Photo: Russian Olive, southwest Montana. © 2020 Delena Norris-Tull
The Importance of the Historical Record
Summaries and commentary by Dr. Delena Norris-Tull, Professor Emerita of Science Education, University of Montana Western, September 2020.
“Why should we look to the past in order to prepare for the future? Because there is nowhere else to look” – James Burke
Jorge (George) Santayana, a Spanish-American philosopher (1863-1952), was apparently the person who said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
Stephen Hawking concluded, “We spend a great deal of time studying history, which, let's face it, is mostly the history of stupidity."
The interviews conducted to date (many more are needed) with individuals who have worked in Weed and Pest Management, at the County, State, and Federal level, provide many valuable insights into the history of the development of invasive species management over the decades. I have inserted some of those details within this document, but the interviews, read in their entirety are worth reading.
I have included excerpts in this chapter from the archival minutes from three annual conferences from the 1940s, the Western Weed Control Conferences. The Western Weed Control Conferences, beginning in 1938, were the first region-wide conferences in the United States attempting to address weed management. Reading those minutes in their entirety is very helpful, to understanding the slow, plodding progress, of invasive species management practices in the United States.
I am certain this summary has many gaps. But the historical context is crucial to determining what we do next.
The following sections provide a historical context to assist policy makers and practitioners in making decisions related to management of invasive plants.
The Importance of the Historical Record
Summaries and commentary by Dr. Delena Norris-Tull, Professor Emerita of Science Education, University of Montana Western, September 2020.
“Why should we look to the past in order to prepare for the future? Because there is nowhere else to look” – James Burke
Jorge (George) Santayana, a Spanish-American philosopher (1863-1952), was apparently the person who said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
Stephen Hawking concluded, “We spend a great deal of time studying history, which, let's face it, is mostly the history of stupidity."
The interviews conducted to date (many more are needed) with individuals who have worked in Weed and Pest Management, at the County, State, and Federal level, provide many valuable insights into the history of the development of invasive species management over the decades. I have inserted some of those details within this document, but the interviews, read in their entirety are worth reading.
I have included excerpts in this chapter from the archival minutes from three annual conferences from the 1940s, the Western Weed Control Conferences. The Western Weed Control Conferences, beginning in 1938, were the first region-wide conferences in the United States attempting to address weed management. Reading those minutes in their entirety is very helpful, to understanding the slow, plodding progress, of invasive species management practices in the United States.
I am certain this summary has many gaps. But the historical context is crucial to determining what we do next.
The following sections provide a historical context to assist policy makers and practitioners in making decisions related to management of invasive plants.