of New York 1 5 



THE WOODS 



WHERE is the boy with spirit so low who upon hearing 

 the name Robin Hood does not long to go to the 

 woods; and where is the girl who upon hearing the name 

 Gene Stratton Porter, does not wish to go out among the 

 beauties of nature. There is only one way for boys and 

 girls to satisfy this longing for the out-of-doors and that is 

 to get ready, go out into the open, and there fill up on the 

 many good things that nature holds ever ready to give to us. 



The forest is much more than a grouping of trees. It is 

 a complex community of living things. Associated with the 

 trees are shrubs, wild flowers, ferns, fungi, mosses, and many 

 other plants. And among this varied plant life live the 

 birds, the deer, the rabbits, the snakes, the squirrels, and a 

 long list of other animals. All these living things are a part 

 of the forest. To know the forest fully means that we know 

 these wonderful creatures of a great creation. Blessed is the 

 boy and the girl who can go out into the woods and learn 

 the many interesting and useful lessons that a woods envir- 

 onment makes available. 



There is no better place for summer play than among the 

 trees. A tree environment is the best place to seek adventure, 

 to become handy and hard, to see beauty, to think quietly, 

 to walk reverently, to become acquainted with trees, flowers, 

 and ferns, and to study the feathered folks and their furred 

 friends. But we cannot have these privileges unless we care 

 for our forests. It is a sad story, but only too true, that the 

 forests have been swept with haste from the face of the civil- 

 ized world. Few original forests, except those out of reach, 

 are now left. 



It is time to begin a constructive occupancy of the earth. 

 To exist as a Nation, to prosper as a State, and to live as a 

 people, we must have forests. But to have them we must 

 do our part in rebuilding the wrecked and wasted forest areas 

 that now abound everywhere. Forest fires must be stopped. 

 More and better trees must be produced. Existing forests 

 must be handled more wisely. Idle forest land must be put to 

 work. Unless these and many other necessary things are done, 

 forest restoration will not move forward. Our forest slogan 

 should be, "Let's have good forests and get them now." If 

 you want to do an act of kindness — Protect the Forests. 

 If you want to do an act of faith — Plant Forest Trees. If 

 you want to prove that you are unselfish — Devote Yourself 

 to the Woods. 



