Circulating copy 
 
 Agricultural Librarv 
 
 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
 
 EXTENSION SERVICE DIVISION OF COOPERATIVE EXTENSION 
 
 HOW EXTENSION MAY PARTICIPATE IN THE 
 VARIOUS PLANS FOR CONSERVATION* 
 
 By C. B. Smith 
 
 Assistant Director of Extension Work 
 
 The staff of my office, which largely directs my activities, has 
 selected for the general theme of this conference the subject of conser¬ 
 vation, having in mind primarily, I take it, the conservation of wildlife, 
 hut also, probably, the conservation of soil, of forests and plants, and 
 perhaps also the conservation of human energy and such things. They have 
 asked me to open this phase of the leaders' conference with a paper on 
 How Extension May Participate in the Various Plans for Conservation. 
 
 That is probably where they made a mistake, for my greatest concern is 
 for nature appreciation; and by that I mean particularly an appreciation 
 of the common things that daily surround us, such as the plants and birds 
 and trees and swamps, deserts, mountains, seas, sunsets, morning skies, 
 spider webs, snowflakes, storm, cloud, and stars. I have a notion that 
 if we can develop an appreciation of these things in our hearts — the 
 common everyday things that surround us and in which we are immersed — 
 we will just naturally become conservationists. We can't wantonly destroy 
 the things we understand and love. 
 
 It adds immensely to our satisfaction when we can call plants by 
 their names and know them when we see them; if we can recognize the birds 
 that sing to us and add so much to the joy of living; if we can tell their 
 songs and calls and recognize them on sight and call them by their true 
 names. Then, too, in our strolls through the fields and over the hills 
 and down the ravines and gullies, if we can recognize the rocks under our 
 feet, we are walking with the ages and our minds are carried back a mil¬ 
 lion years in speculation and wonder. Then, what shall I say of the stars 
 that illumine the heavens — stars that we look upon every night of our 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS EXTENSION PUBLICATION NUMBER 31 
 
 ^Presented at Tenth National 4-H Club Camp, Washington, D. C., on June 18, 
 1936. 
 
 DISTRIBUTION.—A copy of this publication has been sent to each extension 
 director, and to each agricultural-college library and experiment 
 station library. 
 
 July 1936 
 
Page 2 
 
 Mi sc. Ext. Pub. 31 
 
 lives from childhood to old age? Shall they always remain just a jumble 
 of heavenly lights; or can we, by study and observation, bring out law 
 and order among them and understand their mystery and know some of them 
 by name? My thought is, that to know and understand all these things 
 would be a continuous joy to us from youth to age. I would have every 
 extension worker and every rural boy and girl make of these common 
 things that surround us lifelong associates and friends. Not only would 
 such knowledge enrich our own lives, but would enrich the lives of all 
 those with whom we associate and would make us welcome in every society. 
 
 I think as I do about these things because statistics tell us 
 that nearly 50 percent of the farmers in the United States do not now, 
 and probably never will, sell on the average as much as $1,000 worth of 
 produce from the farm each year. Out of that $1,000, they have to pay 
 for their machinery, supplies, clothing, education, doctor’s bills, 
 entertainment, and what little traveling they do. Compare that with 
 your own income and you will see it is pitifully low. We are trying, 
 through extension and otherwise, to increase this income, and we may 
 succeed some; but, even if we should help in increasing this average 
 income as much as 50 percent, which would be far more than we have done 
 in the past, the income would still be pitifully low. 
 
 It is probable then, we can’t' add greatly to the money wealth 
 of nearly 50 percent of our farmers. The question, then, may be asked: 
 What can we do for them that will help them get the most out of life? 
 
 That is where we take up the work this morning. I believe it possible 
 to enrich men’s minds, their intellectual, their social, their recrea¬ 
 tional, and their spiritual life, even though we may not greatly enlarge 
 their pocketbooks. 
 
 And, in that enrichment, we may well begin with the youth of the 
 Nation, hence the concern of this group with such things as nature 
 appreciation, which leads, naturally, to understanding and we hope, also, 
 to .conservation - the subject of this conference. 
 
