19TH CENTURY HERO:
JOHN MUIR, 1838 - 1914
John Muir was born in Dunbar, Scotland. His family later immigrated to the United States and settled at Hickory Hill Farm near Portage, Wisconsin. John Muir is known as the Father of our National Parks System.
From his humble beginnings, John was destined to be a wanderer. He loved to be in nature. He was a talented inventor and clockmaker, but his desire to travel always kept him on the move.
In 1867, his true quest into nature began. It is said that he walked 1,000 miles from Indianapolis to the Gulf of Mexico. From there he sailed to Panama, crossed the Canal, and sailed up the West Coast. He landed in San Francisco in March, 1868. John felt at peace in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California. In 1868, he walked across the San Joaquin Valley through bright fields of wildflowers, and decided to make it his home.
John Muir wrote many articles about the Sierra Nevada's. The poet Ralph Waldo Emerson and other famous people of that time visited him. In 1880, while living in California, he met and married Louie Wanda Strenzel. The couple had two daughters.
For a while John settled down with his family in Martinez, California. But once again, his love for nature called to him. His travels took him to Alaska, Australia, South America, Africa, Europe, China, Japan and finally back to his beloved Sierra's.
John Muir published 300 articles and 10 books relating his beloved "naturalist philosophy." His intent was to share his passion for nature's beauty. In 1892, John Muir and a number of other supporters founded the Sierra Club to protect Yosemite National Park. His book, Our National Parks, caught the attention of U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt. In 1903, President Roosevelt visited him. Together, they began a series of national conservation programs in the United States.
The spirit of John Muir still fills Yosemite National Park. His dedication to nature speaks for itself.
20TH CENTURY HERO:
RACHEL LOUISE CARSON, 1907 - 1964
Rachel Carson was born in Springdale, Pennsylvania. Rachel shared her mother's great passion for nature. Rachel was a writer, scientist and an ecologist.
Rachel worked as a scientist for 15 years at the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries. She also wrote radio scripts, pamphlets on conservation and natural resources, natural history articles, and edited scientific articles.
She later became the chief of all publications for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Here are some of her published works:
- Under the Sea-Wind (1941)
- The Sea Around Us (1951)
- The Edge of the Sea (1955)
- Help Your Child to Wonder (1956)
- Our Ever-Changing Shore (1957)
- Silent Spring (1962)
After World War II, Rachel Carson turned her focus to the misuse of pesticides. In her book, Silent Spring, she warned the public about the long-term effects these chemicals had on the earth's ecosystems. She challenged the government and the chemical industry regarding the use of pesticides. In 1963, she testified before Congress, asking for a policy that would protect human health and the environment.
Rachel Carson is known as the "Mother" of the modern environmentalist movement.