“I feel that the natural world has always spoken to me, called to me and for this gift, I am grateful.” – Jeff Hoagland
We have probably all met Jeff Hoagland at least once in our lives. Whether it was back in high school, taking our kids to classes at the Watershed, or just seeing him around town. MercerMe had the pleasure of sitting down with Jeff at the Watershed, to learn more about his background and about his passion for Haiku, a few examples of which are shared in this article.
summer brook
perfect skipping stone
on the other side – Jeff Hoagland
Jeff grew up in the Washington Estates neighborhood, just across the street from the Washington Crossing Park. “I fondly remember playing in fallow farm fields as a child”, Jeff notes.
Graduating from CHS in 1978, he attended Rutger’s Cook College, majoring in Natural Resource Management (Wildlife Sciences). Living so near the park, he took a summer job at the Nature Center there. His position offered limited hours though, so he applied for multiple other jobs, even moving out to California for a while, but when he received a call from the Watershed Institute in 1984, offering him a job, he “came home”.
Jeff told MercerMe that “The Watershed as not a job, but a mission, and I am grateful to be there.”
Jeff’s official title is “Education Director”, a very visible position, as anyone who has visited the Watershed knows, but Jeff emphasized that he has a great team of people around him. When asked about a typical day at the Watershed, Jeff notes that “there is no typical day!”
While no longer on the front line, teaching the children who come through, Jeff is very involved in developing the programming. He noted that he also loves “teaching teachers,” and forges partnerships with other educational institutions, such as working with The College of New Jersey on a class called “Environmental Science for Educators”. For this, Jeff has created lesson plans and has invited their use by future classroom teachers.
no time
like now
May flies – Jeff Hoagland
Jeff also enjoys doing what he calls “Jedi Justice” – inclusion, diversity, and building relationships, primarily in Trenton, while advancing the mission to keep our water clean, healthy, and safe for everyone. Jeff believes that most people (including children) don’t spend enough time outdoors, and that there is too much focus on competition, rather than enjoying being part of a team.
When asked to define Haiku, Jeff said that he learned it as a kid, as a counting game of 5–7–5. In other words, “a one-breath poem that expresses a moment in the natural world.” After reading it in college, he notes that it didn’t really stick. But one day, while in a bookstore on State Street in Trenton, he picked up a book of Haiku, and the haikus had empathy and humor in them. Jeff started trying to embody that noting that he has a tendency to be a bit verbose. He also shared that the practice of Haiku is to “see the real world.”
“The practice of haiku is an essential component of my life,” Jeff shared. “I practice haiku to stay connected to the real world while leading a busy mission-oriented life. It is a world full of natural phenomena that, while sometimes fleeting, is there for all of us.”
Jeff has over 500 Haiku published in Haiku journals, in seven or eight countries, as far away as Japan. He also presents at Haiku events in New Hampshire. Jeff’s book of Haiku is called scent of juniper, and is available for purchase both online and at the Watershed.
a house fly
until I open
the window – Jeff Hoagland
Finally, Jeff informed MercerMe that there is a genre of erotic haiku as well… and we will just leave you and the interview with that thought.
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