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lose sight of the fact that there is no substitute for first-hand teaching 
materials on our doorsteps, in our backyards, or on our schoolgrounds, even 
though we teach in the heart of a big city. Interrelationships exist even in 
our own houses and classrooms. The potted plant on the window ledge re- 
ceives our exhaled carbon dioxide, combines it with water from the soil, and 
by the sun’s energy produces all the food needed for its existence. 
Because of the elimination of natural areas by ever-expanding super- 
highways, suburbs, and industry, a greater need has developed in every 
school for an outdoor laboratory, readily accessible the year around, dedi- 
cated permanently to the study of outdoor biology. Here the wise use of 
natural resources may be studied at first hand. 
Students can learn to appreciate the words of John Muir: “The grand 
show is eternal.” We have lost much of our ability to observe outdoor phenom- 
ena. A leaf collection on a board does not convey appreciation for the 
beauty all around us. One bird in a bush is worth a whole flock in a 
museum. A land-use survey chart of the campus can increase the student’s 
understanding of natural resources as they apply to himself. Bird charts of 
the area, listing the arrival and departure of migrants, permanent residents 
and winter visitors can be a challenge to a select committee from any biology 
class. A month-by-month study and record of nature activities in the area 
can develop into a lifetime hobby which will enrich the lives of many. 
1 Pt ti 
The “Nature Area” at East St. Louis High School consists of a 2%-acre 
plot on the northwest corner of the campus. This area is unique in that it 
includes a remnant stand of climax oak — elm forest, and a wide variety 
of native plants and animal life. The plant species include an overlapping 
vegetation where north meets south, a wide combination of flora and fauna 
in the great “American Bottom.” The area includes a swamp in the old 
river oxbow loop (lagoon), upper grass land, and climax forest. Our im- 
mediate plans are for a multiflora rose fence surrounding the area. The 
east unforested part will be planted to native trees. Projects under way or 
planned include a wildlife food patch, a small forest nursery, a wildflower 
area, a wilderness area, and a small lake. 
Some biology projects include wildlife land use, a water survey, a soil 
survey, a plant survey, wildflower study, a photography committee, and a 
file or records committee. Problem studies cover the ecological relation- 
ships in climax forest, old log, stump, dead tree, swamp, thicket, grassland, 
and food plot. Projects include: nesting census, classification of all plants 
and animals of the area, mapping the area, water resources, fire control, 
food chains, and plant succession. 
Biology Department, East St. Louis High School, East St. Louis, Ill. 
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