THE KANSAS SCHOOL NATIJRAL/ST

AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL?

Kansas State Teachers College Vol. 15 Emporia, Kansas FEBRUARY No.3 1969

The Kansas

School Naturalist Published by

The Kansas State Teachers College of Emporia

Prepared and Issued by

The Department of Biology, with the cooperation of the Division of Ed ucation

Editor: Robert]. Boles

Editorial Committee: Ina M. Borman, Robert F. Clarke, Gilbert A. Leisman, Bernadette Menhusen,

David F. Parmelee, Carl W. Prophet

The Kansas School Naturalist is sent upon request, free of charge, to. Kansas teachers, school board members and administrators , librarians, conservationists , youth leaders , and other adults inter­ested ill nature educatioll. Back nllllibers are sent free as long as

supply lasts, except Vol. .5, No.3 , Poisonous Snakes of Kansas. Copies of this issue may be obtained for 2.5 cents each postpaid. Send orders to The Kansas School Naturalist, Department of Bi­ology, Kansas State Teachers College, Emporia, Kansas, 66801.

The Kansas School Naturalist is published in October, Decelllber, February, and April of each year by The Kansas State Teachers

College, 1200 Commercial Street, Emporia, Kansas, 66801. Sec­

ond-class postage paid at Emporia, Kansas.

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shuwing (hqH.~IShip , .\ 1;1 lldgellll'lli and Circulatioll." Thl" K;lIl~iI .... School Nalllrali:-.1 is puhlished ill

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mercial Slreet, Fillporia, Kiln,as. 66H() 1 , The N,"ur"I!>1 is edi ted "lid puhlished I", the l~a" s;1S Slale Teachers College, Fmporia, Kallsas. L<lilor, llubcrtJ. Boles. IlqJilrlmClI1 o r BiologL

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AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL? Introduction

Conservation has taken on a new importance in the last half of the twentieth century. The prob­lems of air and water pollution, chemical and radiation poison­ing, and solid wastes, although not new, have become increasing­ly difficult with the growth of population, industry, and in­ventive genius. One of the most urgent educational tasks of our time is that of alerting the Ameri­can public to the gravity of these problems. This task must, in a large part, be accomplished through our schools. With this objective in mind, the Kansas State Teachers College Work­shop in Conservation has in­cluded the following topics in this issue of The Kansas School Naturalist: (1) water pbllution, (2) air pollution, (3) food and soil contamination by pesticides and radioactive wastes, and (4) solid wastes.

The Dying Waters

Our country's development over the past fifty years has been marked by tremendous progress in many fields. It has made pos­sible great gains in the health, comfort, and standard of living of the people. These gains have not, however, been without cost. Part of the cost has been the damage to the water resources

which has resulted from contam­inated water discharged into the streams by our growing cities and industries. All water uses have been affected-public water supplies, recreation, agriculture, industry, fish and aquatic life.

What do we mean by the ex­pression "water pollution"? This term is used to describe water when it contains substances which make it unfit for use by humans and wildlife. There are two main causes of water pollution: (1) un­wanted wastes, such as domestic sewage, industrial and agricul­tural wastes, and (2) silt that washes off the land into rivers and fiUs up the reservoirs behind our dams.

Basically, water pollution is the upsetting of the balance ofnature. An unpolluted lake or stream is an excellent example of Nature's forces in balance. Fishes and other aquatic animal life take in oxygen and give off carbon di­oxide in their life processes, the same as do land animals. Plants take in carbon dioxide and give off oxygen into the sorrounding water.

Up to a certain point water may be said to "purify itself." When organic material, such as sewage, enters the water it is diluted by the large volume of clean water in the waterway. Tiny bacteria in the water and in the sewage itself begin to work on this foreign mat­ter, utilizing the stored energy

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present and converting the waste to other products. Aerobic bac­teria need oxygen for their life processes, so they take some of the dissolved oxygen from the water that the fish and other aquatic life need. With the dis­solved oxygen reduced or de­pleted, fish may suffocate. Pollu­tion has then reached a level lethal to much of the aquatic life. The amount of pollution a stream can absorb is limited by the amount of oxygen available for bacterial action. The oxygen sup­ply depends upon the amount of water in a stream or lake, oxygen production by green plants, and the rate at which the water moves. A large, fast-moving river can tolerate more organic material than a slow-moving sluggish stream.

