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Interview with Frederica Bowcutt

Recent Teaching History
The Nature of Natural History; Fall-Winter 2006-2007
Advanced Floristics; Winter 2006
Plant Taxonomy and Ecology; Spring 2005
Basic Botany; Plants and People; Winter 2000

Upcoming Programs
Restoring Landscapes Spring 2007
Christian Roots: Medieval and Renaissance Science; Fall-Winter 2007-2008
Basic Botany: Plants and People; Spring 2008
MES; Fall 2008-Spring 2010

Recent and Current Areas of Interest

The question that is most current for me now is why it is that we have this dichotomy in our culture between science and sensuality. Many people seem to believe that the artist and the scientist are two different kinds of people and that they are diametrically opposed in character to each other. When we make this kind of separation it impacts our relationship with nature. Recent critiques of science interest me, because on the one hand, they often tackle the mythos of objectivity, yet on the other hand the critiques are often ungrounded in place, nature, and the politics of conservation. I share some of the concerns of people like ecologist Michael Soulé who is concerned the work of science critics may be co-opted by anti-conservationists. We live in a unique period of history, there is a lot of land protected in North America, but that is not a given. The economics and politics of parks and wilderness reserves are shifting. The agencies that care for these areas are often the first to be budgetarily affected during economic downturns and are thus vulnerable. The stories we tell ourselves about our relationship with nature affect the long term viability of land and biodiversity preservation efforts.
The split between artists and scientists was a creative tension within Sense of Place. To my mind the scientist can be a kind of artist and vice versa. Such people can serve as catalysts for cultural change. I am interested in finding ways to integrate the analytical and expressive. People who exemplify bridging this gap include Rachel Carson, who was both a scientist and skillful at using the language of emotions in her environmental classic Silent Spring. Her effectiveness politically was dependent on her capacity to draw from both sides. Aldo Leopold is another who is especially important because of his applied experience as a government scientist who was open to a change in his personal relationship with nature. So he was able in his writing to talk about a changing relationship between people and nature. He wrote not in terms of self-flagellation or judgment of the unenlightened, but stuck close to his own story and experience and thereby made a significant impact on wilderness preservation and natural resource management in this country. What I personally hope for is an integration of the artist and scientist in my own work. Because I am interested in cultural transformation, this ends up mattering as it has to do with how people come to see things differently and change.

Are there particular authors/artists/thinkers whose work you interested and which you often ask students to examine?

Rachel Carson, Loren Eisley, Aldo Leopold, Sue Hubbell, David Rains Wallace, Garrett Hongo, John McPhee, and Gary Nabhan skillfully weave science and storytelling often with the sensibility of an artist. Terry Tempest Williams breaks new ground in linking natural history with personal memoir. Evelyn Pinkerton, Freeman House, and Gary Snyder are doing interesting work on community-based management of natural resources. William Cronon, Richard White, and Carolyn Merchant's work in the field of environmental history engages me. I find Londa Schiebinger's work on the influence of gender in the history and philosophy of science stimulating. Stephen Brush's recent work on indigenous proprietary knowledge rights raises important issues about the ethics of using indigenous ethnobotanical knowledge. Kat Anderson's work raises important issues about indigenous peoples' natural resource management in North America prior to colonization.
The program context affects whose work I want students to examine, but if there is one thing I want students to be aware of it is that science has a cultural context, science is never simply objective. There is a subjective element introduced to science through personal experience and cultural bias. On the other hand I seek to impress upon students that the scientific method is a powerful tool and has been highly influential since the scientific revolution. It is, therefore, worthwhile to be reasonably sophisticated in one's understanding of the power and the limits of science.

Are there specific areas of interest or issues you want to work with students on in the current year?

I want to continue to look at the influence of culture on the practice of plant science and natural resource management.

