July 03, 1986 - Always a TeacherAlways a Teacher
By PAUL STOUTENBURGH
Most of my adult life has been dedi-
cated to the education of our youth in
one way or another. During summer
vacations and in retirement I have
specialized in educating young and
old about the world they live in. This
is probably the most rewarding teach-
ing I've ever done.
Many years ago we worked with a
group of youngsters in Orient and it
was there that I saw whatfun it would
be to teach, and hopefully how much
good could come from, a basic course
in ecology.
The world of ecology, environment
and conservation has been the banner
cry for many in recent years but when
we first spoke of it in those early days
it had a difficult time being under-
stood. Even today, there are those
who use it and are not fully aware of
its meaning. Nevertheless, we must
understand the functioning of our
world and that is why I feel so dedi-
cated in working with our young.
Whether it's a horseshoe crab
crawling out of the sea, on its annual
200 - million -year ritual of egg - laying
or the drifting sands along our
beaches or some other natural
phenomena, they all are the building
blocks that create an understanding
of just how the world around us func-
tions.
Outdoor Classroom
It's exciting to work in this field for
there's always something new turn-
ing up. One day we'll see a black
snake, working its sleek body
through the damp underbrush in pur-
suit of a meal. He'd love to run into
a nest of field mice, or even a gras-
shopper will do. At night, the screech
owl's call, tells us there's a night
prowler out who's doing his share to
keep down the population of insects
and roving rodents.
A plant along the roadside called
jewelweed is spotted and a piece is
broken off. A clear slippery liquid
oozes out which is used by some as a
remedy for poison ivy. We touch the
seed pod and a trigger releases a bul-
let -like shower of seeds. We have
learned another way a plant disperses
its next year's young.
A pond alongside the path looks to
most to be stagnant and unappealing.
Closer examination shows us it's the
breeding place for frogs. Their tad-
poles seem to be everywhere. The lit-
tle black bodies wiggle, with their
tiny tails, a short distance to hide in
w�
L�
Focus on
Natnre
the mud below. There'll be fewer mos-
quitoes here with that hungry tribe
about.
It's hot, so we find a cool spot under
a black oak and talk about the farm-
land that shimmers in the sun just
ahead. We learn about its problems
and its part in our own life. Hopefully,
for the first time, our group starts to
realize how important farmland is.
Food, the very essence of survival, is
what we're led to discuss.
"Will there always be farmland ?"
someone asks. And now we have
started the kettle boiling. "What
about pesticides, and fertilizers?
We're told they're needed to raise
crops but there are problems along
the way." "Will we be smart enough
to work out a solution ?" "Will any of
us be involved ?" "In what way ?"
Questions, a few answers and much
discussion banters back and forth.
A Long Day
By late afternoon we're tired. It's
been hot and we've been up since 6:30.
The bay's straight ahead so we head
for it; stopping only for a few seconds
to remove our shoes and socks. Oh,
how wonderful to walk in the cool
water. We're tempted to forget all and
dive in, clothes and all. I can re-
member when I was that age, we'd
fall in "accidentally on purpose." But
now we have to ride back on the bus
and, anyway, swimming is forbidden
without proper supervision.
Someone remarks about the brown
color of the water and a long explana-
tion follows as to what we think it is.
And now the question is posed. "What
if this brown color acts as a shade all
over the bottom of our bays and
creeks ?" "What will be the result ?"
As if by magic, the chatter starts.
"But what life ?" Their schooling
tells them that the sea, particularly
along the shallow shores, is teaming
with microscopic life, the very things
the clams and scallops, the mussels
and an endless line of creatures use
in their survival. Acting as the devil's
advocate, I say `But so what ?" Again
a pause and again an answer. "There
wouldn't be any clams, fish..." And on
it goes. The web of life has found one
more link that expands the mind.
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The Suffolk Times /July 3, 1986 /Page 13A
Photo by Paul Stoutenburgh
WONDER - -If we open the minds of the young and old alike to the
understanding that all things "great and small," including ourselves,
are part of our world, there might be hope for all of us in the future.
Hopefully the generations to come
will realize the importance of this
very limited world of ours and start
putting their energies into a thrust
that will make our planet a better
and safer place to live.
It can be done and still have a
bright economy ahead. It's merely a
shifting of priorities and an under-
standing that can't be gained over-
night. It takes years to create these
building blocks of knowledge and it's
the youth of today who will build our
world of tomorrow.
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