How much harm does polluti-ol1 really do? Should we be concern­ed about it? To answer these ques­tions we must find out how pol­

lution affects our lives and our uses of water. We must compare the price we pay for pollution, not just in dollars, but with the loss of aquatic life and the lower­ing of aesthetic values.

Air Pollution

Air pollution has been with us since time began. An air pollutant may be defined as any suspended particle of foreign matter which is not considered native to the mixture of gases which constitute our atmosphere. At the present time in the United States we pol­lute our air with 140,000,000 tons of "aerial garbage" each year.

Impurities in the air are classi­fied as aerosols and gases. Aero­sols are suspensions of fine solid and liquid particles in the air such as gas, smoke, fog, dust, or mist. Smoke, a product of incom­plete combustion, is a leading aerosol. The gases found in fuel combustion emissions include nitrogren oxides, sulfur oxides, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, aldehydes, acids, and ozones. Automobile exhaust, it should be noted, produces both aerosols and gases.

Natural pollutants in the at­mosphere include pollen, plant spores, sands, dusts stirred up by winds, and smoke from fires prcr duced by natural forces, such as lightning. On the other hand, man-made pollutants consist of visible dust, smoke, fumes, and many kinds of invisible gases released through man's activities.

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Extent of Air Pollution

Many air pollution incidents are the results of temperature in­version, a recurrent "upside­down" condition of the atmos­phere. Normally, air heated at ground level by sunshine and the earth's warmth will rise. As it does, so, its temperature drops several degrees with every 1,000 feet of altitude. Sometimes this upward air current may be block­ed when it comes in contact with a thicker and warmer inversion layer which acts as a lid to pre­vent the polluted air from con­tinuing to rise. The inversion per­sists until the weather changes,

permitting the warm air to rise and allowing the cooler air to escape, carrying the pollutants away.

In recent years the advent of two particularly annoying types of pollution, both of which are loosely called "smog," has focused attention on the fact that the supply of pure air over a number of our larger cities is diminishing. Strenuous efforts are now being made to increase the quantity and improve the quality of air above our cities.

Smog is a combination of smoke and fog. Pollution does not always produce smog, nor does fog have to be present when smog

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appears. Smog is of lWO types: (1) the "London" type and the (2) "Los Angeles" or photo­chemical type.

In London and other areas where coal is the principal fuel used, London type smog blankets the city at night or on foggy days when the temperature drops be­low 500 F and the air is stag­nant. On the other hand, photo­chemical smog is prevalent around Los Angeles and some other sunny, poorly-ventilated, heavily-motorized urban centers. The current theory is that this smog is caused mainly by the

interaction of oxidants and cer­tain hydrocarbons under the in­fluence of sunlight.

Two factors are needed to pro­duce objectionable contamina­tion. These are (1) impurities in the atmosphere and (2) insuf­ficient air movement to carry them away.

Is this pollution countrywide or localized? Air pollution is not confined to large industrial cities, or to places that are smog-prone because of topography. Every city of more than 50,000 has a potential air-pollution problem.

A new arrival on the pollution scene, sound, is becom­ing an problem. Jet

':;,,",n..HJll'; the sound barrier" are sources of noise that are undesirable oreven

A partial solution might include restrictions on pilots and flight operations and ",uuuUU'.LU'ULllll'" by insulation. The latter would be very to the homeowner unless assistance from state or federal agencies were available.

harmful of air luHon are:

A. On human life a. cause severe irri­tation the eyes b. may vate especially in the very young or c. may have an adverse psychological effect upon

d may even lethal concentrations

B. On vegetation a. may affect the aesthetic value of plants and flowers by soot settling from the

b. may kill plants in the vicinity the pollution source

C. On the weather a. ports, ways b. particles in the air serve as a nucleus about which moisture may collect c. may cause a consider­

able in the amount of light available during the day

D. On buildings and other structures a. may make it necessary to paint and clean build-

at intervals b. acid fumes may pock­

some stone surfaces and of at c. may cause a severe drop in market value of property in the pollu­tion area

