FOREST GUIDE DEPARTMENT 



SOLAN L. PARKES, EDITOR 



THIS DEPARTMENT IS CONDUCTED ESPECIALLY TO CONSERVE AND PRESERVE THE FOREST AND 

 THE LIFE THEREIN, WITH THE YOUTH OF THE COUNTRY AND THE YOUTH WITH THE FORESTS. 



CAN girls be forest guides? Certainly! Girl forest 

 guides can help conserve and preserve the forest, 

 just as well as the boys. For the forestry problem can 

 only be solved if we all co-operate. 



In the spring of 1915, I came across a tract of what 

 formerly had been agricultural lands, but which had been 

 taken over by a city for the protection of the watershed. 

 All over sumac, some wild cherry and other growth could 

 be noticed. It took some time, in fact, several months 

 of effort to convince the city fathers, that these lands 

 should be reforested with worthwhile trees, that would 

 not only give a greater protection to the watershed, but 

 that at some future day would also give a timber sup- 

 ply. These lands surround a beautiful lake. 

 * * * 



After the city fathers agreed to the plan proposed, an 

 order was placed for trees. The next problem confront- 

 ing us was the planting. The matter was presented to 

 the principal of the 

 Girls' High School, 

 who immediately 

 informed us, with 

 a smile, that the 

 girls would not 

 help. We begged 

 to present the mat- 

 ter to the girls. 

 The privilege was 

 granted, with the 

 result that four 

 hundred and thirty 

 High School girls, 

 that afternoon, 

 planted eight thou- 

 sand trees. The 

 following year, 

 1916, we again ap- 

 pealed to the same 

 school. This time 

 seven hundred and 

 seventy girls 



\- A^:<Z.'^Fiiiit-: 



sponded. 

 there 

 growing, 

 ly two 



re- 

 Today 

 are now 

 practical- 

 hundred 



THE GIRL PLANTERS 



This is one field where "equal rights" prevail. In other words, it is 

 just as right for a girl to be a tree planter as for a boy, and these 

 girls proved it by planting eight thousand trees in one afternoon. 



and fifty thousand trees on the lands surrounding the 

 lake. It was but a few days ago that the superintendent 

 in charge of this department stood by the side of a tree, 

 which when planted in 1915 was but three inches above 

 the ground, and now measures eight feet five and one- 

 half inches. ,.._... 



The outcome of the 1915 response of the four hundred 

 and thirty girls brought about annual tree planting cam- 

 paigns elsewhere, and as a result several million trees 

 have been planted on non-agricultural lands where no 

 trees were growing formerly, all of which I doubt would 

 have happened had this girl leadership not been given. 

 No further argument is needed in this locality about 

 the girls being able to render valuable service in the 

 cause of forestry, for on more than one occasion I have 

 found them assisting on the forest fire line, extinguishing 

 forest fires, and time and again they have reported fires, 

 which otherwise might have done considerable damage. 

 The girls have entered with the same spirit as the boys 

 in bird house building campaigns, in the protection of 

 the wild flowers, and on many occasions have estab- 

 lished feeding stations, during the cold winter months, 

 to preserve bird life, when no other food could be se- 

 cured by our feathered friends. * * * Girl Forest Guide 



Troops can be or- 

 ganized all over the 

 nation. Those who 

 are interested to 

 become leaders or 

 members of troops 

 should immediately 

 address the editor, 

 either care Ameri- 

 can Forestry Asso- 

 ciation, 1214 16th 

 Street, Washing- 

 ton, D. C., or Box 

 9, Reading, Penn- 

 sylvania. The de- 

 tails of the plan for 

 the organization of 

 troops are almost 

 completed, and we 

 expect soon to pre- 

 sent them to the 

 public, in order 

 that each of us may 

 do our bit in help- 

 ing to conserve 

 and preserve these 

 God-given nature 

 gifts. The same camping plans, proposed in the June 

 issue, will hold equally good for boys and girls, except 

 that the personal equipment and requirements natural- 

 ly must conform to the needs of the user. Girls have 

 proved their right to enter the lists with boys as A-1 

 tree planters. 



