6 PARKS 



today. In general, modern city environmental conditions have robbed 

 children, and older people as well, of direct contact with the first great 

 instructor, Mother Nature. The very fount of general knowledge for the 

 inquiring mind of youth is thus dried up at its source. His store of knowl- 

 edge becomes a complex of all the sorts of things which he sees and hears 

 within the limits of an artificial man-made environment. He is deprived 

 of the natural environment from which he may draw a wealth of knowledge 

 of the universe of life's processes. It is true that commercial industrialism 

 has encouraged education and the pursuit of scientific study, but it has 

 done this almost wholly from a purely utilitarian point of view. Happily, 

 out of this industrialism which has threatened to destroy the innate desire 

 of people to acquire knowledge for the pure joy of knowing, there is the 

 possibility of securing the leisure which will enable people to acquire knowl- 

 edge without linking the process to some utilitarian purpose. 



Simultaneously with the growing appreciation of leisure, agencies 

 have been 'developing which are securing material properties and fitting 

 them for the use of people during their leisure. The character of these 

 properties is for the most part of such a nature that people in urban com- 

 munities will once more be brought into contact with nature. Thus park 

 departments are assuming a position of major importance in the future 

 development of man as seeker after knowledge, possessing as they do the 

 basic material laboratories for instruction in the knowledge of natural 

 processes. The large open areas with growing things, rocks, wild flower 

 forms, botanical gardens, arboretums, conservatories, greenhouses, aquari- 

 ums, zoological gardens, natural history museums all features found in 

 modern park systems provide opportunity for everyone who wishes to 

 make exploration into the great field of knowledge relating to the con- 

 struction of the universe. 



These great laboratories, however, have generally been accepted by 

 the people as something interesting to look at without understanding. 

 Instructional leadership is of prime importance, and only a limited number 

 of park authorities have applied such leadership in connection with the 

 vast equipment the parks offer. The time may come when every director 

 of a zoological garden, arboretum, conservatory and natural science museum 

 will think as much of his possible function as a teacher of the people as 

 he does of his function as the scientific manager of his particular institution. 

 The time may not be far off when there will be on the staffs of park 

 departments men and women especially trained in nature lore whose sole 

 function will be to lead people into the open spaces and interpret nature 

 to them. 