E. On goods a. may discolor clothing b. food products may pick up UH'U<:;;::,l.l

c.

d. may cause the of rubber tires

~...~~."~~~,, and television have to

the air pollution problems of cities and heavily industralized areas of both the east west coasts. most people have assumed that the atmosphere of Kansas is clean and pure. Un­fortunately, there is an air pollu­tion in City, as well as real or potential problems

in other state. air is a neces­

health and enjoyment of out-of-doors. We must not

fail to conserve its quality. With this in mind, the State of Kansas has recently established the Quality Commis­sion to help keep Kansas air clean.

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Industry is taking steps to re­duce air pollution by altering the operation of their plants in such a way as to reduce the amount of contaminants generated. An­other procedure has been to make use of devices that remove con­taminants from gases which have been released into the atmosphere.

A Federal law has been passed which requires 1968 and later model cars in the United States to be equipped with a blow-by and tailpipe device to cut down on air pollution from auto exhausts. There is no legislation to take care of older model cars.

The test ban agreement on nu­clear weapons testing shows some progress in the right direction toward lessening atmospheric contamination from fallout. It may also be necessary to desig­nate specific areas where special­ly designed incinerators will be placed to dispose of all things which are to be burned. These would be constructed in such a way as toprevent as much pol­lution from entering the atmos­phere as possible.

Chemical Pollution The tern "pesticide" was coined

approximately 20 years ago as a collective noun to cover all ma­terials used to control or destroy pests. There are now some 900 compounds made into more than 60,000 formulations that come under the heading of pesticides. These can be grouped into sev­eral categories. Some of the more common categories are:

Insecticides - to control in­jurious insects which affect plants, animals, and human beings

Herbicides - to destroy un­wanted weeds

Fungicides - to prevent or cure plant diseases caused by fungi

Rodenticides - to control ro­dent populations

Antibiotics - to cure bacteria­caused diseases

Pest control has been with man for a long time. The Greek poet Homer (1000 B. C.) wrote of "pest-averting sulfur," and Demo­critus (270 B. C.) suggested the use of a product of olives to cure blight.

Major disasters cuased by pests have included the bubonicpiague, the Great Potato Famine in Ire­land (caused by a fungus), and the grasshopper plague of the mid-western section of the United States in 1874.

Ecologically speaking, it may be said that man has been pri­marily responsible for bringing many disasters upon himself through increased population and migration. If left untouched, nature will normally develop a balance among plants and ani­mals. Under natural selection, those best fitted to live in the area will survive. N atural enemies will prey on the weaker, leaving only the stronger to continue the species. However, man alters his environment and controls his natural enemies. In this process, man upsets the balance of nature,

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USE PESTICIDES

SAfELY and creates many new problems.

In 1963 the President's Science Advisory Committee (P. S.A. C.) issued a pesticide report. The re­port supported much of the evi­dence presented by Rachel Car­son and other writers and care­fully assessed the risks and bene­fits of many pesticides. The re­port pointed out that the United States used 350 million pounds of pesticides in 1962, and estimated that one out of twelve acres on the mainland of the United States was treated with pesticides in that year. Some of these pesticides have been found to remain in the soil for several years.

One of the most often used in­secticides is D. D. T. (dichloro­diphenyl-trichloro-ethane). It was used in 1944 by the United States Army to halt an epidemic of typhus in l\:aples. D.D. T. will kill a large variety of insects. The United States Department ofAgri­culture (u. S. D.A.) estimates it is

successful against forty to flfty different kinds, including J apan­ese beetles, lice, flies, mosquitoes, and termites. However, it is also poisonous to fish and various other animals if they consume too much. The P.S.A.C. report stated: "In recent years, we have recog­nized the wide distribution and persistence of D. D. T. It has been detected at great distances from the place of application ... (it) has been found in oil of fish that live far at sea, and in fish caught off the coast of eastern and western North America, South America, Europe, and Asia."

