CHAPTER XXX 

 CONSERVATION AND ITS LESSONS 



Problems : What is conservation and why is it necessary? 



What are some of the methods of conservation? 



How may our forests be conserved ? 



How may we protect our food fishes ? 



How may we conserve our bird life ? 



What are some of the problems in the conservation of mammals ? 



Laboratory Suggestions 



Field or museum trip to study some problems of conservation in my 

 community. 



Home project. Bird census made by the members of the class as individual 

 projects. 



Home project. Survey of the natural resources of my community. An excel- 

 lent method is for the individual members of the class to report on the different 

 phases of the conservation movement as it affects life in their community. 



Meaning and Need of Conservation. — Ever since President 

 Roosevelt gave his energy to the conservation movement, we have 

 heard a good deal about the conservation of our natural resourced. 

 Conservation means protection or care of the natural gifts that 

 nature has given us. More than this, it involves the fullest possible 

 development of our natural resources. But why is conservation 

 so necessary? 



We have seen that life on this earth is give and take, that animals 

 and plants live in a balanced relationship, and that if this balance 

 is disturbed, something is sure to happen to some of the living 

 things. Examples of such disturbances were seen when the rabbit 

 was introduced into Australia and the English sparrow into this 

 country. Having no natural enemies, they multiplied rapidly, 

 crowded out other useful animals, and became pests. Examples 

 in the plant world are seen in the introduction of such pests as the 

 Russian thistle and other weeds. 



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