What climate/bioregion is your body adapted to?

[ofthewood]

I have been thinking about this. Most of my childhood was spent in southern Michigan. The climate there is considered temprate.
Before it was all cut down and turned into cropland, south Michigan
was covered with mature hardwood and whitepine forests.
If I had a choice I would choose that bioregion to live in, that is,if it had not been destroyed by agriculture.
My reasons for that would be because I like the mixture and variety of flora and fauna, the growing season is a little longer,(one can grow melons),and there are four seasons,winter usually not to long nor to harsh.

I am a mixture of peoples, German,Scottish,Irish,Cherokee,Dutch,English,and possibly French. Im not kidding here.
There is a host of factors in my mind, that determine what climate a person is adapted to.
How much sun exposure? how much cold? how much rain?
I have thought of living other places,from desert to jungle, arctic to temprate to tropical.
What climates are we best adapted to? Is this something we should consider when we decide where to live? I have very light skin, I burn easily.
I am able to adapt to cold fairly well.
What bioregion offers the diet each individual is best suited to?
Or does the above question apply to humans?

I would like you all to expand on this for me.

[system]

simply based on the sun and climate I feel best living in mid-northern climates. I grew up in Southern Michigan, and now live in Washington at about the lattitude of Northern Michigan, 47th parallel. I guess it makes sense as well with light skin and blond hair, mild summers so I don’t melt to bad, and ability to get enough vitamin D in the winter?

I like variety and Michigan certainly has a lot of that. Here on the sound there seems more like two seasons than 4 (rainy/dry) or maybe 6…, I kind of miss the snow, perhaps I’ll have to get myself out to the mountains next winter, But not the super hot humid and sticky summers. Though I love the thunderstorms. I’ve been south to N. Carolina and burnt my face off…
I can’t really imagine living any place too far south and hot, and I just love the beauty of the Pacific northwest, it just feels like my kind of place. I also really loved northern Michigan. Michigan has a lot more extremes in temperature than here. My ancestors come from northwestern Europe, Irish, English, German, Swedish, Dutch, and yes, French (anyone else see the problem here ) resulting in me having blond hair, pale skin, and rather tall.

[green]

I was born and raised in north central Texas.It is HOT in the summer and cold in cold in the winter.Spring and Fall never seemed to last long.I like the heat but I moved north anyhow.Now I am in Cascadia in Portland Oregon where it rains like 10 months out of the year and we seem to get definite season changes.It did not take me long to acclimate to Pacific NW weather.I feel this is because us humans are super adaptable to our environment.

[BlueHeron]

Good topic. It’s been fun to think about.

My genetic “recipe” consists of German, Italian, Irish, and French. (A full half (full half? haha) of me is German, and the Italian comes out too, but that’s less of a genetic thing and more of a behavioral thing that I got from my mom.) I grew up in the upper midwest where it is snowy, cold, and windy in the winter (but with much more sun than the winters here in the Pacific NW). In the summer in MN it’s pretty hot, a hot day is typically near 100 degrees, and it’s generally humid (though MN has nothing on the mid-Atlantic states or the South in terms of summer humidity). Rain comes in bursts, and after the rain it nearly always shines. Sometimes there’s a whole day of rain, though. Fall is usually a beautiful time of year with lots of sunshine and clear, cold air. Spring can be a frustrating bipolar transition period.

I find myself missing the sun. When it snows in Seattle I instinctively experience a mood lift, because of all the good associations I have with snow in MN. (After it snows in the midwest, the sunshine is that much brighter because the light reflects off the snowdrifts… not so in the PNW because guess what, there IS no friggin’ sunshine. Grr! And also in MN when it starts to snow you know it won’t be long before you can do fun things like snowshoeing and fishing and frolicking in general, whereas in Seattle after it snows, it usually sits around for a day causing traffic problems until it rains again. :P)

So my body has a definite bias. Unlike those lucky ducks Fenris and Green, I have had a hard time dealing with Cascadian climate. I’d much rather deal with a cold winter than a cloudy one. But for me, there are lots of reasons to live in Cascadia which override the weather. From a rewilding perspective, the abundance of vegetation is one important factor, although (I think I’ve stated this elsewhere) I believe the bioregion that includes Minnesota/Wisconsin/Michigan could sustain a small rewilding population.

[Sandwalker]

I find it interesting how people can adapt to totally different environments than what they were brought up in.

I was raised on the sunny Canadian steppes (Saskatchewan) which are about as cold as the arctic in the winter but fairly warm in the short summers. Over the past few years I have come to prefer the subtropical hot desert.
I don’t like rainy forested places, nice places to visit for the short-term but I need the dry arid open spaces and hills and the hot life-giving sun.

[chase]

My ancestry is mostly N.W. europe(EVERYTHING in NW europe) with a little italian and way back jewish-persian. Ai was born and raised in Orange County california, so extremes dont suit me soo well, but better it be hot than cold! Ai’m moving to north eastern Arizona pretty soon, onto 37 acres of juniper forest. Going to replant the missing piñon pines and generally positively add to it. It only snows a few times in winter there and even then it usually melts in the mornings. Its also basically just a high desert, so rainwater harvesting earthworks are a must!
Oops, tangent… Sorry. Ai’m reeallly exited.
All in all, if your skin dont tan, go north or wear a light robe; if it does, stay south! not enough VitaminD in the north. As for temp, you can prolly adjust to most things and rainfall is just a personal preference issue.

