HELP KEEP IT CLEAN

No ecologist had to tell an Ozarker he lived in a land where the air was fresh and pure and had to be nurtured to remain so. He knew that, as well as methods of protecting the land that was his means of livelihood. He didn't have to read weighty tomes to comprehend that the crystal-clear. Free running waters were a priceless heritage. He worked to keep them that way for his children and generations to come. He understood harmony between man and nature.

Today, in Shell Knob region, every effort is made by the native and newcomer alike to keep the area in its naturally beautiful state. Their vigilance is shared by the Army Corps of Engineers, who have spearheaded the effort to keep the waters clean and unpolluted, and the shoreline free of eyesores to detract from its wild splendor. These efforts have paid off in unspoiled scenic beauty, superb waters and near perfect ecological conditions.

This was proved recently when a panel of experts from the U.S. Department of the Interior listed the Ozarks as one of the seven best places to live in the nation. These environmentalists cited areas where the air and water were pollution free and the year 'round climate moderate, and the Ozarks placed high on the list. They cited mild winters, the early arrival and late staying power of good weather and the lack of major polluting industries as reasons why the area was ideal for settlement. Recently voted number one lake in the US of A.

While this signal honor impressed the Ozarker, it didn't create the stir it might have in other regions. He's always known he had a good thing going, and he kept right on with his efforts to keep it good and enlist the cooperation of newcomers and visitors to the area.

If you could ask an Ozarker for his ideas on ecology, he might well say: 'Friend, we need your help, to keep our land clean and water clear. Please, pick up your trash; there are receptacles everywhere to dispose of it. Keep the waters running free; don't clog them with garbage, cans, bottles, all kinds of floating jetsam. If you could see a handsome fish, floating dead on the water, a plastic bag protruding from its mouth, you'd know how important this is. If you stop at a roadside table to have a family picnic along the way and find it littered with trash, its beauty and function marred by careless people before you, you'd know the wisdom of ecology. Look, see, learn, help. Remember, this land is your land, this land is my land." If everyone practices ecology in its true and basic sense, the Shell Knob Central Crossing region will continue to be a beautiful and blessed place to visit and to live.