needham] outdoor EQUIPMENT 97 



will be better, and the desired results will be attained much 

 more quickly for a little inteUigent aid. 



So, roadsides, that are considered "finished" when a 

 roadbed is secured, may be refurnished : level filled lands may 

 be made fresh green meadows, instead of being allowed to 

 become wildernesses of weeds : slopes disfigured with stump age 

 may be reforested. It should be the privilege of the natural- 

 ist to enlist public spirited folk in the promotion of such bet- 

 terments. It will help the good name of his community. 



The greater the number of people who can be got to 

 participate in this work, the better it will be established in 

 public opinion: the more children helping, the better its 

 results will be insured against future vandalism. About 

 schools and colleges, things should be planted, not solely 

 for ornament, as at present, but for their educational use- 

 fulness as well. 



Making natural reserves servicable. Education began 

 in "fresh air schools". Country folk have always been wont 

 to meet in groves for public exercises. The fresh air and the 

 open sky, the majesty of the trees, and the freshness of the 

 unspoiled verdure have irresistibly drawn them out of doors. 

 With the revival of interest in field work, we are going out 

 doors in companies again and taking some of our work with 

 us. 



It is not so easy now, as once it was, to find a spot prepared 

 by nature for a gathering place. The requisite conditions are 

 that all who come together shall be able to see and to hear 

 and to sit comfortably while listening or working. A grassy 

 bank under a tree, when dry enough, may meet these con- 

 ditions. For many years a few great trunks of fallen trees 

 in the Renwick woods at Ithaca served as meeting places 

 for classes in biological field work. But places better suited 

 to the needs of classes may easily be arranged in the woods. 



For more continuous use as an outdoor class room, "The 

 Covert," at Ithaca was made. A natural hollow in the woods, 

 over-arched and shaded by trees, was fitted with seats of 

 flat field-stones, arranged in semi-circles. Aisles were left 

 for passing and paths were made for entrance and exit. At 

 the center a massive table, with a slate slab for a top, was 

 built of hollow tile and plastered. A door was set in the back 

 of its hollow base, and its interior is used for the storage of 