 The pursuit of knowledge may not be so exciting as the pursuit 
 of goods and prosperity; most of us are not likely to get far in the 
 pursuit of gold, but we can go far in the pursuit of knowledge - a kind 
 of wealth that all the world admires and wishes they had - and. that pur¬ 
 suit of knowledge- may well begin in our own back yard, with the plants 
 and insects and birds and animals and soils and rocks that are to be 
 found there. And I would stress, over and over again, the thought that 
 your own observation of these things, — how an anthill is built, the 
 food different birds feed on, what various clouds portend as to oncoming 
 weather, the changing position of the Great Bear in the heavens — these • 
 studies, these observations by you, supplement and go beyond book-learn¬ 
 ing, because they constitute the data out of which books come. 
 
 And, first of all, I want to compliment you on the long way.many 
 of you have-already come in this field. What you have already done is 
 inspiring. This week’s program, we hope, will carry us’all still more 
 
 842-36 
 
July 1936 
 
 Page 3 
 
 deeply into this work. Some of you may want to make nature apprecia¬ 
 tion and conservation a special project in your work. I hope that you 
 may not only have these special projects hut that nature appreciation, 
 nature observation and study, may he a, part of every hoys' and girls' 
 project from the youngest to the oldest groups. 
 
 We have made excerpts of what many of you are doing from the 
 extension reports you have sent in for the year 1934, so that each one 
 of you may have a copy and see what the other leader is doing. We have 
 not yet made excerpts from the 1935 reports, hut expect to do so and 
 that a number of States not mentioned in the 1934 excerpts will he in¬ 
 cluded in the excerpts for.1935. 
 
 I shall cite now a few examples, showing some of the features 
 of nature appreciation and conservation observed in some of the States, 
 which will serve to show what is included in the work and how it is 
 conducted. 
 
 Iowa, State College of Agriculture, it seems, has a wildlife 
 conservation specialist. That institution states: 
 
 "Five counties located in different sections of 
 Iowa conducted the conservation of wildlife project dur¬ 
 ing the year 1934. 
 
 "Wildlife and conservation work was conducted both 
 as an activity and a project. This was relatively new 
 work in Iowa, and it has for its object the establishing 
 of a greater appreciation of Iowa's out-of-doors resources 
 and to develop greater appreciation for the State conserva¬ 
 tion and wildlife program. 
 
 "In some counties, especially in the southern part 
 of the State, particular emphasis was placed on quail work. 
 
 This was carried on in cooperation with wildlife conserva¬ 
 tion of the extension service and the fish and game depart¬ 
 ment in Des Moines. 
 
 "Similar work on pheasants was co-nducted in other 
 counties. With the quail work the members placed emphasis 
 on seeing that adequate cover was given to the birds and 
 arrangements were made for winter feed supplies for the 
 quails* With the pheasant club, the members secured hatch¬ 
 ings of pheasants' eggs and, after raising the young 
 pheasants to a certain age, freed them in their particular 
 county. 
 
 "In Hamilton and Wright Counties, winter feeding 
 stations for the upland game birds were built. Exhibits 
 of these were made at the county corn-husking contests. 
 
 In the drought areas, 4-H members cooperated with the local 
 game wardens in the winter feeding of quail." 
 
 842-36 
 
Page 4 
 
 Misc. Ext. Pub. 31 
 
 In Minnesota, the extension forester reported: 
 
 "There are 45,000 hoys and girls in 4-H work. These 
 youngsters were all exposed to the possible opportunities in 
 4-H conservation through meetings sponsored by the State club 
 people in the respective counties. These were followed by 
 district meetings attended by delegates from the various clubs. 
 Here we presented definite lessons and definite projects that 
 could be adopted. In addition to lectures on the various 
 phases of forestry, game and fish, Pederal and State bulletins, 
 together with mimeographed suggestions by this department for 
 carrying on the work, were distributed. 
 
 "As a result, 10,000 youngsters enrolled in 4-H conserva¬ 
 tion and made definite contributions toward rebuilding Minne¬ 
 sota's resources, having to do with the raising of wild upland 
 game; providing needed shelter areas, feed, care, and protection; 
 restoration of game areas both upland and water; reclamation of 
 shelter and feeding areas; reforestation; erosion control; wind¬ 
 break and shelterbelt projects; protection against fire, disease, 
 and predators.: 
 
 "The educational value of these projects cannot be over¬ 
 estimated. An intensive study of trees; shrubs and weeds; col¬ 
 lection of tree samples; study and identification of native 
 birds, their food, economic importance,. and their enemies; and 
 elimination of predators through control measures were made. 
 