[wildeyes]

i feel at home in the land i grew up in, here in the drrrty south, where summers go hot and muggy until mid september. the beauty of beaches and the awesomeness of mountains may entrance some, but give me some woods over hills, deer and rabbits on the run, and a creek to pass through and i’ll call it home.

[timeLESS]

Mentally and spiritually i am in love with the northern climate. Hills Forest Lakes Deer the Occasional Northern Light. The introspective winter The celebrating days of summer. Such a strong and magical rhythm.

[Southerneer]

I’m like wildeyes. i love the south. mild winters, long summers with a long growing season. i love the woods and streams and lakes all aroung here. when i went to boarding school in northern new hampshire, i didn’t know what i was up against with the winter. it was absolutely horrible. the weather to me just seemed bad all the time (though while i was up there i learned to brain tan, bow drill, and other things). if i would pick a place to live, it would be the deep south for sure.

[yarrow_dreamer]

OK, everyone whines and moans about the Cascadian rain, but the climate here has a certain softness that comforts me. Tons of those “rain” days just sprinkle a bit and then leave us with a soft grey cloud cover, like a blanket.

And with all the moisture, we get the most fantastic moss ever. I LOVE the moss, I don’t think I can live somewhere without it. I think the moss charmed me to move here 15 years ago from Colorado–where they have a decidedly less gentle climate, in my terms. It just looked so wild here to me, on my first visit, beautiful greenness growing absolutely everywhere, even covering freeway overpasses and all the cracks in the concrete.

I also love it that I almost never need a heavy coat all winter, jackets and sweaters get me through.

My mom recently sent me a family tree she’s worked pretty hard on, and I saw a lot more England, Ireland and Scotland than I expected. Also Germany and Northern Hungary–temperate Europe. So maybe that explains why it feels so good here to me–didn’t someone just post recently about the similarities in plants and climate btw Ireland and PNW?

I do miss the fireflies of the east coast a lot.

[sunflowersFTW]

I used to absolutely dread the dead of summer here in the smack dab middle of the United States, but aside from the mosquitoes I’ve noticed I can tolerate the heat decently if I don’t have to be in air-conditioning at any point. The minute the A/C hits me I can’t stand to go back out.

Our winters can be sorta brutal (nothin’ compared to Minnesota though), especially last winter–though the ice is the only thing that’s exceptionally loathsome.

I don’t think I could live anywhere that doesn’t get a full sample of all four seasons, though. I also appreciate how the wind is always blowing. In fact, still air sorta creeps me out. In the winter it can be dangerous, wind chills way below zero and all, but again with the appropriate coverings, it ain’t nothin’ i can’t deal with. In the summer, tornadoes can be a force to be reckoned with, but if you’re on the Plains, you can see 'em from 90 miles away. I would be sorely depressed if I had to spend a full spring and summer away from a thunderstorm prone area.

That being said, I’m a prairie gal through 'n through. My skin (mostly) reacts positively to the sun, too, which helps, since as previously mentioned, we sure get plenty of that.

My dad’s family/ancestors have lived in Nebraska for roughly 140 years, so perhaps it is genetic by now, too–I’ve never strayed far from that state myself. They’re all full-blooded Bavarian Germans, too, since the entire area he’s from migrated from the same place. He even speaks a dialect he grew up with. I don’t know much about the Bavarian climate though. Mom’s family is Slavic, though we’re not entirely sure which part, since they came from Poland but were reputed to originate elsewhere in East Europe (makes sense, she & my grandmother often were mistaken for an Italian or Jew instead).

EDIT: I just looked up the climates of both Bavaria and Poland and they both are quite similar to my region, albeit slightly less extreme.

[Tj1]

Southern india to me. The exact location perhaps depends on where i spent most of my growing years; i.e. rishi valley. So hot dusty climate, with heavy monsoons etc. Come to think of it coming to canada was a BIG mistake that way.

-Tj

[formlessness]

I’m lucky to have skin that would rather tan than burn if I’m careful enough. I can’t deal with my itchy, welty allergy to mosquitoes so I don’t do humid or rainy. I like to wear as little clothing as possible so the desert is the place for me.

[wildandfreehumyn]

i tried to get used to the winters of the northern appalachians ( always lived there, but for ten years i lived on the very north end of those mountains, brutally cold, the humid cold that seeps into your bones and such little daylight…yuck!).

now i live in katuah and LOVE it. i want katuah to seep into my bones!

[Selkie]

I have to say my favorite climate is the place I grew up: Ashland, Oregon. Dry, but mild summers, BEAUTIFUL autumns, cold and snowy winters(it’s at the base of Mt. Ashland, which is amazing also) and very distinct springs with lots of flowers and only some showers. The foliage there is incredible, and Lithia park is one of the best places to go as a kid. I just remember every season having it’s little wonders, and all the while it was comfortable.

