SCOUTING FOR GIRLS 
375 
1. Introduction to Nature Study 
To the solid ground 
Of Nature trusts the mind which builds for aye . 
— Wordsworth. 
To understand nature is to gain one of the greatest 
resources of life. 
— John Burroughs. 
Nature Study means getting acquainted with the multi- 
tude of creatures, great and small, which inhabit the land, 
the water, and the air, and with the objects which sur- 
round them. Mother Nature has many, many secrets 
which she will reveal to sharp eyes and alert minds. It 
is, of course, impossible for any one to learn all these 
secrets, but the mastering of a few makes it easier to 
learn others, until finally it becomes clear that all life 
is related and that the humblest creature may be of the 
greatest importance to the welfare if the highest. 
It is for these reasons that the Girl Scout should learn 
as much as possible of the Wonders of Nature. This 
study may begin wherever you are, but rapid progress 
will be made by rambles afield and by visits to the great 
Natural History Museums. For example, a visit to the 
exhibition halls of the American Museum of Natural 
History in New York will answer many of your questions 
about animals you have seen and will enable you to 
answer many others for yourself, when you go out into 
the country. 
Nature Study in its broadest application includes all of 
the natural sciences, such as zoology, botany, geology, 
meteorology, and astronomy. So, there are many fasci- 
nating fields for study and enjoyment, and it does not 
matter much where we begin, whether it be Wild Flow- 
ers, Trees, Birds, Butterflies, or Stars. 
Of the more practical subjects especially suited to the 