 The leaving and supplying of feed and the planting of feed for 
 upland game on the farm, and maintenance of feeding stations 
 during the winter months, have again brought forward the im¬ 
 portance of farming areas and the place the farmer can and 
 should play in future game restoration." 
 
 . The State club leader for Minnesota, Mr. Erickson, reports a 
 State-wide conservation contest for 4-H club members. Suggested activi¬ 
 ties for this contest are given as follows: 
 
 "1. Conservation of wildlife as a feature of 
 each monthly program.. 
 
 "2. The campaign of obey Eng all game laws in 
 
 the community and cooperation with the game 
 officials. 
 
 "3. Making a survey of wildlife in the community, 
 
 each member of the local' club- taking some part. 
 
 "4. Each member selecting some individual line of 
 work. 
 
 "5. Planting trees and shrubs along streams. 
 
 "6. Planting and protecting wild flowers, either 
 by making a wild-flower garden at home or in 
 the forest. 
 
 "7. Getting acquainted with and protecting some 
 kind of seasonal bird or animal. 
 
 842-36 
 
July 1936 
 
 Page 5 
 
 ”8. Winter feeding of game when food is scarce, 
 and the construction of feeding places. 
 
 "9. Making a study of and giving correct informa¬ 
 tion bn "birds and animals considered harmful, 
 
 "but which are really helpful. 
 
 "10.' Developing "bird and animal refuges-. 
 
 "11. Locating and saving pheasant nests, and those 
 of grouse and quail, when cutting hay and 
 alfalfa. 
 
 "12. Fire prevention and the elimination of fire 
 
 hazards, creating a sentiment in the community 
 against unnecessary fires. 
 
 "13. Planting material desirable for cover and food, 
 and saving nesting material. 
 
 "14. Protecting of game and songbirds from stray 
 house cats. 
 
 "15.' Constructing arid erecting bird houses, and 
 planning bird-house exhibits. 
 
 "16. Protection of fish, and rescue work. 
 
 "17. Planting and developing wild shrubs and trees 
 bearing fruit, such as c'hokecherr ies, pin 
 cherries, etc. 
 
 "18. Rearing of game birds. 
 
 "From the point of view of our State 4-H staff, says 
 Mr. Erickson, it was one of the most satisfactory 4-H club 
 events that we have ever held in our State. Six of the 
 State winners were given trips to the National Club Congress, 
 and the members in the winning clubs in the four districts 
 of the State receive a year's subscription to one of the 
 fine nature magazines. : 
 
 "A majority of our 98 county fairs made a feature of 
 the 4-H conservation exhibits and demonstrations. Seven 
 counties made rather extensive 4-H conservation exhibits at 
 the State fair. Reports of the leaders of 4-H clubs in 
 Minnesota indicate that 25,000 of the members of 4-H clubs 
 took some part in this work during 1934. 
 
 "Newspapers over the State have been unusually inter¬ 
 ested in this enterprise and have given it much publicity. 
 
 "The conservation of wildlife activity has been one 
 of the most popular features that we have ever added to our 
 4-H club program. 
 
 "Dean W. C. Coffey made the statement that, in his 
 opinion, it was probably the best feature that we have ever 
 added to our 1 4-H work. This feature has brought new inter¬ 
 est to the general 4-H club program on the part of those, 
 both in town and country, who are especially interested in 
 the conservation of wildlife. We have had a wonderful coop¬ 
 eration from the Sir Izaak Walton League and the various 
 game protective associations in the State. 
 
 "The reports of leaders indicate that 75 percent of 
 all 4-H members in Minnesota have taken some part in the activity." 
 
 842-36 
 
Page 6 
 
 Mlsc. Ext. Pub* 31 
 
 In the 1934 excerpts, you will find many more details regarding 
 this outstanding piece of work in Minnesota. 
 
 Nebraska held its first conservation and restoration of wildlife 
 4-H camp at Seward in 1935, with about 100 4-H youth and adults in at¬ 
 tendance. One day of the camp was designated as wild-animal day; another 
 was dedicated to birds, plants were the subject on the third day of the 
 camp; while the fourth was fish day, in which a fishing contest was 
 staged. 
 
