“Thoreau was a self-taught naturalist and writer . . . and he had learned how to use both his learning and his imagination to uncover the hidden life of places. For him writing was a form of discovery . . . and like him we can learn to use writing as a window into nature, a way to help ourselves and our students discover the variety, intricacy, and wonder of our home landscapes. . . . Consider ecological relationships, which although never directly perceptible, largely determine the character of any landscape. . . . We may disregard near-at-hand nature because we have not been taught to appreciate certain types of landscape” (Tallmadge pp. 1-2).

Leslie, Claire Walker, John Tallmadge, and Tom Wessels. Into the Field: A Guide to Locally Focused Teaching. Great Barrington, MA: The Orion Society, 1999.