More Notes A walk on the
Wild Side
April 22, 2010 Issue No. 12
Questions and Answers: Keith Badger Capotes. Possibles Bags. Earth Lodges. It is as if Keith speaks a foreign language sometimes. In fact, these items are part of what he would call the language of nature. More Notes was curious to learn how this language is taught through the Naturalist Program and how it helps our students find their place in the world.
Q: Your name is synonymous with the Naturalist Program at High Mowing. How long have you been involved with it?
A: I’ve been running the Naturalist Program for more than fifteen years. When I
Keith Badger Teacher and Athletics Director High Mowing School
first began teaching at High Mowing, the curriculum involved the more traditional life science offerings. After a few years, I began to notice that our students knew a lot of theory but understood very little about what went on in their own backyards! Their practical knowledge regarding nature was literally nonexistent. Over time, the idea of a Naturalist Program was born. Much of the inspiration governing my approach came from the naturalist tradition of Henry David Thoreau. I hoped to rekindle a desire to live and learn as Thoreau did. Furthermore, as we grow more aware of the inherent wisdom of indigenous cultures—in terms of environmental stewardship and sustainability—teaching primitive skills shines as a method of learning about nature and a way to enrich our experience of it.
Keith has been teaching at the secondary level for twenty five years, with nineteen of those at High Mowing. Since coming to High Mowing he has originated and developed the Naturalist Program, which is an interdisciplinary offering of Natural History, Primitive Skills and Rite-of-Passage experiences. He strives to reconnect youth to the natural world, forging a relationship that will serve them throughout their lives.