AMERICAN FORESTRY GUIDES DEPARTMENT 



SOLAN L. PARKES, EDtTOR 



THIS DEPARTMENT IS CONDUCTED ESPECIALLY TO INSTRUCT THE YOUTH OF AMERICA TO AID IN 

 CONSERVING AND PRESERVING THE FORESTS, TREE, PLANT, BIRD AND HARMLESS ANIMAL LIFE. 



TJ7E have secured expressions of opinion from forest- 

 " ers, conservationists and other public-spirited citi- 

 zens representing every state in the Union as to the best 

 service which the American Forestry Guides can render 

 to their country. 



As a result of this we have arranged a pledge which 

 is taken by each Guide. It is as follows : 



"Believing as an American Forestry Guide that every 

 citizen should endeavor to see that our forests and other 

 trees, wild plants, birds and other harmless wild life, 

 should be protected and conserved for our common good, 

 I do hereby pledge myself to do nothing willfully or; 

 carelessly to injure any forest or other trees, wild plants, 

 birds or harmless animals, to do all in my power to pro- 

 tect and preserve the same, to prevent and extinguish 

 forest fires, to obey the laws of the United States and the 

 State wherein I may be, and to urge others to do like- 

 wise." 



A small manual is being prepared to tell the Guides 

 how to do their duty without being hindered in school 

 studies, and at the same time receive an abundance of ex- 

 ercise and pleasure. The fulfillment of this program will 

 result in building up health and in acquiring simplified 

 knowledge about trees, birds and animal life. 



We are receiving many letters in reference to the War- 

 den Guide and are happy to state that many of the boys 

 and girls who are remotely located and hitherto have 

 lacked opportunity to become a member of a National 

 Organization are willing to help the forests. 



It is gratifying to know that educators, scientists, natu- 

 ralists and the heads of State Departments have opened 

 their vast treasure houses of knowledge for us to help the 

 boys and girls of the American Forestry Guides, to get 

 a better understanding of the great out-doors, and the 

 benefits that we derive by the wise use of the things we 

 will find there. 



A committee of writers of boys and girls' books com- 

 posed of men and women who know what boys and girls 

 should read, will carefully review the books which we 

 are recommending to our members. In this same man- 

 ner every committee is being carefully organized and 

 we can assure our membership and the American people 

 that the greatest care is being exercised to make avail- 

 able only that which will bring about a better, more beau- 

 tiful and resourceful United States through the educa- 

 tion of the youth. 



We want the boys and girls living in the rural districts 

 of the country to join the growing family of the Ameri- 

 can Forestry Guides. School teachers may find it a very 

 good plan to organize posts of Forestry Guides in their 

 schools. It will help them in their nature study work. 



Boy and girl groups in villages, towns and cities should 

 organize themselves into the American Forestry Guide 

 Posts, and help in the prevention of forest fires. Never 

 let a forest fire bum, if you can possibly prevent it. The 

 American Forestry Guides have been helpful to the State 

 of Pennsylvania in getting two of the largest railways 

 in the state to place forest fire prevention cards in all 

 their stations. One company even had posters placed in 

 all of their coaches in the state. 



The Guides have also started a tree-planting cam- 

 paign to help the State Forestry Department in planting 

 its four million seedling trees on waste lands, which 

 are producing nothing. 



The Guides also helped to build a big Forestry exhibit 

 for a big educational event in Pennsylvania. They as- 

 sisted a number of Manual Training departments in 

 High Schools throughout the country in preparing tree 

 exhibits. 



We want to back up our President, who desires to 

 see an elementary Forest Course taught in the public 

 schools of the various states. Let us make this one of 

 our objectives and follow the example set by the State 

 of Tennessee, where a compulsory Forestry course has 

 been introduced into the public schools. 



Address communications to The American Forestry 

 Guides, 1214 Sixteenth Street, N. W., Washington, D. C., 

 or 431 Elm Street, Reading, Pennsylvania. 



^ :|c N< * ^ 



We want the American Forestry Guides to build bird 

 houses, and erect them, in order that when our feathered 

 friends visit us next spring they will find a house ready 

 for them to move into. Guides will be surprised what a 

 difference it will make in their home surroundings if 

 they have a family or two of native birds making their 

 home there too. It has often happened, however, that 

 houses are built, and erected, but noit used by the birds. 

 This is because the nesting box is not of the right size, the 

 diameter of the entrance is too large or too small, or 

 l)laced too high or too low. The following table, pre- 

 pared by Ned Dearborn, Assistant Biologist of the 

 United States Biological Survey, on the proper dimen- 

 sions for various species of birds, will be found helpful 

 in the building of bird houses : 



