A Survey of Twenty Years' Progress in Nature Study 

 (E) in Extension Work* 



A. F. Satterthwait 

 Scientific Assistant, U. S. Bureau of Entomology 



In order to present the progress of nature-study during the past 

 twenty years as evidenced in extension work, it is necessary to 

 review sHghtly the situation at the beginning of this period and 

 determine, tentatively at least, the relationship of nature-study and 

 extension work. 



Nature-study is the acquiring of an understanding of the natural 

 elements and creatures composing the environment of which we are 

 a part. As compared with the natural sciences, it is a gentle 

 approach through the foreground to the ultimate fact, rather than 

 the fact itself, or the science, exact or applied. It is the use of our 

 natural environment for developing in ourselves the ability to 

 observe, to analyze, to correlate objects and ideas, to notice how 

 other creatures adapt themselves to their environment and to 

 adapt ourselves more readily. 



Nature-study seems to have been developed for the purpose of 

 rebuilding agriculture. It was taken up with remarkable prompt- 

 ness, aided by Audubon Societies, Junior Naturalist Clubs, and 

 school garden classes. Nature-study underlies each of these 

 related interests and is, in large measure, a preparation for the 

 study of agriculture in later years. It has its greatest value when it 

 is taught at the earliest ages and throughout the grades. It serves 

 the dual purpose of reaching the parents as well as the child, and 

 the value of the accomplishment of the second purpose is not much 

 less, if any, than that of the first, in the case of the rural community. 



The story is told of a certain farmer who discovered his son 

 catching beetles, and asked why he was doing it. The boy replied 

 that his teacher wanted them to illustrate talks to the pupils on 

 habits of insects, their ravages, methods of repression, etc. The 

 farmer forbade his son catching any more "bugs," but could not 

 help noticing that the little fellow continued his interest in them. 

 He finally exacted a promise from the teacher not to take his son's 

 time from books "to fool around with bugs and worms and millers." 

 Not long afterwards, the son let fall a remark in his father's hearing 



*Published by pe/mission of the Secretary of Agriculture 



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