Many conservationists and naturalists also point with alarm to the sky-rocketing toll of such chemicals upon fish, birds, and wild .animals. For example, in the remote areas of the Arctic and Antiarctic, duck eggs, ducklings, penguins, and seals have been af~ fected by D.D. T. A dramatic ex­ample of the effects of pesticides on fish occurred in 1954 and again in 1956 when millions of young salmon were eliminated in the Maramichi River in New Brunswick, Canada. D.D. T. ap­plications of one-half pound per acre for control of the spruce budworm resulted in the death of almost all of the young salmon in portions of that river.

Many birds-the American Eagle among them-have shown less and less capacity to success­fully produce young since the widespread use of modern insecti­cides. Tests have shown chemicals reduce the fertility of birds, and

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many scientists believe that this is the result of feeding on spray­contaminated worms, seeds, and berries. The chemicals accumulate in the fat, egg yolks, and repro­ductive organs of animals, in­creasing the chances of harmful effects. In 1959 in some areas of Michigan the elm trees were sprayed with chemical pesticides. The insects and the earthworms absorbed large quantities of the chemicals but not enough to kill them. When song birds fed on the insects and earthworms, 90 per­cent of the birds were reported to have been killed.

It is now known that chemicals are stored in the human body and may do damage. D.D. T., a "stable" insecticide, may eventu­ally get into our food supply, primarily as a result of being deposited in the fat of poultry and beef animals. Average Ameri­can adults now carry 100-200 mg. of D. D. T. around with them in their fatty tissue. Recently sci­entists of the Food and Drug Administration declared that it is "extremely likely the potential hazard of D. D. T. has been under­estimated." This is also true of many other chemical pesticides. It is believed that, if an accumu­lation in large enough amounts occurs, some damage to the hu­man liver may result.

While the majority of people recognize the dangers involved in the use of chemical pesticides, most will also agree that we are forced to use such chemicals. Much has been said against wide­spread use of newer chemicals, especially insecticides, but evi­

dence equally as startling can be presented to prove the effectiveness and need for such chemicals in our modern society. Man must contend with 250 animal diseases, 1,500 plant diseases, and 10,000 kinds of insects for his food sup­ply. Weeds, disease, and insect pests would take an extremely heavy toll if chemicals were not used. The yield per acre, the yield per man hour, and the quality of the products produced would all suffer if these chemicals were with­drawn from use.

Modem agriculture is charged with the responsibility of pro­ducing ever greater quantities of food for the expanding world population. Every eleven seconds there is a new mouth to feed in the United States. Each year we add enough people to equal three new cities the size of Washington, D. C. This charge is being met through improved farming prac­tices, pesticide chemicals, new and better crops, fertilizers, and new farm equipment.

Many serious animal and hu­man diseases may now be con­trolled through the use of chemi­cal pesticides. Among such diseases are malaria, typhus, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, plague, yellow fever, sleeping sick­ness, and Texas cattle fever.

Regulations governing the use of pesticides are administered by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). If a pro­posed pesticide is not intended for use on food crops, the USDA can approve it for use on the basis of the manufacturer's ex­

perimental data. If it is intended for food crops, however, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) must establish a tolerance level­that is, a concentration above which the pesticide must not ac­cumulate in the product as used by human beings. The FDA tests show that the amountofpesticidal residue will not be harmful to per­sons, even if they were to eat the food for a lifetime. Further, manufacturers must prove that pesticidal chemicals are effective against destructive pests, and they show which pests the chemical will control. A warning or cautioning statement concerning the hazards that may be involved in handling or using the material is printed on the accompanying instructions and lebels.

State laws require labeling to warn the consumer of any pos­sible hazards in using the chemi­cals, as well as the licensing of professional pesticide applicators. Laws and regulations in most states either duplicate federal re­quirerr.ents or establish similar ones to protect the consumer.

Chemicals may be beneficial as well as damaging, therefore it would be foolhardy to abolish all chemicals or, on the other hand, to permit wholesale, uncontrolled usage. A thoughtful discussion of the pros and cons of regulation points out the need for further re­search and public education.

