Evening star., 1947-04-03
This and That
By Charles E. Trace,oeH.
"BETHESDA Nd

Dear Sir: ~ 49, II
II spent time recently defending you
from some of your friends, faithful read
ers who, not knowing you personally,
picture you as an old-fashioned nature
lover, tramping through fields and woods
with bird book in your pocket. 81 {
That old idea, told them, unfortu-
nately represents naturalist, whereas
you are a strictly modern newspaper
man who brings things home to readers
1T Is your glory, told them, that
you have taken the birds out of the
fields and brought them to peoples
yards.
"You have shown them, and continue
to show them, that loving nature Is as
easy, pleasant and happy as looking
out their own windows.
Instead of being forced to get up at
an unholy hour, told them, and tramp
ing through wet grass to see birds, they
can see as many, and do it pleasantly,
through no greater exertion than looking
out the window.
Il told them that you have made
them understand that love of nature is
not just confined to muscular folk with
walking complexes, but that you have
proved to them that any one with
good heart and mind can find an un-
failing source of interest In his own
back yard, street and community.
"Am I right?
Sincerely, A. McC."
r X X
You are right, and thank you.
This column for years has stressed
the fact that the writer is not scien-
tist, not an ornithologist not even a
naturalist
Still many persons insist on picturing
him as long-legged, wearing knee pants,
and running wildly over the landscape
with a butterfly net.
Old ideas die hard.
To thousands of persons, the picture
of one who loves the things of nature
must necessarily be that of the great
Audubon walking through the woods
Even today, too many persons seem
to believe this. Yet thousands Of per-
sons know better, when they stop to
think about 1t.
Hiking to see birds Is just one part
OF it,
It Is fine for those who enjoy 1t. but
there is another way, and this we have
shown.
Fifteen years ago, we knew only the
robin and the sparrow.
Then we moved to the suburbs, and
became interested in bird life, just as
thousands upon thousands of persons
have done.
We began writing about birds, and
got such a reader response, hitting a
chord with them, that we have con-
tinued.
Our merit is that we have told what
we have seen.
We have pulled no punches on that.
In doing this, we have become sort
of expert, undoubtedly, but only such
an expert as any one may become.
One of the greatest nature lovers we
ever heard Of was man confined to q
hospital in North Carolina For six
years-his last six years-he watched
birds. Near the end he wrote book
about them.
The editor here will not forget the
lady who called up one day to make
inquiries "Are you q SCIENTIST" The
answer was NO" Then are you an
ornithologist?" The answer was In the
negative. Then what are you7" The
answer this time was positive. II am
q newspaperman, writer, an editor"
Such persons must get the idea, some
time, that writer is more important,
in way, than a scientist-or even an
ornlthologist. fAt any rate, writer's do
not invent atom bombs)
Writers write, and readers read, and
we wouldn't trade the relationship for
all the bird walks and ornithologists
alive We are happy to show others
it is easy to take your birds, your small
animals, your flowers and trees, and
even insects, where you find them. not
necessarily where some one else wants
TO s3aoW them to you.