John Muir in 1902, at around age 64. Library of Congress
To conservationists, outdoor enthusiasts, and wildlife lovers, John Muir s name evokes countless connotations. Known as an explorer, farmer, inventor, writer, and more, the Scottish-born naturalist made a lasting impact on the landscape of the United States, and his legacy lives on in all corners of the country.
Born on April 21, 1838 in Dunbar, Scotland, Muir immigrated to the U.S. with his family at the age of 11, first settling in Fountain Lake, Wisconsin, and then relocating to Hickory Hill, a farm near the city of Portage, Wisconsin. Muir learned discipline at an early age: His father insisted that he and his younger brother work the family land each day, and as the young Muir explored the surrounding countryside, he developed an affinity for the natural world.
Benchmarks: August 25, 1916: The National Park Service is established
by Lucas Joel Tuesday, July 26, 2016
Yosemite Valley with Half Dome in the background. Although Yellowstone was the first national park, the idea of national parks can be traced to the federal government s 1864 decision to grant care of Yosemite to the state of California. Credit: AngMoKio, CC BY-SA 2.5.
The U.S. national parks are sanctuaries where one can find refuge in nature and marvel at its grandeur from the glacially sculpted granitic monoliths of California’s Yosemite to the watery wilderness of Florida’s Everglades. This August, the agency that works to ensure the parks preservation for future generations, the National Park Service (NPS), celebrates its 100th anniversary.
February is
Black History Month, it’s something that no American of any race, color, or creed should forget. African Americans, the decendants of slaves and slaves themselves fought for freedom that was only at best was in the
promissory note of the
Emancipation Proclamation.
Those men, and women in the case of Harriett Tubman and Sojourner Truth, paved the way for freedom for African Americans and all others who benefited from what they fought for: women, Native Americans, Mexican Americans, and other Hispanics, Asian Americans, and LGBTQ Americans.
That promise being made then, must be kept today, to the descendents of this men, as well as all who benefited through their sacrifice: even the Southern Whites who at the time did not know then, or all too often today, that they too needed emancipation.