Koester Oral History: Craig's Adolescence
Craig used much of his adolescence as a time to familiarize himself with the land. Through activities and responsibilities, Craig was able to gain a deeper appreciation for nature during these years.
Listen to the audio recording to hear Craig Koester's experiences with life and the land.
Adolescence
Craig Koester describes various projects in this audio recording.
“To me, one of those rights of passage would actually be going with dad to work on the fencing. What doing that type of thing does is…you have to see things slowly.”
Geology Projects (0:00-1:37)
"It really became a great learning experience to actually pay attention to the rock forms underneath your feet. Otherwise, it was all indifferent; some of them are gray, some of them are white, some of them are whatever."
"The whole grassland area became my working laboratory. I could obviously identify limestone, sandstone, and granite. But then the challenge became how can I find 20 different specimens of the different kinds of rock, and actually identify them correctly."
Scouting Projects (1:38-3:36)
"What I found is that actually having to name a tree, it creates a different way of seeing and relating."
"These are not anonymous things growing there, but these are plant forms that have an identity of their own."
Value in Projects (3:37-4:16)
"Being able to say I know something more about that tree. I know its habits, its life cycle, its characteristics, its name. It heightens a sense of awareness and connectedness that you don't have otherwise."
"Those exercises have tremendous value in not just accumulating information but altering the way in which you relate."
Work on the Land
As an adolescent, Craig often helped his father in early farming practices, and fencing a 5 mile perimeter for cattle grazing. By spending hours out on the land daily, Craig found himself able to notice more and more the nuances of nature. Being out there "would make you see things that you didn't see otherwise." This is the point in his life where he began to foster an appreciation for the land. Craig also assisted in the early farming practices of his father. He describes experiences of animals being led one way and veering the opposite direction. Patience was key.
"My father's motto, which was also my grandfather's motto, was, 'You do not need to be smarter than the animal, you just need to have more time.'"
