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Show Recreation Chapter 16 WATER AREAS have special appeal to man. From wading and swimming pools to rivers, lakes, or ocean beaches, they are our day's pleas- use or our recreation goal. To some, they mean the chance to catch that whopper or to bag the limit of waterfowl; to some, a refreshing swim or boat ride; to others, they suggest the competi- tion of water sports or motorboat racing; still others find near water the quiet relaxation and inspiration which high-tempo living occasionally requires. Visit any outdoor recreation area and watch the people. Seldom do they scatter evenly throughout the park but instead tend to cluster in certain spots-most often near the water's edge. Fishing, swimming, certain types of hunt- ing, boating, water sports-none of these is even possible apart from water bodies, while the pleas- ures of picnicking, camping, nature study, hiking, and pleasure driving are much enhanced when they can be pursued along river banks or lake or ocean shores. Recreation-A Social Goal In the early history of the United States, most people lived in close contact with nature. The millponds, meadows, woodlots, and streams-all parts of the natural environment-were used for recreation, but then men did not talk or think in terms of outdoor recreation, for these things were part and parcel of their daily lives. As the Nation developed industrially and people became concentrated in urban centers, the need for natural areas was recognized and the park movement started. Early emphasis was placed on providing playground space for chil- dren in congested cities. Adults spent long days and weeks at work in order to earn enough to buy the necessities of life. Only the well-to-do took vacations. During the depression days of the 1930's much attention was turned toward recreation as a means of solving the problem of enforced leisure, and recreation was generally defined as a leisure- time activity. Now recreation is fast becoming an even more important activity. It is, in fact, an essential part of our way of life. Provision of expanding opportunities for physically and emotionally sat- isfying activities is an accepted social goal. The power age with its accompanying mech- anization of industrial processes permits ever-in- creasing production of goods, and at the same time frees man from long hours of labor. Conse- quently, people give more attention to the factors which make their lives worth living and put new and different values on the time they have to spend in other pursuits-to hunt or fish, to walk in the country, to go to baseball games, to visit art museums or zoos, or to sit and contemplate. Clear evidence of these changing values can be observed on every hand. Employer-employee negotiations, once directed exclusively toward wage rates and better working conditions, more recently emphasize a shorter workweek, yearly vacations with pay, and retirement benefits. In 9H609^5G-----19 247 |