wild mushrooms that grow in your area, two edible (only if you are an expert) and two poisonous.
12. Describe the defense techniques used by three different other-than-human beings living in your area. (Examples: camouflage, poison, thick skin, thorns…)
13. What are the major plant associations in your region?
14. What plant or animal is the “barometer” of environmental health for your bioregion? How is it doing?

EARTH

15. What primary geological events or processes that shaped the land where you live? (Extra Points: What is the evidence?)
16. What soil series are you standing on?
17. How has the land in your area been used by humans, over the last two centuries?
18. Who lived here prior to white settlement, and what were their primary subsistence techniques?
19. What was the vegetation type in this area prior to white settlement?
20. Where is there wilderness in your bioregion?
21. Where is the nearest earthquake faultline, and when did it last move?
22.  

WATER

23. What is the elevation above sea level where you live?
24. What is the average annual rainfall for your area? What was the total rainfall in your area last year?

AIR/SKY

25. Sitting in your living room, point North.
26. How recently was the Moon full? What phase is she in now?
27. What time is sunset today?
28. On what day of the year are the shadows the shortest where you live?
29. From what direction do winter storms come in your region?
30. How long is the growing season where you live?
31. How has the typical weather changed in your area since you were born? (Ask an older person to remember weird weather.)
32. Name one constellation or star that comes out only in winter, and one that comes out in summer.

FIRE

33. When was the last time a fire burned in your area?
34. What caused it?
35. How did the land change after that? What grew back first, second, third? What bugs, birds, and animals followed?
36. How is fire dealt with where you live? (Controlled burns, completely prevented, seasonal controls – what sort?)
37. What are three of your favorite songs to sing around a campfire?

Completing the bioregional quiz enhances our connection with the genius loci—the spirits of place—by fostering a deeper awareness and appreciation of our local environment. Here’s how the quiz facilitates this connection:

Connecting with the Genius Loci Through the Bioregional QuizHeightened Awareness

Understanding Local Ecology: By learning about the local land, water, weather, plants, and animals, we become more attuned to the natural rhythms and cycles that define our region. This ecological awareness helps us recognize the presence and influence of the genius loci.

Cultural and Historical Context

Engaging with Local History and Culture: Exploring the historical and cultural aspects of our area allows us to see how human activities and traditions have shaped and been shaped by the genius loci. This context enriches our understanding of the spirit of place and our role within it.

Personal Connection

Developing a Sense of Place: By observing and interacting with our environment daily, we cultivate a personal relationship with the land. This sense of place makes the genius loci more tangible and accessible in our daily lives.

Community Involvement

Building Community Ties: Engaging with local neighbors and communities fosters a shared sense of stewardship and respect for the environment. Collective efforts to understand and protect our bioregion amplify the presence of the genius loci.

Reflective Practice

Mindful Exploration: The quiz encourages us to spend time outside, noticing and reflecting on the world around us. This mindful exploration opens us to the subtle energies and spirits that inhabit our surroundings.

By integrating these elements into our daily lives, the bioregional quiz helps us build a holistic and immersive relationship with our environment, allowing us to connect more deeply with the genius loci and fostering a greater sense of harmony and balance within our bioregion.

This version of the Bioregional Quiz is adapted from several online versions which have been combined and edited for our purposes. These include:

• http://www.amuletmagazine.com/2014/04/22/earth-day-bioregional-quiz/
• http://indigenize.wordpress.com/2013/03/21/bioregional-quiz/
• http://thecomfortablynumb.wordpress.com/2012/09/14/a-bioregional-quiz

(For more information on Bioregionalism, visit Bioregionalism – Cascadia Department of Bioregion.)