had confined the quenching of thirst to such places. One should be apprised from 

 the above that we were able to complete our project essentially as it was originally 

 proposed. 



About midway in our research that was begun in 1964, public outcry was raised 

 against pollution and for conservation and the preservation of a balance in nature's 

 ecology. We have, consequently, taken into consideration this biotic interest of 

 man in his environment. Since this explosion of public interest in our environment 

 and its ecology practically every author or would-be author has written something 

 on these now popular subjects to the extent that there exists very little one can 

 say without repeating what someone has already said. Neverthless, since we believe 

 that some ecological background information to our work would be useful we have 

 presented it in the form of summarizing what is now common knowledge with a 

 sprinkling of our own personal observations. 



This work, however, is not, and never was, intended as a treatise to cover all 

 facets of water pollution. It does, however, attempt to deal with one of the most 

 obvious and important factors — higher plant life — in the ecosystems of our lakes, 

 ponds, streams, marshes, swamps, bogs and wetlands, generally. Also, since, at least 

 administratively, this project has been officially classified as "Aquatic and Marsh 

 Plants of Polluted Waters . . .," we believe that at least a brief summary should 

 be given of the kinds and types of pollution that is to be expected or that actually 

 exists in most of the habitats that we have studied. 



In our work we are often asked what can be done about water pollution. We 

 always say that from this minute on no facility, whatsoever, should be permitted 

 to be built and put into operation unless it is so planned and structured as to 

 create no further pollution. Then, methodically and persistently, our present pol- 

 luters and their pollutants should be eliminated or corrected without delay. We 

 are pleased to note that the newly created Federal Government Environmental 

 Protection Agency plans to do just as we have always recommended to our 

 listeners. 



One of the best means for establishing and inculcating in our people a lasting 

 appreciation of nature is the teaching of natural history in our schools, starting 

 with Kindergarten and carrying the program through the senior year in college. 

 All colleges, universities and other institutions of higher learning should have 

 established long ago a required Natural History course for all freshmen students. 

 For many years we and others, among whom is George S. Avery, former Director 

 of the Brooklyn Botanical Garden, have "preached" that this emphasis on natural 

 history should be made a part of every student's educational curriculum. This 

 would not only include touching upon certain phases of biology, especially those 

 with which one may make daily contact, but also upon related sciences, such as 

 geology and meteorology, that make up the total environment. The end re- 

 sult would be a population that would really appreciate and protect every 

 phase of the world in which we live. The required or elected courses such as 

 botany, zoology, entomology, mycology and so forth, that would fall into a. com- 

 prehensive natural history course, are given by most college and university depart- 

 ments as if the student taking the course is to become a professional in that 

 particular discipline. To teach an appreciation of nature in all its aspects to the 

 laymen students has apparently never occurred to most teachers. For this reason, 

 an old fashioned course in Natural History for the lay student is, and has long 

 been, desperately needed in every institution of learning so as to not only enlighten 

 the student but to also place emphasis upon his understanding and appreciation 

 of the world and its inhabitants so that he will become a part of Society that will 

 appreciate and protect our Environment. 



xi 



