John Muir: A Conservationist’s Impact On Environmental Science
By: Sally Kamae
Today, one of the up and coming career fields is environmental science. From “sustainable living and engineering, to energy use and policy,” there are countless amount of ways that environmental science can provide more insights into how we can make changes to our daily lifestyle habits and be more responsible in the ways we use our resources. However, if we look deeper into an environmental scientists’ objective, it’s a matter of conserving our Earth, protecting our ecosystem, and preserving its natural beauty. All of which were ideas, adamantly advocated by famous conservationist, John Muir. Muir was not only the first individual to introduce the concept of conserving our nature, but he also enabled our community to become more connected with it.
John Muir, born on April 21, 1838, was a Scottish-born American “naturalist, writer, inventor, and advocate of U.S. forest conservation.” Although he had many titles associated with his name, he was most identified as America’s most leading naturalist and conservationist — practice of protecting and preserving our atmosphere. His pioneering development of Sequoia National Park and Yosemite National Park, both parks being located in California, gave him a wide range of nicknames: “The Father of our National Parks,” “Wilderness Prophet,” and “Citizen of the Universe.”
Even at a young age, Muir was intrigued by Earth’s natural beauty. He studied botany and dedicated his time exploring the natural world by foot, while working full-time jobs to support his interest. Unfortunately, in 1867, he was involved in a factory accident that left him temporarily blind. But as soon as he regained his vision, he instantly went back to devoting his time with nature and walked from Indiana to Florida, drawing descriptive sketches of the topography. He continued his journey, exploring the world, all of which ultimately motivated him to take action to help conserve our environment in its natural form.
Rather than spending his time traveling the world, Muir transitioned to publishing reports and poems, combining his experience and affection towards “ecology and humanity’s earth connection.” His printed articles greatly praised the natural world and published an essay promoting the establishment of Yosemite National Park, which was later, created in 1890. He continued publishing articles, which eventually convinced the US government to preserve Yosemite, Sequoia, Grand Canyon, and Mount Rainier as national parks. He was a firm supporter in preserving nature in its original form and by turning Yosemite, Sequoia, Grand Canyon, and even Mount Rainier into national parks, certainly allowed the public to feel closer with earth and its natural beauty, than ever before.
When we often look at pictures of John Muir, the most common and well-recognized image would be Muir and President Theodore Roosevelt posing against the edge of a large boulder. Muir and Roosevelt went on a three-night camping trip in 1903, which according to historians, ultimately shaped the “U.S. president’s own conservationist policies.” No matter where Muir went or what he was doing, he was a definite believer in spreading his thoughts and ideas of nature, and never once did he not succeed in impacting others.
John Muir fundamentally helped shape the idea of conserving our environment. He was the founder of the idea of conservationism and greatly inspired others to value everything our Earth has provided for us. He advocated building national parks, preserving nature in its original form, and allowing others to find the beauty in earth’s wilderness. Muir was more of an influencer and his preaches, firm beliefs, dedication, and determination helped future scientists, environmentalists, researchers, and leaders understand the value of Earth’s natural beauty.
Muir had a great legacy and paved his own path in shaping the world of “Environmentalism.” Although he made immeasurable amount of contributions in wilderness preservation and building national parks, his lessons on the “essential characteristic of the science of ecology and the interrelated of all living things” is what really impacted future generations of scientists and environmentalists. Muir wasn’t simply a figure who traveled the world studying landscapes and admiring trees. He ultimately helped preserve ancient landscapes so that future generations could study them and hopefully be inspired to further their own passion in this industry.
He fundamentally helped nurture the practice of Environmental Studies, awakened those oblivious about the importance of nature during his time, converted those once afraid of the wilderness, and without a doubt, inspired, and continue to inspire, many scientists, researchers, engineers to pursue their passion and think of innovative approaches to help flourish our overall environment.
