Mike Garrett

Historical and Cultural Geography, Landscape Perception and Transformation, Land Use Analysis and Planning, Site Analysis, Secondary School Teaching Methods, International Studies and Study Abroad Programs, Natural Resource based Recreation and Leisure Landscapes, and Park Planning SpecialGeographic Area Interests: Europe and North America

Special Research Interests:

Folk and Vernacular Architecture, Cemetery and Park Landscapes, Sense of Place and Mental Maps, Environmental and Landscape Histories at the Local Scale

Teaching: Course titles associated with me over the past decade at Bemidji State University:

Frequent Less Frequent

Geography of Europe Geography/Planning Outdoor Recreation

U.S. Geography with Canada Site Analysis and Planning

Land Use Analysis and Planning Physical Geography

Teaching Methods for Secondary Level Social Studies Introduction to Planning

Pre-Trip Workshop Series for Annual Eurospring Program Introduction to Map Use

Background that relates to my infection with Geography, Maps, and with my Teaching:

As a youth I first became attracted to maps and their uses in outdoor settings with boy scouts and with explorer scouts. Spending time with my dad on our small farm and on occasional hunting/fishing outings, as well as longer family excursions to the western states, engendered a further interest in maps but also a passion for landscape, especially those of a more rural and natural setting. I think those experiences taught me much about “how to see” what was or is happening in such settings and a deep appreciation for natural history and the ordinary in things. While attending college in Tennessee I spent numerous weekends exploring limestone caves with friends and we frequently used topographic maps to chart our directions beneath the earth’s surface. And, as a paratrooper for a couple of years with the 101st Airborne Division (mid 60s), I was first assigned to a reconnaissance platoon and subsequently to division level G2, Intelligence, and G3, Operations and Planning, where I worked with a small war plans unit. There, I assisted with map and aerial photo interpretation along with analysis of field reconnaissance information.

More background if you think you need it:

From undergraduate to here: For a few years following college I taught mostly science and some social studies courses at both the junior high and senior high school levels. The mix of courses in two distinct fields I very much enjoyed but found an even greater fulfillment from working with students in a small town setting. However, by the time I had my masters (through night courses and summer studies) I had become convinced that I should focus seriously on geography and teach at the college level. A fortuitous experience at Oklahoma State University brought me into close contact with a relatively young but first rate faculty who made a major and positive impression on me with their mentoring and general support. While completing my doctorate I taught as an instructor at Oklahoma State and then accepted the position at Bemidji State University. Along the way I have worked with river recreation studies, local land use analysis, park planning, water resource studies, organizing and directing Canada-American academic conferences, student travel abroad programs, geographic education projects, teacher training; and, I have completed various short courses or special training programs for my own needs in teaching or research. (A more detailed resume can be provided where needed.)

I make an effort to maintain my personal interests and pursuits with the local out-of-doors, studies of ordinary landscapes, natural history, and travel. As a geographer I believe it is imperative that I try to travel selectively, whether at home or abroad, just to become and remain informed about the areas in which I teach – and those sojourns to and through other lands continue to provide me with intrinsic rewards.

My seemingly eclectic interests are fairly obvious given my teaching and field research record. To me these interests are all somewhat related and probably reflect much of who I am. I have much respect for the professional discipline concept at the departmental level with a strong emphasis on the team effort, but I have also long supported inter-disciplinary approaches to studies as well as guided small group or individual studies. In my intellectual core, or my heart of hearts, I am always a geographer first and I do enjoy a positive relationship with my departmental colleagues.

While reality usually dictates a need for in-door classes organized round a tight academic schedule, I believe that most of us gain our best learning outside that conventional classroom and preferably away from the campus setting. The applied field lab, extended visits to and work with other cultures on site, volunteer student service projects, maintaining a daily journal, and seeking out others in walks-of-life different from our own – such ventures are at the least value added qualities that can bring the most meaning to a formal education as well as to our own personal life.

For my students my strongest recommendations are to: keep some sort of journal, practice your writing skills, read and listen to “good” stuff, get out-of-doors frequently, and, travel the blue highways, or better yet, the green ones – the journey really is what matters. Look and pay attention wherever you are. There often is some order or understanding in those landscapes and often at multiple levels. Thoughtful travel can help you become better acquainted with yourself and how better to enjoy your own company. Mess with maps; they are sexy tools but also sacred documents to be referenced often. Let them be your friends and keep them handy or accessible.

My deepest personal attractions are with my partner and best friend, Andi, and our extended family, most of whom live in Texas and England. Andi and I also enjoy a small circle of friends who somehow tolerate us. We spend much of our free time on our small, five-acre plot where we have been reconstructing a house, barn and garage project for more years than we care to admit. Andi’s formal training is as a landscape architect and she has worked a number of years with our local soil and water conservation district, so it’s probably not too difficult to imagine some of our common interests and areas of joint pursuit.