Oklahoma Arbor and Bird Day, Friday, March Twelfth, 1909/Part Two: Bird Day/History of Bird Day

HISTORY OF BIRD DAY.

"Native labor is of little value to us because nearly every other day is public or religious holiday." Thus spoke a prominent contractor of the present conditions in South America. Too many holidays! The same complaint has been urged against the schools. Too many holidays! Celebrations of birthdays, anniversaries, special days, etc., are said to be taking up too much of the time of school children. Then it must indeed be for a very good reason that a new holiday is proposed.

Superintendent C. A. Babcock, of Oil City, Pa., thought he had a good reason for a new holiday and so proposed the observance of Bird Day. As far as is known he was the first to publicly propose the setting aside of one day in the year for the study of birds. In 1894 he wrote the Secretary of Agriculture at Washington, urging the establishment of such a day, and in reply, Mr. J. Sterling Morton, at that time the Secretary, said the suggestion had his "cordial approval." Then we may say that May 4, 1894, was the first Bird Day. Exercises were held in Oil City, Pa., and consisted of compositions, poems, talks and discussions about birds. The interest was good and the idea seemed to be one which would be very generally accepted.

The following year the Oil City schools had another Bird Day, and it has since become a regular event in the schools of that city. Of course the papers discussed the new holiday, some calling it a fad, others commending the idea.

The discussion spread to the west, and in 1896 we find Ft. Madison, Iowa, celebrating Bird Day. Superintendent Morrill, in describing the first Bird Day in Iowa, said, "I never saw children so enthusiastic in preparation. The children brought their pet birds and the building rang the bird music all day long."

The same year our own Prof. Bruner of the University of Nebraska urged the idea of Bird Day in the schools. He said, "We should have a Bird Day, just as we have a Flag Day or an Arbor Day, when suitable exercises should be held." About this time the Department of Agriculture issued a circular on Bird Day in the schools, warmly urging the idea on the teachers and superintendents throughout the country.

From far away New Mexico, from California, Florida and Pennsylvania, and even from Boston came reports of successful Bird Day celebrations.

In our own state the day has been observed in a quiet way in several places. A number of cities and villages and more country schools have had successful Bird Days and are planning others.

A special program is the usual method of bringing the birds before the pupils. These programs consist of lists of birds seen in the vicinity, observations on their habits, pictures of their nests and eggs, notes on their value and abundance and talks about their protection with a few choice poems of bits of literature given as recitations. In some schools a quarter holiday is given when the pupils are expected to give their time to walks in the woods and fields, watching the actions and learning of these feathered friends.

The Nebraska Ornithologist's Union was organized in 1900 for the purpose of encouraging the study of the birds in the schools and heartily approves of the idea of Bird Day.

The observance of the day is becoming more general every year and during the coming year a number of schools are expecting to have their first Bird Day. The movement is encouraged by the Audubon Societies and Clubs for the protection of our native birds because they realize the need of juts such work as is accomplished by Bird Day. It is hard to see why the time should be far distant when Bird Day will be as well known and as generally observed as any other special day."—Wilson Tout, Dunbar, Neb.

The purpose of the Audubon Society is too well understood to need reiteration. This article is to set forth some of its methods, especially such as apply to schools. It is particularly important that the work of the Audubon Society be brought before the pupils of the schools, because not only is that the time of life when impressions are strongest and when tendencies develop, but also every boy may, through a lack of proper training, be a very destructive enemy of bird life. We hope to see the time when parents will consider a spyglass a better present for their son than an air gun.

Largely through the efforts of the Audubon Society, there is hardly a state in the Union but has some stringent laws for the protection of birds. But it is not enough to stop the destruction of birds. Let us also work for the encouragement of bird life. The destruction of forests has taken away the natural building places of many species. Almost every housebuilder insists upon keeping one or more semi-domesticated,

Farm Scene.

Courtesy Sturm's Oklahoma Magazine.

totally worthless cats, every one of which destroys a number of birds each year. If we enjoy having the song birds in our vicinity, some of us have a very queer way of showing our appreciation.

In spite of the fact that country children are in close touch with nature, they study it least. The farmer too is the one most benefited by the birds; yet he is not unlikely to be their enemy. We are therefore especially anxious that our magazine, and the work of the Audubon Society in general, should reach the rural schools."—Thos. R. Moyle, Appleton, Wis.