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Show Odd Organization for Preservation of Trees Men of the Trees Is the name of an organization of African scouts founded by Richard E. St. Barbe Baker, Bak-er, formerly assistant conservator of forests in tbe Kenya colony. The natives, na-tives, the Kikuyu tribe, are Bantu in origin and many of the old tribal customs cus-toms are retained. Certain trees are held sacred and sacrifices are made to then" Mr. Baker, ou his arrival In the colon;,, found that large areas of forest for-est had een destroyed by fire and to make way for cultivation. He assembled assem-bled the c-defs and explained to them the value of forests to man and proposed pro-posed that instead of being forest destroyers de-stroyers they become forest planters. Many of the ath es imniedi.toiy responded re-sponded and 'he Watu wa Mili. or Men of the Tree, was organized. The badge is a small brass disk hearing the design of a tree ; the colors are green and s-hite. Later ou a simple ritual and initiation ceremony were evolved. Like the Boy Scouts, ths members are expected to do a good deed each day. The entire organization organiza-tion is known as the Forest, which is divided into districts, each named after aft-er the dominant species of tree growing grow-ing In it. The districts are divided Into branches, each ruled ' by a forest guide. An important part of the work is the planting of a forest nursery, where more than SO.OOO young trees have been raised. |