A Handbook for Outdoor Education on the Preserves of the Natural History Section, Nassau County Museum.

One of the desired outcomes of outdoor education, according to this handbook for teachers, is the development of respect and appreciation for the natural environment and the need to conserve it. It is suggested that since the purpose of going into the field rather than into the laboratory is to study real things in their natural environment, every effort should be made to study living specimens in the field and return them unharmed to the place where they were found. The same holds true for nonliving specimens of scarce natural resources. The handbook outlines 3 stages of preparation for an outdoor education program: a preliminary planning session, the actual planning of the program, and a program orientation session. Also, the purpose, major concepts and understandings, and a description of each sample activity are given. The activities include field succession, pond study, soil ecology, tree identification, forest ecology, insect studies, mapping and surveying, homesteading new land, art in nature, nature poetry, songs of primitive people, and creative writing. Additionally, instructions on how to prepare an outdoor education program, a sample program, resources and references, a field specimen report, a checklist of tree leaf characteristics, winter activities, and conservation projects are included. Also provided is a list of resources and references. (HBC)