Native American Beauty

All native peoples create artworks that use what is (31) to them in terms of local resources. In the Americas, the aboriginal people created handicrafts that had both a cultural and an artistic significance. These beautiful crafts were made by master Native American craftsmen, and their skills have been (32) down through countless generations.

Religious or spiritual beliefs can play a major role in the arts and handicrafts of all people. One example of a Native American handicraft is made of a willow branch and thin strips of leather. The branch is formed into a circular (33) that is meant to hang in a person’s living area. Often (34) with feathers on the outside of the circle, it is called a dream catcher. It is related to the belief that these special crafts could catch bad dreams sent by the spirits. To Native Americans, dreams were special (35) sent from the great beyond. The dream catcher would allow good dreams to pass through it; however, nightmares would be caught and then released with the first morning light.

The Most Powerful Force in Space

A black hole is a spot in space that has incredibly powerful gravity. A black hole’s gravity is so strong that it pulls everything nearby into it. It can pull stars, planets, and other things. Nothing can escape a black hole. In fact, they are so powerful that even light cannot escape them.

Scientists first started talking about black holes in the year 1783. That year, one scientist said that in the universe, there might be places with gravity strong enough to trap light. However, that scientist didn’t use the term “black hole”. The term “black hole” was invented in 1967.

Black holes are formed when a star dies. When a star dies, it collapses. When that happens, a huge amount of matter crowds into a very small space. The matter becomes very, very dense. How much matter are we talking about? Imagine a star that is the size of ten suns. Imagine fitting that amount of matter into New York City. That is what a black hole is like. Its gravity is so powerful because it has so much matter.

However, not all black holes are huge. Scientists believe that some black holes are the size of atoms. Although these black holes are tiny, they might have the same amount of matter that a mountain has.

We can’t see black holes because they don’t have any light. They are completely invisible. Scientists can guess where black holes are by studying nearby stars and planets. If gravity seems to be pulling the stars and planets to one spot, then scientists believe that the spot is a black hole.

Some people wonder if a black hole could ever destroy the Earth. We do not need to worry about that. There is no black hole that is close enough to destroy the Earth. The closest black hole is about 7,800 light years away. In addition, the sun is not big enough to create a black hole.

Organic Farming: The New Vacation

In 1971, Sue Coppard worked as a secretary in London. While she enjoyed city life, Sue also missed the countryside where she spent most of her time as a child. So she offered to help out on a farm, or more specifically, an organic farming programme organized by a nearby college. She got a few people to volunteer as well, and they spent the weekend doing “housework,” which involved clearing bushes and cleaning drains. Afterwards, the farm managers said they could come back anytime to help out.

Sue put a small ad in a magazine, offering people the chance to volunteer at the organic farm. The volunteer programme grew quickly, and soon other organic farmers joined in, asking for people to help out. With so many people and farms involved, someone needed to organize the different groups. A few of the original volunteers started WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) to help volunteers and farmers find one another. Today, at least 50 different countries have WWOOF organizations, and many other countries have individual farms that participate in the movement.

While WWOOF is still a weekend activity for some, it now welcomes travellers and people who visit to live and work on farms for longer periods of time. WWOOF volunteers can stay on a farm for weeks or even months at a time in exchange for hands-on farming and gardening experience. The work can be exhausting, but volunteers think it’s worth it. By working on farms, the volunteers interact with farmers and develop a love for the outdoors and organic farming. Many travellers now use WWOOFing as a way to visit new countries and experience new cultures.

As travellers will discover, every WWOOF opportunity is a bit different. In Serbia, you can find Misa and Olja, a couple whose farm is known for its hard cheeses and for its bread made from homegrown grains. Finca Amiruca, a farm in Ecuador, teaches volunteers how to grow peanuts, plantains, and yucca. When volunteering in Japan, you may get to learn about growing rice.

WWOOF is only one of the many unique volunteer opportunities available. Volunteering is something that anyone can do, and a wide variety of organizations accept or even welcome volunteers. So the next time you get the itch to be active on the weekend or on vacation, why not look for a good cause to spend your energy on?