John Muir, Naturalist
1838- 1914

"Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The Winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn." ~ John Muir

On April 21, 1838, John Muir, one of the world's greatest naturalists, was born. Muir emigrated from Scotland to America in 1849. During his life, Muir was a farmer, inventor, wanderer, writer, conservationist, explorer, aidvisor to presidents, and above all, a naturalist. President Theodore Roosevelt once called him "an emphatically good citizen."

From an early age, Muir loved the outdoors, but hard work gave him little opportunity to spend much time in the natural world. A serious injury at the age of 29 caused Muir to turn to nature. He walked a thousand miles from the Midwest to the Gulf of Mexico. From there, he sailed, walked and rode through much of Central America and California. Ultimately, it was the Sierra Nevada and Yosemite that became his spiritual home. He once called the Sierra "the most divinely beautiful of all the mountain chains I have ever seen."

Throughout his life, Muir traveled and wrote extensively on what he saw. His focus was not just on the beauty of the wonderful places he visited, but also on the risk of their destruction. A series of articles pointed out the losses caused by unrestrained grazing, logging and overuse.

His writings and beliefs ultimately reached the eyes and ears of decision makers. Muir became a major proponent and ultimately the "father of the National Park system," with a personal hand in the creation of Yosemite, Sequoia, Mount Rainier, Petrified Forest and Grand Canyon National Parks. In 1892, he joined with friends to form the Sierra Club, now one of America's largest environmental groups. He invited President Theodore Roosevelt to tour Yosemite with him and encouraged Roosevelt to protect additional parks, forests and wildlife refuges.

Today, as much as when legislation was passed to create Yosemite, we need to remember Muir's call to protect wild places. He profoundly believed that preserving natural areas nurtured the human spirit as well. I hope you will join me in celebrating the birth and legacy of the American visionary, John Muir.

--Senator Barbara Boxer

For more about John Muir, view the Sierra Club's web site: John Muir Exhibit