Specific Skills, Competence, Techniques:

In working with first year students and sophomores, I am particularly interested in helping develop their critical thinking skills. I strive to help them express themselves both in writing and in verbal communication. I am interested in helping students produce good expository writing with a clear thesis supported with evidence. In working with upper division students I continue with a focus on critical thinking skills but add more advanced work in ecological theory and/or taxonomy skills such as use of a dichotomous key. In 'Picturing Plants' I am interested in fostering observation and illustration skills as well as teaching the use of technical keys for identifying plants.

What are key qualities you look for in student work? What techniques do you use to assess their work? How do you help students assess their work?

I like to lay out my expectations as clearly as possible at the beginning of a program. Sometimes that is hard to do in a program that is transforming in the process. One focus in much of my teaching, especially in lower division classes, is fostering clarity and coherence in their writing and seminar participation. I am interested in helping reluctant students feel more confident and comfortable so they can share more. I seek to help talkative people find ways to develop their listening skills. I use small group work especially at the beginning of the quarter to allow students to develop their skills. I tend to lead more toward the beginning of a quarter and encourage students to take a stronger lead later in the quarter. I do have some ideals about what I hope a college student can do. I would feel I did a student a disservice if they graduated from Evergreen unable to write a coherent and well thought through argument.

Teaching Style:How would you characterize yourself as a teacher?

I attempt to empower students with tools which will help them continue their learning without a teacher so they ultimately become lifelong learners under their own guidance. Natural history journaling is one such skill. Others include the ability to use a technical dichotomous key for species identification, the ability to write and express one's thoughts, and building confidence in one's ability to learn theoretical concepts from written texts. I encourage students to follow their intellectual passions by sharing my own, providing opportunities to explore and respond to the work of a variety of people, and giving feedback on student work.

What types of students tend to do well with you?

I do well with students who share a passion for plants and an interest in natural resource management. I am interested in students who are willing to work, who are willing to change their mind, who are open to personal change. I think it is important that students not see professors as that person on a pedestal who knows more than they do. But, I do think that there is a role for the apprentice model, especially in courses like 'Picturing Plants' or 'Plant Taxonomy', certain skills take time to develop. I learned much of my botanical skills through mentoring. Students with a willingness to trust a learning process tend to do well with me.

What types of students have a hard time with you?

Students who are interested in conservation, but not science have a hard time with me. Science has been and continues to be a strong component of the rhetoric of conservation. Students interested in herbology, but not science may find me difficult as I value analytical ways of knowing about medicinal plants not as the only way but an important way. I also have a difficult time with students who simply don't see the natural world as important- whose world is defined almost exclusively by other people. I am interested in this student, but I have not yet figured out how to teach such students well. I see that as an opportunity and a challenge.

What do your student evaluations say about the way you come across to students?

Students see me as enthusiastic about botany and environmental conservation. They see me as both having standards and being reasonably flexible and responsive to students. They say I am caring and a good listener. I've received good feedback on my lectures and people enjoy the time they spend with me in the field. I may have been overly ambitious in my first experience in teaching core. But even ambitious books like The Death of Nature can yield good results for some students.

Expectations about Contracts, Internships, and Evaluations
What qualities do you look for in a student who comes to you for work in a contract?

I prefer students who I have worked with in a program. I like contracts that extend and deepen the work students have already started. I look for readiness to do the work, for independence and ability towork without a lot of supervision. I expect self-discipline and motivation. And I expect students who are able to work hard on their own and are open to constructive criticism. I seek students who are respectful of our contractual agreements, place value on the student-teacher relationship, and complete their work in a timely manner.

What information do you want to see when a person comes to look for a contract?

I want students to be able to lay out what they seek to do and to have specific clear learning goals for the contract. I like contracts to specify a diversity of approaches to learning the material e.g., a journal, illustrations, reading, and essays. I want to see that they are prepared to do the work and have some clear reasons for wanting to do it.
I am definitely a planner with respect to program organization. I like structure, but can be quite flexible within the context of the structure. I want to know what it is expected of me and want to be able to do what I say I will do well.

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Last Updated: March 15, 2007