 Mr. Hulbert, assistant extension director, in his 1934 heport on 
 nature work in New Jersey, makes the following statements: 
 
 ’’Through directed activity and observation we are 
 endeavoring to have the club member gain, at first hand, 
 an intimate and intelligent knowledge of his surroundings. 
 
 His interests and attention are directed toward plant, tree, 
 bird, animal, and insect life. He is led to observe care¬ 
 fully the relation between the plant and tree growth in his 
 immediate environment and the birds and animals that live 
 among the trees, in the meadows, and even in his back yard. 
 
 "The young people are encouraged to learn the differ¬ 
 ent kinds of birds by observing them at nesting time, and 
 to learn their feeding habits and know the effect of birds 
 on the control of insect pests—-the usefulness of birds. 
 
 The animals that live in the woods, along the streams, in 
 the meadows and hedgerows, on the farms become objects of 
 interest and study. The identification of trees by their 
 leaves, blossoms, bark, and habits of growth comes to be 
 an interesting game. The identification of birds by their 
 songs and their calls awakens a, new intimacy and contact 
 between the boy or girl and these feathered creatures and 
 creates a greater sympathy for and interest in the preserva¬ 
 tion of wildlife. 
 
 "As these interests grow a very natural step in the 
 mind of the boy or girl is a desire to build a bird house, 
 provide food for the birds when the ground is covered with 
 snow and ice, and to protect them from predatory animals 
 like the cat. After they have become interested in the 
 different kinds of trees it becomes an easy step to the 
 collection of wood specimens, learning about the uses of 
 the different kinds of wood and then to the conservation 
 and even the care of wood lots and the protection of the 
 forests from fires. 
 
 "Thousands of boys and girls in New Jersey are gain¬ 
 ing this intimate contact with the plant and animal life 
 of their neighborhood." 
 
 In New York, the extension entomologist reports that: 
 
 "Lectures on birds are usually arranged through the 
 county agents. These lectures are illustrated with slides 
 
 842-36 
 
July 1936 
 
 Page 7 
 
 or motion pictures, or both. During the last year we have 
 added 1,000 feet more to our bird film, bringing the total 
 of our sound motion pictures to 4,000 feet, and we are be¬ 
 coming more and more convinced of the value of this form of 
 material for bringing before the public the important facts 
 connected with the value and conservation of our native 
 birds. 
 
 "In the spring of 1934 Mr. Brand published his book 
 of bird song, which contains two phonograph records on which 
 are the songs of 35 native birds. These records are the 
 first ever published of native American-bird songs. They 
 have been well received by the public, and during the past 
 year much additional material has been gathered and the 
 methods of recording improved." 
 
 The club leader from Oklahoma reports as follows: 
 
 "Of late 4-H club members have taken a tremendous 
 interest in the great out-of-doors and are giving some time 
 to the study of trees, birds, insects, and weeds which are 
 found everywhere. 
 
 "It is true that the country is a much more beautiful 
 place to 4-H club members if they are able to know the trees. 
 
 If they are able to know birds by their whistle or call, by 
 their plumage, by their nesting habits and by their 'menu', 
 it makes a difference as to their appreciation of rural com¬ 
 munities ." 
 
 "Familiarity with insects and weeds, too, is important, 
 and interesting. Club members are learning the names and 
 habits of insects which are common in our localities, the 
 damage they do and the control methods which are best to use 
 in case they menace our crops." 
 
 I needn't go on with this recital of work in the States. You 
 will get more details and reports of other work in the States in the 
 excerpts to be distributed to you. 
 
 The final thought I want to leave with you is that we now have 
 a million and forty thousand boys and girls and rural youth enrolled 
 in various clubs; every one of those members should be given opportun¬ 
 ity and encouraged to observe and study nature in all her moods. We 
 can help this group to some degree to increase their income. We prob¬ 
 ably can enrich them most by getting them acquainted with the things 
 that surround them and by lending our encouragement to each one for 
 individual studies in these fields. 
 
 We need, first, to have this appreciation for nature ourselves 
 before we can inspire anyone else. I hope the day may come when every 
 boy and girl in school and elsewhere may learn as much and know as much 
 about robins, that are a part of their daily life for most of the year, 
 as they do about the battle of Bunker Hill, or the rivers of Africa. 
 
 842-36 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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