Teachers in the Forest

Barry Babcock Babcock lives off the grid in the Mississippi Headwaters Country of northern Minnesota. His lifestyle is one of simple and self-sustaining existence. He gathers what he needs from the land by gardening, hunting, harvesting, and his only electricity is harnessed from the sun, his water from a well which is pumped daily by hand. He lives an intimate balance with the natural world. He has pursued a way of life distanced from the economic and consumptive norms which he believes can hinder a persons connection to the natural world. He truly lives on the perimeter of society. With a deep love and respect for the land, he has been active in curbing the transformation of northern Minnesota which has been enacted by extractive industry, motorized recreation, and development. For over two decades he has been active with the Tri-County Leech Lake Watershed Project, and is the founder of the grassroots organization Jack Pine Coalition. Since the delisting of wolves from the Endangered Species Act, Babcock has been pro-actively fighting to protect this animal. This has included speaking to legislature in conjunction with the non-profit group Howling for Wolves, and assisting with the production of the documentary film Medicine of the Wolf.