42 THE ADVENTURES OF A NATURE GUIDE 



door school and it is open every day in the year. 

 Wherever there is a bit of wildness there are pretty 

 certain to be numerous interesting little wild peo- 

 ple. Of course bird reservations are even better 

 places for this kind of schooling and fun. But the 

 greatest of all places for these advantages are our 

 national parks. 



Surely one of the best pastimes for children — for 

 any one — is to wait at a wild-life centre and watch 

 the ways of its residents and its visitors. To do 

 this is pleasant self-discipline. It is constructive. 

 It keeps the eyes open and the senses alert. It 

 gives material for thought and compels thinking. 

 It arouses the imagination and wakes up the crea- 

 tive faculties. The faculty of keen observation, 

 the ability to see accurately, and the incentive to 

 watch for things that may happen around us, add 

 much to every outdoor day. Such happy expe- 

 riences as these truly enrich life. 



