Interview with Mike Bowling, January 22, 2007

Interview Summary

This interview with North Laurel Middle School science teacher Michael Bowling begins with a description of when and where Bowling was born. He moves on to talk about his childhood, including a description of his childhood home and the recreational activities he pursued. He then talks about his career as an educator.
Moving on to environmental topics, Bowling talks about how his family obtained water and disposed of trash in the late 1960s. He then discusses his involvement with Eastern Kentucky Personal Responsibility in a Desirable Environment (PRIDE), which helped North Laurel Middle School make a number of improvements to the school such as a greenhouse, outdoor classroom, and observation tower. Bowling also talks about the importance of education in improving the state of the environment, emphasizing that education is the key to breaking a generational cycle of littering and pollution. Bowling then discusses his grandparents' practice of reusing materials, as well as his own recycling. He ends the interview by recalling a story in which his young son is upset that one of his grandparents threw litter out of the car window, using this story to make the point that education is incredibly important to creating a generation of young people who protect the environment in which they live.

Interview Keyword

Science Teachers North Laurel Middle School Educators Personal Responsibility in a Desirable Environment (PRIDE)

Interview LC Subject

Teachers Middle schools Educators Environmentalism--History Environmentalism--United States--History Environmentalism--United States Environmentalism Environmentalists

Interview Rights

All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the University of Kentucky Libraries.

Interview Usage

Interviews may be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, Special Collections, University of Kentucky Libraries.