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A Turning Point in Our Work. 



We feel tliat we have now come to the close of the first epoch In 

 our nature-study work. So far the effort has been largely a propa- 

 gandist movement. The work was new. By every legitimate 

 means it must be brouo^ht to the attention of the school teachers in 

 New York State. It must be advertised. 



This preliminary work has now been largely done. Probably 

 every teacher in the State has heard of the work, directly or indi- 

 rectly. N^ot all teachers desire to take up nature-study work. It is 

 n Dt desirable that all of them, nor perhaps even half of them, 

 should undertake it. Kature-study must take its place and chances 

 with other school work. We have had an opportunity to discover 

 those persons who desire to work in nature-study lines. With these 

 persons we desire to come into closer contact, adding to our list all 

 those who feel that they are called to teach these subjects. We 

 want to give more direct and personal help. We want to extend 

 and increase the work by intensifying it rather than by spreading it. 

 We feel that our most serious and effective* w^ork has only just 

 begun. 



Is Nature-Study on the Wane ? 



Peal nature-study cannot pass away. We are children of nature, 

 and we have never appreciated the fact so much as we do now. 

 But the more closely we come into touch with nature the less do we 

 herald the fact abroad. AYe may hear less about it, but it will be 

 because we are living nearer to it and have ceased to feel the neces- 

 sity of advertising it. 



Much that is called nature-study is only diluted and sugar-coated 

 science. This will pass. Some of it is mere sentimentalism. This 

 also will pass. With the changes the term nature-study may fall into 

 disuse ; but the name matters little so Ions: as we hold to the essence. 



All new things nmst be unduly emphasized, else they cannot 

 gain a foothold in competition with things that are established, 

 For a day, some new movement is announced in the daily papers, 

 and then, because we do not see the head lines, we think that the 

 movement is dead ; but usually when things are heralded they 



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