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Thursday, April 21, 2011

Full of Thy Glory

John Muir (1907)

John Muir was born on April 21, 1838. He is the grandfather of the American environmentalist movement. His tireless efforts to preserve the unspoiled western wilderness, including Yosemite Valley and Sequoia, earned him the designation of "Father of the National Parks." He was a prolific Nature writer, influencing many generations of naturalist artists, including the photographer Ansel Adams. His political legacy is still active, most specifically in the organization which he founded, the Sierra Club.

In contemporary times, ecological matters are shamefully politicized. Expressing even the slightest enthusiasm for Nature and Her transcendent majesty gets one labelled a "crazy leftist moonbat" by the American Right. This is a sad situation. Nature is beautiful and should be preserved for future generations, rather than paved over, dug into, or polluted. Certainly, modern human technology and ingenuity can handle the challenge of meeting our needs while respecting our ecology.

In any case, take a moment to appreciate the natural world around you. Listen to the birds. Admire the trees and flowers. Be grateful for the food that grants you sustenance each day.

Here's a vid about Muir's meeting with Teddy Roosevelt:




Here's a link to John Muir's Wikipedia page.

Here's a link to the Sierra Club's website.

The National Park Service website for Yosemite can be found here and, for Sequoia, here.

Enjoy!!!

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