John Muir
Many of you may already be acquainted with John Muir, or
“John of the Mountains” as he later became known, the Scottish-American
naturalist. As well as being an author of many books about nature and conservation,
he also dedicated his life to the preservation of wilderness in the United
States, particularly the vast western wildlife. He founded the conservation organization,
the Sierra Club, a community of members who fight to preserve our wild lands
and the creatures who live there.
John Muir was born in Dunbar, United Kingdom on April 21,
1838. His birthplace is a four-story stone house in Dunbar, East Lothian,
Scotland. He was the third of eight children by Daniel Muir and Ann Gilrye. His
earliest recollections were of taking short walks with his grandfather when he
was three. John described his boyhood pursuits in his autobiography, which
included fighting, either by re-enacting romantic battles from the Wars of
Scottish Independence or just scrapping on the playground, and hunting for
birds' nests. He became interested in natural history and the works of Scottish
naturalist Alexander Wilson.
Although he spent the majority of his life in America,
Muir never forgot his roots in Scotland. He held a strong connection with his
birthplace and Scottish identity throughout his life. He greatly admired the
works of Thomas Carlyle and poetry of Robert Burns; he was known to carry a
collection of poems by Burns during his travels through the American
wilderness. He also never lost his strong Scottish accent after many years
living in America.
In 1866 Muir settled in
Indianapolis to work in a wagon wheel factory. In early March 1867,
an accident changed the course of his life: a tool he was using slipped and
struck him in the eye. He was confined to a darkened room for six weeks,
worried whether he would ever regain his sight. When he did, "he saw the world—and
his purpose—in a new light". Muir later wrote, "This affliction has
driven me to the sweet fields. God has to nearly kill us sometimes, to teach us
lessons." From that point on, he determined to "be true to himself"
and follow his dream of exploration and study of plants.
In September 1867, Muir undertook a walk of about 1,000
miles from Kentucky to Florida, which he recounted in his book A Thousand-Mile
Walk to the Gulf. When Muir arrived at Cedar Keys, he began working for Richard
Hodgson at Hodgson's sawmill. However, three days after accepting to work for
Hodgson, Muir almost died of a malarial sickness. (It seems every time he went
to work for someone, something bad would happen to him. Just sayin’…) One
evening in January 1868, Muir climbed onto the Hodgson house roof to watch the
sunset. From the roof he saw a ship, the Island Belle, and learned it would
soon be sailing for Cuba. Muir boarded the ship, and while in Havana, he spent
his hours studying shells and flowers and visiting the botanical garden in the
city. Afterwards, he sailed to New York and booked passage to California. Muir
served as an officer in the United States Coast Survey, a uniformed government
service agency.
John Muir at home with his wife and two daughters
Beginning in 1874, John wrote a series of articles entitled
"Studies in the Sierra" that launched his successful career as a
writer. He left the mountains and lived for a while in Oakland, California.
From there he took many trips, including his first to Alaska in 1879, where he
discovered Glacier Bay. In 1880, he married Louie Wanda Strentzel. They moved
to Martinez, California where they raised their two daughters, Wanda and Helen.
Settling down to some measure into domestic life, Muir went into partnership
with his father-in-law and managed the family fruit ranch with great success.
Because of his activism, he managed to preserve the
Yosemite Valley, Sequoia National Park and other wilderness areas. The Sierra
Club, which he founded, is a prominent American conservation organization to
this present day. Because of his activism, John has been admired and honored by
many who have given his name to many natural places and establishments: The
211-mile (340 km) John Muir Trail, a hiking trail in the Sierra Nevada, Muir
Woods National Monument, Muir Beach, John Muir College, Mount Muir, Camp Muir
and Muir Glacier. In Scotland, the John Muir Way, a 130-mile-long route, was
named in honor of him.
John Muir in his later years
In his later life, Muir devoted most of his time to the
preservation of the Western forests. He petitioned the U.S. Congress for the
National Park bill that was passed in 1890, which established Yosemite National
Park. The spiritual quality and enthusiasm toward nature expressed in his
writings inspired readers, including presidents and congressmen, to take action
to help preserve large nature areas. He is today referred to as the
"Father of the National Parks" and the National Park Service has
produced a short documentary about his life.
John Muir has been considered "an inspiration to
both Scots and Americans". Muir's biographer, Steven J. Holmes, believes
that Muir has become "one of the patron saints of twentieth-century
American environmental activity," both political and recreational. His
writings are frequently discussed in books and journals, and he is often quoted
by nature photographers such as Ansel Adams. Holmes said, "Muir has
profoundly shaped the very categories through which Americans understand and
envision their relationships with the natural world."
California's Commemorative Quarter
Muir was noted for
being an ecological thinker, political spokesman, and religious prophet, whose
writings became a personal guide into nature for countless individuals, making
his name almost synonymous with the modern environmental community.
Commemorative Postage Stamp
According
to author William Anderson, Muir exemplified "the archetype of our oneness
with the earth", while biographer Donald Worster says he believed his
mission was "...saving the American soul from total surrender to
materialism." On April 21, 2013, the first ever John Muir Day was
celebrated in Scotland, which marked the 175th anniversary of his birth, paying
homage to the conservationist.
I think you can well imagine why I consider John Muir or “John
of the Mountains” as a hero. He helped us understand we must take care of our
planet and the creatures on it or we lose touch with our spirit.
A few of John Muir's inspirational books:
Sarah
J. McNeal is a multi-published author of several genres including time
travel, paranormal, western and historical fiction. She is a retired ER and
Critical Care nurse who lives in North Carolina with her four-legged children,
Lily, the Golden Retriever and Liberty, the cat. Besides her devotion to
writing, she also has a great love of music and plays several instruments
including violin, bagpipes, guitar and harmonica. Her books and short stories
may be found at Prairie Rose Publications and its imprints Painted Pony Books,
and Fire Star Press. Some of her fantasy and paranormal books may also be found
at Publishing by Rebecca Vickery and Victory Tales Press. She
welcomes you to her website and social media:
