Description
"A rewarding and enriching fusion of traditional wisdom, science and first-hand experience." -Tristan Gooley, author of The Natural Navigator, and How to Read Nature
Drawing from a similar lifestyle and environmental ethic as Henry D. Thoreau and Aldo Leopold, Babcock has lived more than two decades off-grid deep in the forest near the headwaters of the Mississippi River. Here he has discovered a balance in the interconnectedness of all life in the woods, and derived his sustenance from hunting, fishing, gardening, gathering wild food, providing water from a hand-pump well and minimal electricity from the sun. He befriended an Ojibwe Elder, Chi-Ma'iingan (Big Wolf), from whom he learned the Seven Grandfather Teachings (Wisdom, Love, Respect, Courage, Honesty, Humility, and Truth). Each of these seven teachings are represented by an animal. In this collection, Babcock shares his love of the natural world through a unique land ethic that combines the ideology of Thoreau and Leopold, and that which he learned from Chi-Ma'iingan.
Babcock proposes a radical shift in how Americans support our environment and wildlife. He was recently featured in the documentary films: MEDICINE OF THE WOLF, and WOLF SPIRIT.
From these pages: "We must stop seeing the natural world as a commodity and start seeing it as we would see a family member-something to love, protect, care for, and cherish."
About the Author
Babcock lives off the grid in the Mississippi Headwaters country of northern Minnesota. His lifestyle is one of simple and self-sustaining existence. He gathers what he needs from the land by gardening, hunting, harvesting, and his only electricity is harnessed from the sun, his water from a well which is pumped daily by hand. He lives an intimate balance with the natural world.
He has pursued a way of life distanced from the economic and consumptive norms which he believes can hinder a person's connection to the natural world. He truly lives on the perimeter of society.
Reviews
"Teachers in the Forest holds power and inspiration ... it has a way of further opening your eyes and ears to the sights and sounds of wilderness ... appealing to us to recognize not just our responsibility to nature, but our place in it." -Minneapolis Star Tribune
"Begin reading at any point in Teachers in the Forest and you will discover a calm curiosity towards the natural world. Babcock's voice inspires with rich lessons on the history, culture, plants and animals of our wild places. The teachings in this collection are like the wolf; timeless and alive." -Maureen Hackett, MD, Founder and President of Howling for Wolves
"The teachings contained within this book belong to the author's decades afield as both hunter and self-provider and are also strongly influenced by his close ties to the Ojibwe people and their connection to the land and its animals." -Traditional Bowhunter Magazine
"This book is a deeply poetic account of one man's quest to live off the land and his battle-cry to protect it." -Julia Huffman, Director of Medicine of the Wolf and Wolf Spirit
"This book will heighten the way you interpret and value our remaining wild places." -Daniel J. Rice, author of The Unpeopled Season
"Babcock is a curious, persistent, conscientious man who cares deeply about the land." -Katie Carter, KAXE Radio
"This book is a powerful tool for anyone yearning to forge a stronger spiritual and physical relationship with wild nature, no matter where you live." -David Petersen, author of On the Wild Edge: In Search of A Natural Life
Book Information
ISBN 9781736089439
Author Barry Babcock
Format Paperback
Page Count 268
Imprint Riverfeet Press
Publisher Riverfeet Press
