TWENTY-SEVENTH BIENNIAL REPORT. 89 



SUMMER RESORT WORK. 



The educational work in the summer resorts started by this depart- 

 ment in 1919, at Lake Tahoe, has been continued the past three seasons 

 in Yosemite National Park. A cooperative scheme worked out by the 

 National Park Service and the Fish and Game Commission has resulted 

 in the forming of a nature guide service, designed to awaken visitors 

 to their natural history opportunities and to convince them of the 

 need and value of wild life conservation. By means of lectures and 

 camp fire talks, trips afield, office hours and exliibits visitors to this 

 national park have been made acquainted with and interested in the 

 living things of the park. The work has fully demonstrated that 

 persons on their summer vacations in the mountains are more susceptible 

 to information regarding fish and game and its conservation than 

 they are at any other time. Furthermore, referance to attendance 

 figures shows that nowhere could so many persons be reached with a con- 

 servation message, in so short a length of time. These two points alone 

 should gain increased support for this work, although the success of the 

 work can best rest upon the enthusiasm and spirit of those who have 

 come in contact with it. 



Lectures and camp fire talks are given at the principal resorts in the 

 park each evening. The more formal lectures are illustrated with 

 motion pictures or lantern slides. Shorter talks usually deal with 

 some bird or animal or answer some oft-repeated question on natural 

 history. 



The daily field trips offered form an important feature, for here 

 individual instruction is given and a direct personal contact made. 

 How better can conservation be taught than to use a living individual 

 of a species as a basis of discussion ! The sight of a family of Sierra 

 grouse makes a more lasting impression than word pictures or even 

 photographic studies. j\Iany teachers make use of this ojiportunity 

 to obtain first-hand information regarding living things. As these 

 teachers go back to their classes, conservation ideas are spread through 

 the schools. 



SUMMER RESORT WORK. 

 Yosemite Free Nature Guide Service. 



Totals 210 4,182 10.1 r,8,907 



During the office hours questioners ai)i)ear l»y the liiiiidrcd - ''\Vli;il 

 kind of a trout did I catch yesterday?" "What bird has a ivd lir.id. 

 yellow breast and black wings?" "What kind of deer is found in tlir 

 park?" Such are the questions a.skcd. f>xhibits of innnnfrd hiids and 

 mammals and colored pictures aid in this educational work. Small 

 nature study libraries, furnished by the California Nature Study 

 League, have filled the need for reference works. 



