What is Natural History?

Marston Bates (1990) wrote that natural history includes

• “the study of life at the level of the individual…”

• “how they react to each other and their environment
• “how they organize into larger groupings like populations and communities.”

• major objective of natural history - “the explanation of the diversity of living

things.”

Why is Natural History Important?

Bates (1990) also recognized and revealed how important knowledge of natural history is
to us as a human species:

These are the problems of natural history, problems that concern us ourselves as
animals and that concern us even more as originators of this thing we call
civilization--which is, after all, merely a rather special sort of an animal community.

• we are a part of a much larger living system

• Our own well-being depends on us learning to maintain the structure and function
of the ecosystems and communities in which we live.

One of the most moving passages about our human connection with nature was written in
the winter of 1971/1972 by Ted Perry as a poetic film screen expression inspired by a
speech made by Chief Seattle in 1854 (Museum of History and Industry 1990 as quoted
in The eJournal website 2007a). (See also Zussy 1990 as quoted in The e-Journal website
2007b for clarification on this quote commonly attributed to Chief Seattle himself.) Here
is a portion of the text now attributed to Perry.

Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons and daughters of the earth
We did not weave the web of life,
We are merely a strand in it.
Whatever we do to the web,
we do to ourselves...

How about an even more ancient bit of wisdom from the KJV of the bible?

But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee, and the fowls of the air, and they
shall tell thee: Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: And the fishes of the sea
shall declare unto thee.

how important it is for us to know the natural history of disease-causing organisms and
parasites. This alone would justify (in a self preservation sense) the study of natural
history. For example, many parents and children are certainly glad that we know the
natural history and treatment for Pediculus capitis? HEAD LICE

And many adults are grateful that we know the natural history and treatment of another
species of critter known as Pthirus pubis. PUBIC LICE

While the above mentioned organisms create primarily irritating conditions, you certainly
know that countless organisms cause debilitating (impairing the strength and vitality) or
life-threatening conditions.

We must know how the living components of ecosystems and communities function in
order to understand the function of the whole. Natural history is therefore essential to the
maintenance of sustainable and healthy environments in which we humans live.