Solid Waste Disposal

As the richest country on Earth, the United States has special problems.

n • •• With purple mo unta in majesty , fr om sea to shining sea-America , America, we shed our tra sh on thee .. .!"

Industries take natural re­sources, such as iron and wood, change them into finished pro­ducts, such as toys, automobiles, and magazines, and sell the pro­ducts to the consumer. But to "consume" means to do away with completely. However, no product is actually " consumed." Instead, everyone is a user. We use a product and then throw it away.

Can we cope with the ever-in­creasing mass of solid wastes? Waste disposal is a major na­tional problem. It is no solution to shift solid wastes on the ground into the air through the process of burning. There must be a total look at all waste disposal.

The government-sponsored Task Force on Environmental Health and Related Problems is a waste disposal effort to provide

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by 1973 a grant-in-aid program for solid waste disposal at the local level, a developmental re­search program to ititegrate solid and liquid waste disposal and air quality control, and a program for the disposal of nuclear wastes.

We can no longer accept the inadequate ways by which this steadily mounting burden of waste is being handled. Each in­dividual adds to the refuse prob­lem, and it is speeded up by every new product and process. Every new development creates moun­tains of material to be disposed of by ancient and inefficient methods. No longer are ashes and garbage the chief solid wastes with which to cope. Today rub­bish includes everything from dead animals, industrial wastes, demolition refuse, and non­returnable containers to haz­ardous special wastes from hospi­tals and nuclear power plants. The refuse disposal problem has reached such proportions in many metropolitan areas that they have exhausted most of the available land-fill areas.

Americans make morethan half of the world's trash. The problem will unquestionably get worse as our present yearly total of 165 million tons of solid wastes in­creases to 260 million tons in the next decade. In 1920 the average person threw away 2.75 pounds of "junk" a day; now we throw away 4.5 pounds a day. The present 165 million tons would cover Kansas with a layer of debris six feet deep. One year's

rubbish would flll 36 lines of box cars stretching from coast to coast. As our world becomes more and more heavily populated there is no longer an "away." One per­son's trash basket is another's living space.

There are some solutions to at least some of the solid waste prob­lems. In small communities dis­posal areas can be made to grow trees, shrubs, grasses, and flowers which will protect and even beautify the landscape. We can relocate old disposal dumps and select better sites for new ones. Once sites are found, an engineer and a plant-materials specialist are needed to complete the job. Some states have obtained the necessary technical information to assure that future dumpingwill not result in unsightliness. Kan­sas can, too.

One of the best solutions is a sanitary landfill. Refuse disposal should never be a permanent land use; it should be a way of mak­ing land suitable for permanent use.

Solid waste collection and dis­posal programs will have to be made a part of every community's comprehensive plan with the long range needs clearly identified. The disposal problem is not a simple one and will not be solved easily. Research remains a basic need not only in heavy material, as auto scrap, but in the entire solid waste field.

The Solid Waste Disposal Act passed by Congress in early 1966 provided technical and financial

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aid to state and local govern­ments in planning, developing, and managing solid waste dis­posal.

It has been suggested that the United States may gain the dis­tinction of being the first nation to place a man on the moon, while standing knee-deep in gar­bage! We must learn to take better care of our resources and to better dispose of our wastes on earth. There is no choice. After all, it is the only earth we have.

Radiation

Another problem closely related to air and soil pollution is pol­lution by radioactive materials. This type of pollution usually oc­curs from accidents associated with the disposal of radioactive wastes or from atmospheric fall­out resulting from nuclear bomb tests.

The safe disposal of radioactive wastes from nuclear reactors and uranium processing plants pre­sents one of the more difficult problems associated with the use of atomic materials. Greater knowledge of the behavior of these chemicals with the soil is necessary because soil is often used as a waste disposal medium. Radioactive waste may be stored in vaults, wells, holding ponds, etc., or spread directly on the soil surface, distributed by seep­age fields, or disposed of in soil by other means.

