Birds, Beavers, and Stars: Freshmen Observe the Natural World | Thomas More College

Birds, Beavers, and Stars: Freshmen Observe the Natural World

By Patrick Kuplack, ’21

“Long live the weeds and the wilderness yet”—the final line of Gerard Manley Hopkins’ poem Inversnaid—could very well also be the refrain for the freshman Natural History course, taught by College President William Fahey. A fledgling class in its second year of being studied at the College, Natural History, according to the official course description, “is an opportunity to see well and account for one’s vision . . . asking the philosophical question ‘How do I come to know what I observe, and how do I give an account of my observation and knowledge accurately in words and images?’”  Easily the most envied class on campus, Natural History requires the students to make extensive observations and report on the natural world around them. Many times in the autumn semester, freshmen could be seen walking through the woods identifying the trees, or sitting and sketching the various New England birds alighting at feeder stations—not to mention mimicking their calls inside the library, much to the confusion of those studying. 

Damianos Soutsos, ’23, shares his thoughts on the class’s weekly nature journaling: “It’s hard to keep up with sometimes, but overall it’s great. On top of giving basic information like the weather, date, direction, and location, we have to provide a description of what we see—whether nature, people, buildings, or whatever else happens to be in front of us. I enjoy the class and am grateful to able to give an account for the things in nature.” Sketching is also required and frequently accompanies the journal entries. 

While last semester introduced the intricate ecosystems and natural communities of New Hampshire, this winter the freshman have been lifting up their gaze, getting out in the frigid weather to identify the constellations and exclaim with Robert Frost:

How countlessly they congregate
O’er our tumultuous snow,
Which flows in shapes as tall as trees
When wintry winds do blow!—

In tandem with the icy night watches, one highlight of the semester has been certification in the New Hampshire Fish & Game Department’s Trapper Education course. Dr. Fahey and the freshmen, as of February 27th, officially have the know-how to trap the vast majority of New England critters. “Students are not required to trap,” remarked Fahey, “but taking the course allows them a better understanding of basic animal behavior, habitat, and traditional conservation methods.  Where trapping is undertaken in moderation, animal populations tend to be larger, healthier, and sustainable.” Instruction in wildlife conservation and trapping was given in the nearby 10,000-acre Bear Brook State Park, as well as on campus. The instruction was led by noted outdoorsman Anton Kaska. Serving overseas in the military for more than twenty years, an avid hunter with nearly every weapon you can name, and a member of the National Fur Traders of America, Mr. Kaska has been a certified outdoors instructor since 2006, as well as an instructor for Growing Up Wild, a program geared toward teaching basic outdoor skills to the youth. 

Mr. Kaska’s goal as an outdoor instructor has been to help Dr. Fahey “to bring back the lost crafts that were traditional to America and teach the basic skills that any ten-year-old could do a hundred years ago.” In the early years of the country, America’s wealth was deeply reliant on the fur trade. All the initial inland incursions were by trappers hunting for the valuable beaver pelt. Although the worth of pelt has dropped significantly, there is still an abundance of beaver in the area and this is the primary animal Mr. Kaska traps, and the one the freshmen have learned the most about. Kaska stresses the idea that people who are uncomfortable with the natural world are nervous when they are in it; this puts people at risk because of their improper behavior and it also inflames conversations about the environment because of their ignorance. His aim is to make one confident in the ability to weigh contemporary opinions, consider traditional wisdom, and think outside the modern box.  He supports the College’s goal of studying the natural world like Aristotle: directly, not merely through books.

Mr. Kaska has especially enjoyed helping support the Natural History course.  He recognizes that it is unusual to require a trapping course in any college curriculum, and understands that the practicalities and modern confusion over the natural world can present serious challenges for the students. “I am giving them basic lessons of nature and skills that they can rely on someday,” Mr. Kaska relates. His enthusiasm for the outdoor craft is infectious, according to Damianos Soutsos:  “I am definitely trapping when I get back home,” he says. 

Mr. Kaska is also co-Guildmaster (with Dr. Fahey) of the St. Hubertus Outdoorsman Guild.  Mr. Kaska and Dr. Fahey hope to develop the outdoor curriculum within the guild, moving on to skills in camping, wilderness survival, and hunting.  Kaska plans on taking students on various trapping expeditions, and even trapping a bit on the College campus! So who knows? Perhaps one of the College ladies will be sporting a fur cap or scarf this coming Fall! 

God has given us a beautiful world. We have been given dominion over it. We are not meant to simply sit and watch it (though this has its definite place); we are meant to use it responsibly. We are meant to be conservationists of the natural world, not preservationists who would not dare disturb the natural perfection. What makes nature perfect is the fact that God created it, and what complements nature’s perfection is man wisely enjoying and using what God has created for him. The Natural History course is thus the practical application of the prophet’s invitation to “Lift up your eyes, and see Who has created these things.” (Is. 40:26)  

“Having seen God’s majesty and order in the natural world,” reflects Dr. Fahey, “students, I hope, ultimately will lift up their hearts in praise. We begin each class with the Canticle from Daniel (the Benedicite).  Again, my goal in the course is that as the weeks pass there is an interior depth of conviction that parallels the growth in intellectual understanding, so that they say knowingly with Aristotle “nature acts for an end,” and warmly with the Benedicte—“Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord, praise and glorify Him forever.”

 

For further reading:

5th Annual Guild Night

Mathematics and Natural Science

 

 

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