DOLE EIGHT OR NINE WORDS ABOUT NATURE-STUDY 121 



Burroughs acquaint him with the fern growths of the south, the wild 

 fruits of the mountain sides, the pines of New England, the coal- 

 beds of Pennsylvania, the gorgeous panorama of the Grand Can- 

 yon. Make him feel that these are his to enjoy and understand. 

 Thus may a close, personal contact with living organisms in the 

 classroom cause him, in a simple, natural way to have a kindred 

 feeling with the great out-of-doors. Such an understanding 

 and sympathy cannot fail to produce broader manhood and nobler 

 womanhood in the years to come. 



Eight or Nine Words About Nature- Study 



Eleazer Johnson Dole 



The Tall Pines Camp, Bennington, New Hampshire 



To be more explicit, there are two. The first one is "why;" 

 the second, "how." Not the "why" of the desirabiHty of nature 

 in summ.er camps, for every teacher and camp director knows that. 

 Not the "how" of the best teaching of nature, for the writer freely 

 confesses that he doesn't know that. But rather why is nature 

 not as attractive as we sometimes wish it were, and how may we 

 m.ake it appeal to a larger num.berof camp girls? We shall not 

 discuss the shortcomings of the nature teacher, for we live in a 

 glass house. Every good teacher will recognize that he has certain 

 faults, that he has m.ade certain errors in the past which, he 

 hirr.self must rectify. Suggestions from others may help. For 

 such words of wisdom, he is respectfully referred to those who are 

 qualified to give them. We are not. 



That there are certain difficulties in m.aking the nature lesson 

 attractive to all is generally admitted. Granting that the nature 

 leader has his problems and that not all of his pupils will respond 

 to his efi^orts as he wishes them to, we may be inclined to condemn 

 the teacher when the real trouble Hes elsewhere. In spite of the 

 com.paratively short history of the institution of summer camps, 

 it seems that there have grown up with them certain traditions, 

 and we may be ham.pered with the heritage of the past without 

 realizing it. The writer believes in being conservative. His 

 system of philosophy tells him that it is the teacher's duty, but 



