Block Island "41:11.18N 71:34.71W"
VulcanSpirit
Richard & Alison Brunstrom
Wed 21 Sep 2011 12:43
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And so to Block Island, population about 1000, an
offshore part of the state of Rhode Island. And what a wonderful place it turned
out to be. Named in 1624 by the Dutch explorer Adriaen Block after himself, it
was settled by a small group of English from the Massachusetts Colony in
1661. At that time there were about 1500 native American Indians in residence
with whom largely friendly relations were struck up, the two groups sharing
the island. But, as usual, this did not last. The Indian population quickly
crashed, here due largely to European diseases to which they had no
immunity rather than to violence. The last Block Island Indian died in the
1880s; they had been on the island for at least five thousand years prior to the
arrival of the Europeans and lasted just over two hundred years
afterwards.
47% of Block Island is conserved as wild land, and
it has a beach all the way round. The summer season had ended and the place was
really quiet. We loved it - so much so that we stayed longer than planned in
order to explore. Boats moor in a large salt lake reached by an artificial
cut; the entrance is strangely reminiscent of Bermuda.
Here we are walking down one of the beautifully
maintained trails
 And resting (yet again) in the sunshine on a
glacial boulder - the whole island is another moraine.
 And, on arrival at the beach, catching up on the
news in the local rag
 And here is my attempt at art, a technique borrowed
from St Agnes island in the Scillies where it is all the rage. This tower
contains only twelve stones; more time and patience allows in excess of twenty
to the really skilled craftsman.
 As might be expected, Block Island wildlife is
interesting - there is an endemic vole and several rare species, but no
squirrels, skunks, racoons, possums or coyotes. Here, just as a taster, is the
rare Northern Blazing Star Liatris borealis which likes sandy
barrens and heaths.
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