John Muir Background

This networking would serve him later in life, but first he had to receive an education in forestry, something unavailable in America. Thus he traveled to Germany to study forestry theory in Germany and England. The time spent in Europe formed the foundation of his beliefs on conservation and through him those of the conservationist movement.

Roosevelt was a true conservationist at heart. The Theodore Roosevelt Association stated, “As a boy, Theodore Roosevelt wanted to be a naturalist, a scientist who revels in and examines nature,” and he was “…an avid adventurer and lover of nature, dedicated himself to protecting both wildlife and natural resources” ("The CONSERVATIONIST"). As the President, he never forgot his dreams as a child, and he set out to preserve an immense amount of US regions so all Americans could enjoy. He especially had the future generations in mind ("The CONSERVATIONIST"). He realized something must be done for he believed at the rate of deforestation, and harvesting of other recourses, it wouldn't take long for it all to vanish. To fight the recourse of losing all the rich natural resources and splendorous landscape across the US, he created national parks and landmarks to preserve and protect these beautiful natural miracles. “Roosevelt provided federal protection for almost 230 million acres of land,” for national use, so these majestic places were protected from harm due to commercialism ("The CONSERVATIONIST"). He established 150 national forests, 5 national parks, the 1st of 51 federal bird reservations, 24 reclamation, and 4 national game preserves, including 18 national monuments in his time. By establishing these parks and landmarks, it allowed Americans and tourists, alike, the

John Muir was a muckraker who protested against the expansion of people and animals that would ruin our soon to be national parks. Muir was a man that loved to explore natural formations in nature and traveled around the world to see as much natural land as possible. As he traveled around the world, he found out that California was his place to live. In California, his favorite places to explore and watch were the Sierra Nevada Mountains and Yosemite. As more and more settlers moved West, the land that Muir loved was soon to be destroyed by herds of animals and people looking for a place to build their homes. Muir wrote most of his 300 articles and 10 major books in Oakland, California. In Muir’s writings, he elegantly

Yosemite National Park is located in the northern California area, in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Yosemite was the first both state and national park in the U.S., it was also the first piece of land to be set aside by the United State government for preservation and protection. In present day over 3 million people visit Yosemite each year. Visitors get to experience the park’s 800 miles of hiking trails and 282 miles of road amongst for many other things. The park received its name from the American Indian tribe that first lived in that area the tribe known as the Ahwahneechee Indian in the 1800’s. But in about 1849 the gold rush began and brought thousands of non-Indian miners and settlers to the park. Not too long after that, our current president at the time Abraham Lincoln declared protection for the park. Which was all to prevent any further damage done to the park.

One day, John Muir said, “Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over civilized people are beginning to find out going to the mountains is going home; that wilderness is a necessity...”-John Muir.(Brainyuote) As John Muir stated, we must experience true wilderness and nature. Yosemite showcases a variety of natural wonders such as waterfalls, Giant Sequoia trees, and rock formations.

Muir was captivated by nature at an early age and he traveled to explore the environment. An early memory of a walk was with his grandfather. Muir heard a sound and “dug into the haystack until he uncovered a mother field mouse with half-dozen tiny babies clinging to her teats. In that moment the wondrous world of nature began to open for Johnnie Muir.” Ever since that walk with his grandfather, John Muir was

Wilderness in its true state is lush, sleek, and channels water. It is because of its true natural state that is has the ability to generate billions of dollars into America’s recreational economy. One provident example, is the San Gabriel Wilderness in California. Now of course protecting this land has natural benefits,

“Timber!” is a word that engulfed Woodrow Wilson in fear, as a loving, determined environmentalist he was the driving force behind the Organic Act of 1916. Wilson’s Organic Act set grounds for the founding of the National Park Service, which sets and enforces regulations that protect National Parks. Woodrow Wilson’s determination, conveyed by his adamant support for the Organic Act, was evident throughout Wilson’s lifetime. Wilson realized how important it was to protect America’s land and took action to protect it. Through the Organic Act, Wilson was able to save the current thirty-five national parks and land for hundreds of future national parks throughout the United States. The founding of the National Park Service was a major part of Wilson’s plan to preserve and protect America 's natural land. Wilson’s idea of preservation of the United States’ land has lived throughout the years through the National Park Service. The National Park Service today continues with the same responsibilities along with a multifarious collection of others. The actions taken in the Organic Act of 1916 have helped eternalize the ideas proposed by President Wilson by preserving the scarce remaining natural land of America.