When I moved up to Portland I got Asthma from the wet climate and mold. So yeah, that really sucks. I still this this area is gorgeous, and my favorite place to visit is the Olympic Penninsula. But the level of moistness is hard for me to deal with.

I have to also add that I LOVE African winter and Hawaiian summer.

As for my heritage, I’m about half Dutch, and the rest is a mix of Scandinavian and Scottish/Irish. So I have fairly light skin and bright blonde hair, but I can take the sun and dry weather well from being in the Idaho desert so much.

[Sandwalker]

[quote=“sunflowersFTW!, post:11, topic:928”]I used to absolutely dread the dead of summer here in the smack dab middle of the United States, but aside from the mosquitoes I’ve noticed I can tolerate the heat decently if I don’t have to be in air-conditioning at any point. The minute the A/C hits me I can’t stand to go back out.

Our winters can be sorta brutal (nothin’ compared to Minnesota though), especially last winter–though the ice is the only thing that’s exceptionally loathsome.

I don’t think I could live anywhere that doesn’t get a full sample of all four seasons, though. I also appreciate how the wind is always blowing. In fact, still air sorta creeps me out. In the winter it can be dangerous, wind chills way below zero and all, but again with the appropriate coverings, it ain’t nothin’ i can’t deal with. In the summer, tornadoes can be a force to be reckoned with, but if you’re on the Plains, you can see 'em from 90 miles away. I would be sorely depressed if I had to spend a full spring and summer away from a thunderstorm prone area.

That being said, I’m a prairie gal through 'n through. My skin (mostly) reacts positively to the sun, too, which helps, since as previously mentioned, we sure get plenty of that.

My dad’s family/ancestors have lived in Nebraska for roughly 140 years, so perhaps it is genetic by now, too–I’ve never strayed far from that state myself. They’re all full-blooded Bavarian Germans, too, since the entire area he’s from migrated from the same place. He even speaks a dialect he grew up with. I don’t know much about the Bavarian climate though. Mom’s family is Slavic, though we’re not entirely sure which part, since they came from Poland but were reputed to originate elsewhere in East Europe (makes sense, she & my grandmother often were mistaken for an Italian or Jew instead).

EDIT: I just looked up the climates of both Bavaria and Poland and they both are quite similar to my region, albeit slightly less extreme.[/quote]

Interesting sunflowersFTW, My background is also Bavarian and I grew up on the prairie. A bit north of you across the border. Your post reminded me of all those summer thunderstorms out on the prairie, probably my best memories are all those summer thunderstorms running out in the rain and thunder among the grass and watching the lightning and the roaring thunder.

Every thunderstorm I was always outside in the middle of it running around and walking through the waving grass for hours, never wanted to stay inside. I love the prairie air in general, but during a thunderstorm it’s awesome the way the moisture blows across the prairie and fills your lungs. Its similar to what happens when it’s about to rain in the desert.

I always feel the same way about you in regards to the wind. If you grow up on the prairie you know the magic of the wind and the way it flows through the millions of stalks of grass. There are certain visual and physical natural phenomena that are the most beautiful and unique to the plains and desert.

[sunflowersFTW]

Mmm, I’m ready for Spring already ;D

The wind is so vital here. And amazing! They say the Prairie is the 2nd most complex ecosystem, seconded only to the Rainforest. With the wind blowing, I can see how that could be so true, with all that pollination and all.

I can see how the Prairie and Desert would be so similar. They’re both actually harsh climates, and often drought prone (especially the western Plains).

[chase]

I can see how the Prairie and Desert would be so similar. They’re both actually harsh climates, and often drought prone (especially the western Plains).

Aaahhh, so thats why theres a plains prickly pear cactus!

[wooly]

i was raised in the snow belt of western new york but have spent much time traveling regions of the us.i now live in the south puget sound area of washington,i find the climate here to be very mild and inviting,deffinatly gentle and nurturingly green throughout the seasons,i find it important to be able to operate as a human system in opposing conditions.getting acclimated to the snow and freezing temps of the north east i now have sunk into the moss festooned misty forest of the northwest.of course with a jaunt to the sonoran for a wee bit of enjoyment where i shall return to for a season following this one.i perfer the cooler north,but my preference is not what is important,whats important is diverse experiance,i was not born for comfort but for development…and i aint talking suburbs.

[anti_]

I always thought I was adapted to the environment on New Zealand, which is sub-tropical i think is how they refer to it.

But I’m in New Hampshire right now and although the place is covered in snow and its cold as hell i just don’t feel it like my friend I’m staying with who grew up here.

I always thought it was odd because in NZ my body was always so hot, I’d wear tshirt and jeans all year round (unless it was a windy day maybe) and had a hard time in summers because i would really feel the heat (which in NZ is not really often that hot)

So i got to thinking, I’m almost full Norwegian blooded and wondered if my ancestors, might have had a lot to do with it, existing in an extremely cold climate for such a long period of time our bodies may have adapted to being able to survive in the cold better.

just a weird thought…