This photo captures some young, eager naturalists occupying some trails in the article “A Woodland Showcase” from the Spring 1970 issue of Vermont Life (Vol. 24 Issue 3). The article introduces the Green Mountain Audubon Society’s Nature Center in Huntington as “a place that is dedicated to the conservation of all its natural features and elements”, while also serving as a school of ecology. Every person is part of the environment, thus “man is a part of his environment and must respect it, if for no other reason than his own future happiness and well-being”. There is a sense of obligation and discipline associated with environmentalism that the Audubon Society tries to address.
Along with respect and discipline, the educational aspect of environmentalism is addressed in this article. A pioneer effort was initiated in the summer of 1968 the six-week educational program focused on outdoor lectures and guided trail hikes. This program was important to Vermont and its citizens “since this type of expert ecology education is not available elsewhere in the state”. Moreover, natural resources are disappearing quickly and cannot be replaced. Environmentalism is portrayed as a fruitful solution to conserve Vermont’s beauty for future generations.