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Dolores Co I burg 

 Superintendent of 

 Publ ic Instruction 



ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION 



Our environment Is threatened by over- 

 population, polluted air, dirty water, ex- 

 cessive noise, dep!etl6n of natural re- 

 sources and increasing power shortages; 

 But these threats are not news. Most citi- 

 zens are conscious of the many concerns 

 ,j^lated to our environment. Its care and 

 Votection. 



What is news is the fact that unless 

 people are prepared to take action to pro- 

 tect our environment, the survival of 

 humanity may be a critical issue within 

 the lifetimes of our young people. 



The ecological questions confronting 

 us today compel us to re-examine tradition- 

 al values. If we are to save our world, 

 we may have to walk instead of drive a 

 car. We may have to give up some of our 

 appliances and machines. We may have to 

 learn to do without many things that we 

 have so long taken for granted. 



Yet there is both information and mis- 

 information on every hand concerning num- 

 erous environmental problems and their sol- 

 utions. If all citizens are to become 

 more aware of ecological issues and if a 

 broad but firm public commitment to re- 

 solve our enfironmentai problems is to be 

 achieved, then adequate and proper inform- 

 ation about our environment and its pro- 

 T^ctlon must be made available. One means 

 of Informing people is through our public 

 school system. 



There is, then, a responsibility for 

 all educators to provide appropriate con- 

 servation information and education for 

 elementary, highschool and college learn- 

 ers. Many Montana schools have already 

 met this responsibility through courses 

 specifically designed for conservation 

 and environmental education. Many biof- 

 ogy teachers are also emphasizing ecology 

 in classroom studies. Moreover, many 

 highschool students, alerted by media in- 

 formation, want to know how they can help 

 upgrade the quality of the world. They 

 are probing; they are asking tough ques- 

 tions. 



However, many concerned students are 

 not enough. In 1951, the Montana Legis- 

 lature resolved that conservation educa- 

 tion should be taught in all elementary 

 and secondary schools and that all teach- 

 er trainees in the Montana University Sys- 

 tem should study methods of conservation 

 education. 



To provide statewide leadership to the 

 public schools in conservation education, 

 1 requested the Forty-second Legislative 

 Assembly to appropriate funds for the 

 employment of a Conservation Education 

 Supervisor in my office. Employment of 

 such a supervisor could result in effective 

 cooraination of conservation education pro- 

 grams in the state's schools with similar 

 efforts of the Fish & Game Commission, State 

 Soil Conservation Committee, and other pub- 

 1 ic agencies. Without such a supervisor, 

 efforts to develop a sound statewide con- 

 servation education program will be frus- 

 trated. 



My office has Joined with the Environ- 

 mental Education Committee of the Montana 

 Conservation Council in preparing a new 

 curriculum guide for environmental educa- 

 tion. My office also is cooperating with 

 the Federation of Rocky Mountain States 

 In planning a regional approach to environ- 

 mental education using instructional and 

 educational television. 



A significant question of the future Is 

 this: "Can we use our present knowledge and 

 can we generate the new knowledge needed to 

 cope with our environmental problems?" Con- 

 servation Education Is one answer to this. 



(This page is sponsored by the Ladies Auxilary, MASWCD) 



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