The Importance of Naturalists as Teachers & the Use of Natural History as a Teaching Tool

FuTuymA (1998) defines a naturalist (specifically a scientific naturalist) as someone with a broad and deep knowledge of one or more groups of organisms or ecological communities. A naturalist has an extensive knowledge of the organisms' behavior, ecology, distribution, systematics and life history. Some naturalists have knowledge that extends to physiology, morphology, paleontology and geology. Scientific naturalists use this knowledge to generate ideas, develop hypotheses, and execute intelligently designed research. Futuyma explains that a scientific naturalist has an inexhaustible fascination for biological diversity and for the organisms themselves, not only for their value as models and vehicles for theory. As one of the greatest naturalists of all times, Charles Darwin exemplified Futuyma's definition of a naturalist. Darwin lived in a time of outstanding naturalists who included such notables as Louis Agassiz, Thomas Henry Huxley and Alfred Russell Wallace. The current century has also produced many great naturalists who were and are important leaders in animal behavior, conservation biology, ecology, and evolutionary biology. These include G. Evelyn Hutchinson, Robert MacArthur, Ernst Mayr, George Gaylord Simpson, Niko Tinbergen and Edward 0. Wilson. Recent editorials and commentaries have attempted to alert biologists to the importance of naturalists. Noss (1996a) and Futuyma (1998) express concern for the declining number of biologists that consider themselves naturalists. Noss is justly concerned that the coming generations of conservation biologists will lack an understanding of natural history. This deficiency could be detrimental in the efforts to maintain biodiversity. Noss foresees trouble for fields such as conservation biology and ecology as "naturalist" ecologists are replaced by "armchair" or "keyboard" ecologists. Why is it important to foster development of a new generation of scientific naturalists? With concerns over the accelerated extinction of species and loss of habitat, conservation biology and efforts to maintain biodiversity are being viewed as important areas of ecological research. Noss (1996a) explains that biologists with a broad understanding of natural history are crucial for this research. A deficiency of naturalists could be detrimental in the efforts to maintain biodiversity. With respect to education, two important tasks should be considered. First, more biologists need to be trained as naturalists so they are better prepared to deal with and discuss the issues in conservation biology. Second, students at all grade levels and interests need to be exposed to educational experiences, such as field trips, that develop their appreciation for nature regardless of whether they plan on having careers in biology. This appreciation for nature is essential if we hope to save nature. Noss and Futuyma both discuss possible causes for the decline in the number of naturalists. Futuyma explains that naturalists are often viewed as nothing more than "nature lovers" and that the term "naturalist" often conjures up a negative image of someone who lacks conceptualization, intellectuality and scientific rigor. The problem may also stem from the supposition that biologists suffer from "physics envy" (Futuyma 1998)-the idea that biologists fear being viewed as inferior to those in the "more rigorous" physical sciences. Thus the qualitative and descriptive emphasis of natural history is viewed as too far afield of respectable biology. The misconception has arisen that a biologist can be either a naturalist or a conceptually oriented biologist, but not both. These are not mutually exclusive. As Futuyma explains, natural history can serve as a foundation to biological science. History supports this, and Edward 0. Wilson (evolutionary biologist at Harvard University) is an excellent example of a naturalist who is advancing theory in behavior, ecology and evolution. In addition to this growing stigma, Noss (1996b) feels that we are accelerating the problem by not providing the opportunities or environment necessary for cultivating young naturalists. James J. Krupa is in the Center for Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, T. H. Morgan School of Biological Sciences at the University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506-0225; e-mail: biol49@UKCC.UKY.EDU.