The most dangerous element from the atomic test bursts is strontium 90. It comes down

mainly in raindrops, fine morn­ing mists, and fog. Radioactive material from the air is deposited and accumulates on the ground, where it may contaminate drink­ing water, grasslands, or agri­culture crops. We know so little of fallout patterns and the safe radioactivity level that no one at present can say whether or not our water supply is being seriously damaged. We are told, however, that the use of nuclear weapons underground may con­taminate large underground water supplies used for drinking and irrigation. Scientists have stated that every test of a nuclear weapon increases the potential danger.

Fallout can gain access to man's food chain by becoming part of plant or animal tissues. Plants absorb soluble fall-out compounds that might be present in the soil water. Animals eat plants which have taken radio­active dust. When man eats plant or animal products contaminated with radioactivity, he becomes subject to injury.

A study of the effects of radia­tion on the human body shows that the organs and tissues most affected by radiation are blood, bone marrow, thyroid gland, lungs, lymphatic system, skin and hair follicles, food tube, urinary track, liver, eyes, and the repro­ductive organs. Calcium and strontium 90 become concentrated in the bones, and are believed to be responsible for the production of some types of bone cancer and leukemia. Scientists have found that fresh milk, carrying

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iodine 131, can produce cancer of the thyroid gland.

Babies and growing children are the most affected by radia­tion. One result is an increase in the chances that something will be wrong with some of the babies born in future generations due to genetic changes. The chances are increased with each new genera­tion.

Scientists know very little about how badly future man will be hurt by the nuclear weapons exploded to date, but they have learned that the potential danger is far greater than originally imagined.

In spite of dangers, we should not overlook the fact that radio­active atoms are put to work by man in doing all kinds of won­derful things to make our lives healthier, longer, and happier. Radiation treatment for cancer h as proved to be successful in many cancer cases. More and more electricity in the future may be produced by nuclear reactors. One of the most recent develop­ments in the use of radiation is converting salt water of the seas to freshwater to provide man with additional water sources.

Activities

1. Use the bulletin board for dis­playing pictures, pollution topics, and up-to-date articles about air and water pollution.

2. Conduct a poster contest about the pollution problem and pos­sible solutions. Give some award or recognition for the best or most informative post­ers.

3. Field trips: polluted areas, sew­age disposal plants, water treatment plants, feed lots, etc.

4. Invite a speaker from the Pub­lic Health Department or the Soil Conservation Department to discuss the pollution prob­lems of your area with your students.

5. A "smoke" experiment: close the air holes of a bunsen burn­er to produce a reddish flame. Note the black deposit that collects on the bottom of a porcelain dish when it is held in the flame. What causes the soot formation? Open the air holes and change the flame until it becomes almost invis­ible. Burn off the soot deposit on the dish. Where did the soot go? What is the cause of most formation?

6. Bring a dirty furnace filter to class to illustrate the dust and foreign particles found in household air.

7. Count a specific number of passing automobiles on a busy street. Record all those which produce a visible amount of smoke from their exhausts. Prepare a graph showing the relationship between the num­ber of cars counted and the number that are visibly con­taminating the air with smoke and fumes.

8. Have the class write a skit or prepare a program about pol­lution problems.

9. Have members of your class investigate the qualifications needed for various jobs in con­servation work.

REFERENCES

Pesticides and Radiation 1. Carson, Rachel. 1962. Silent Spring.

Houghton Mifflin Compa ny. Cam­bridg e.

2. Hyde, Margaret O. 1955. Atoms: To­day and Tomorrow. McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc. New York.

3. Lewellen, John. 1949. You and Atomic Energy and Its Wonderful Vses. Chil­dren's Press, Inc. Chicago.

Water Pollution 1. Heffernan, Helen, and George Shaftel.

1963. The Water Story . L. W. Singer Company. Chicago.

2. Public Health Service, U.S. Department of Health, Education and vVelfare. 1961. The Living Waters. #382. Wash­ington, D. C.

3. Federal Security Agency, Public Health Service. 1951. Water Pollution in the United States. if 64. Wilshington, D. C.

Air Pollution 1. Carr, Donald E. 1965. The Breath of

Life. W. W. Norton. New York. 2. Lewis, Alfred. 1965. Clear the Air!

McGraw-Hill Book Company. New York.

