Nature in Camping 21 



to use, as the word "hike" implies tramping along a trail with no time for 

 observation. On the other hand "a walk" usually leads only to places near 

 home while the nature student wants to venture afar for his specimens. 



There are several points to consider when planning a hike. One is that 

 it should have a purpose or a theme and should be planned ahead of time. 

 Another important factor is the time of day during which it is to take place. 

 Many hikes are planned in camp for early in the morning before breakfast, 

 the theory being that the birds sing better and the flowers look fresher at 

 that time of day. The fact is that the birds sing equally well during the other 

 parts of the day, especially in the late afternoon and evening; so the only 

 point in taking a bird walk in the morning is for an adventure or because 

 there are fewer people around to disturb the birds. Children- are at their 

 low ebb in the morning and should take very little exercise before eating. 



Many nature counselors take their children on nature hikes just before 

 lunch when it is the hottest part of the camping day. This should make any 

 child dread going to the nature class. It would be much better to select a 

 cool spot near a stream where they can explore a small area. Morning is 

 also a good time to work in the museum on nature notebooks. After sup- 

 per is an excellent time for a nature walk or a row around the lake to 

 collect nature specimens. It will keep some children from being homesick 

 and tide them over until camp fire time. 



Hiding with a Theme 



Children love to plan a hike around one theme and the field of nature 

 offers endless possibilities. If a group goes out to study one subject such as 

 "trees with compound leaves" or "similar plants" it narrows down the nature 

 field so that the leader can keep the children's interest in one channel, thus 

 keeping the hike under control. 



The following are several hikes "with a theme" that have been used suc- 

 cessfully in some of the summer camps, and are given as suggestions only. 

 They should enable the nature counselors to work out some theme of their 

 own: 



FAIRY STORIES 



Nearly every fairy story having a nature theme as its setting is placed in 

 the forest, along a stream, or along a trail. Many details were left out of 

 the stories as handed down from generation to generation; so the only way 

 even to guess what they were is to go back to nature and study her ways. 

 Picture maps may be used along with the study. Several suggestions are 

 given on following pages : 