John Muir is best known for his efforts to preserve the wilderness of the United States, which greatly contributed to the preservation of countless natural areas of the US through the National Parks Service. During his travels across the country and abroad, Muir recorded his thoughts and beliefs about nature and the fundamental connection people share with the earth. By voyaging into the wild and shedding the restraints and ideals of modern society, Muir argues that people can expand their understanding of the world and experience life to its full potential through immersing themselves in nature.

Yet Americans in this period also revered nature and admired its beauty; the spirit of nationalism fed the growing appreciation of the uniqueness of the American wilderness

The early 20th century brought about political, social, and economic changes as well as the steady incline of innovation and development of technology. This steady growth in policies and reform is known as the Progressive Movement. Two president’s during this time period were leaders of the progressive movement, Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson. While both of these men were advocates of political reform and social activity, the two presidents had differing opinions on what policies needed to be enacted. Theodore Roosevelt was a more effective president than Woodrow Wilson because Theodore Roosevelt's conservation efforts, domestic policies, and foreign policies had a greater impact on the development of American society.

Theodore Roosevelt created the National Parks Service in hopes of preserving natural land for future generations. The National Parks Service provides services including land management, fire control, animal populations, air quality, water quality, hiking trails, and campsites.

John Muir was a farmer, inventor, sheepherder, explorer, and writer. Without him lots of places we love, like Yosemite and many more, would not be here today. John Muir was born was born on April 21st in 1838 in Dunbar, Scotland. He was the third of his parents eight children. John’s father was religious and very harsh. He forced John and his siblings to work in the fields. Their father also did not let them read books at a young age, so he found a way. He was interested in inventing, so he built a bed that would tilt at a steep angle causing him to slip out of bed. This was one of John’s earliest inventions. His family moved to America when he was about eleven.

Environmentalism has always been two sided. Nature versus urban. locals versus national. Frequently, large tracts of public and federal land are bought and developed by industry. Pristine wilderness turned to bustling epicenters of human activity, all in the name of progress and economic growth. This tale of preserving natural wilderness is one that begins with John Muir, an advocate against the taming of Yosemite national park and the Hetch-Hetchy reservoir, while the head of the US Forest Service, Gifford Pinchot, insisted on the reservoir to supply the city of San Francisco with water. This timeless epic of conservation or preservation brings us to the Jumbo Valley, a vast expanse of uninhabited, pristine wilderness home to diverse

Phrases such as “botanising in glorious freedom [...] wandering through innumerable tamarac and arbor-vitae swamps, and forests [...], rejoicing in their bound wealth and strength and beauty, climbing the trees, revelling in their flowers and fruit [...], glorying in the fresh cool beauty and charm of the bog [...] displayed in boundless profusion”, “rarest and most beautiful”, and “I was able to wander many a long wild fertile mile in the forests and bogs, free as the winds, gathering plants, and glorying in God's abounding inexhaustible spiritual beauty bread”, all show how Muir felt about nature and what nature meant to him. A key phrase that shows Muir’s attitude towards nature states, “Storms, thunderclouds, winds in the woods—were welcomed as friends”. These phrases, as well as the words mentioned above, are extremely positive and show the utmost joy Muir found in his surroundings. The long and detailed descriptions of Muir’s surroundings helps to reinforce his joy in nature. The words that Muir uses to describe nature shows that he is close to nature and feels a connection with it. These positive words also show how absolutely stunning Muir finds nature and how he finds peace and joy in the wild. All of this is also supported by one of Muir’s