Solid Wastes 1. Mix, Sheldon A. March, 1966. Solid

Wastes: "Every Day, Another 800 Mil­lion Pounds." Today 's Health.

2. Pringle, Laurence. April, 1968. Space­ship Earth. Nature and Science. Vol. 5, No. 14.

3. U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare. June, 1967. A Strategy for a Livabl e Environment. U.S. Gov­ernment Printing Office. Washington, D.C.

TH IS ISS UE of The Kansas School Naturalist was produced by a committee of participants in the 1968 Sum mer Work­shop in Conservation. Workshop commit­tee members were (from left to right): Front row: Norman Morray, Madison; Oleva Dannels, Hugoton; Sylvia Grisham, Kan­sas City; Pauline Hawk, lola . Second row: Irene Batka, Wichita; Ann Phillips, Abby­ville; Faye Hathaway, Council Grove; Fsther Morris, Hartford. Third row: Nat KinJund, Garden City; Lyle Schmaus, Em­poria; Flossie Olson, Clifton; Ben Eichem, Wamego; Robert Hartup, Junction City. The Workshop was under the direction of Thomas Eddy, of the KSTC biology fac­ulty.

"It is absurd to believe that the races of men who turned an empty, forbidding continent into the most effiCient engine ofpro­duction and distribution ever seen, who created the fiTstlllass democmcy with essential order and essentia l freedom will no t solve the pToblcms ofcrowding, PO Ve1"ty, pollution, and ugli­ness. "-ETic Sevareid

TH1~ COVER DESIGN was drawn by Charles MJllbern, as were several other Ulustration~ used in this issue. Additional illustrations were drawn by Robert Boles. The committee also wishes to thank Na­tional Wildlife a nd The l{egister a nd Tri ­bune Syndicate for the use of the two car­toons.

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THE 1969 WORKSHOP IN CONSERVATION will be con­ducted from June 9 to June 27. There will be but one section this summer. As in the past several years, the Workshop will cover water, soil, grassland, wildlife conservation and con­servation teaching.

There will be lectures, demonstrations, discussion groups, fLlms, slides, field trips, projects, and individual and group projects. The Workshop is open to any interested person; there are no prerequisites. You may enroll for undergraduate or graduate credit.

For other information write the director, Thomas Eddy, Department of Biology, KSTC, Emporia, Kansas 66801.

AUDUBON SCREEN TOURS

The Department of Biology will present the last of the eleventh Audubon Screen Tours for 1968-1.969 on Monday, April 7, 1969, in Brighton Lecture Hall, on the Kansas State Teachers Co llege campus. This all-color motion picture en­tiUed "This Curious World of Nature" will be personally nar­rated by the outstanding naturalist and photographer, Wil­liam Ferguson. The program will start at 7:30 p. m. Both group and single admission tickets are available; for further information write to Dr. John Ransom, Department of Bi­ology, KSTC, Emporia 66801.

PREVIOUS ISSUES

A limited number of previous issues of The Kansas School Naturalist are, as of this printing, still a vai:lable for distribu­tion. The out-of-print issues may be found in many school and public libraries in Kansas. Xeroxed copies of such issues may also be secured for one dollar by writing the Editor.

The following copies are still available: Dec. 1957, An Out­line for Conservation Teaching in Kansas; Feb. 1959, Poison­ous Snakes of Kansas; Nov. 1960, Let's Experiment (iI'l); May 1961, The F. B. and Rena G. Ross Natural History Reservation; Jan. 1963, Kansas Natural History in 1863; Feb. 1965, What Is Conservation? Apr. 1965, Lizardsof Kan­sas; Mar. 1966, Let's Experiment (second of a series); Oct. 1966, Your Nature I.Q.; Dec. 1966, Time and Velocity; Feb. 1967, Ferns in Kansas; Apr. 1967, Recent Science Books for Children; Dec. 1967, Winter Nature Study; Feb. 1968, Doomed for Extinction?; Apr. 1968, The First 14 Years; Oct. 1968, All Small Fish Aren 't Minnows; Dec. 1968, Plants of the Holiday Seasons.

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