KDIToRlAL AM) GENERAL. 



29- 



come to knowledge through love. S<> 

 many people, through the appreciation 

 of beauty and a sense of the love and care 

 of the Creator as it is manifested in na- 

 ture, have been led to an intimate knowl- 

 edge of nature and an abiding trust in 

 the justice of her laws. 



In this brief sketch I have given not 

 mere facts about my work as a nature 

 student, but have rather tried to give a 

 few opinions on nature study which are 

 the result of my own experience. 1 feel 

 that ray life has not only been made hap- 

 pier but that, in every way, 1 have been 

 able to do better work because I have 

 been and still am interested in nature. 

 I11 closing, if there is any message 1 

 w 1 tuld have some other student take from 

 these remarks, it is this: Go to nature, 

 not only for pleasure and inspiration, 

 but for knowledge that is of practical 

 value in your life work. Engraft your 

 life upon her all embracing strength and 

 go out to meet your dailv task with a 

 new sense of power. 



for the express purpose of nature study 

 the members also give great encourage- 

 ment to out door life and fresh air. 



the winter meetings are held 



AN EFFICIENT NATURE CLUB. 



i'.Y CHAS. E. RARNES, I! \TTI.E CREEK, MIC II. 



The Nature club of Battle Creek, 

 Mich., which has had a continuous and 

 successful existence for the past eight 

 years, is a unique organization. Formed 



1 hirim 



weekly, at which papers are read and 

 talks given on various natural history 

 subjects, followed by discussions. These 

 meetings are very interesting and prof- 

 itable. Hut just as soon as the snow is 

 of] the- ground in the spring, then the 

 outings of the club begin, and no more 

 indoor gatherings are held. Spring, 

 summer and fall are spent in the open. 

 The members take no stock in "parlor 

 naturalists." Field work and study from 

 the great book of nature is their creed. 

 So much has been published in the local 

 papers about the outings of this club, 

 that people generally in this city have 

 caught the outing spirit, and hikes and 

 peclestrial trips and cross-country walks 

 have become popular with everybody. 

 The club outings are taken part in by 

 from a dozen to fifty members. These 

 are very enjoyable, especially when a 

 dinner is cooked over a camp fire in back 

 woods style. The chef of the club is 

 .Mr. X. Y. Green, assistant cashier of 

 the City bank, and a good cook he is. 

 The country about Battle Creek is a 

 paradise for nature lovers. There are 

 within a radius of thirty miles about the 

 city 435 lakes, besides the beautiful 



CAMP SCENE OF BATTLE CREEK NATURE CLUB. 

 The big man on the right of the photograph is Mr. Charles E. Barnes, the presi- 

 dent of the club, and the gentleman next to him is Mr. Green, the chef. 



