On April 21, 1838 John Muir was born in Scotland. He died in 1914 in LA. He was a naturalist who advocated for the conservation of the US forests. If you have ever been to Muir Woods outside of San Francisco or to any National Park you know why Muir is so important. He is credited with the creation of the National Parks System and the establishment of the Sierra Club (private, non-profit environmental watchdog). Muir had a direct hand in the establishment of Yosemite (1890), Sequoia (1890), Mount Rainier (1899), Petrified Forest (1906), and Grand Canyon (1908) National Parks.
He was an incredibly persuasive person bending the ear of presidents, congress members, and just plain folk like us. From his American Forests, “Any fool can destroy trees. They cannot run away; and if they could, they would still be destroyed — chased and hunted down as long as fun or a dollar could be got out of their bark hides, branching horns, or magnificent bole backbones… Through all the wonderful, eventful centuries since Christ’s time — and long before that — God has cared for these trees… but he cannot save them from fools — only Uncle Sam can do that.”
So for this 51th Earth Day birthday, let’s get involved in preserving the only planet we have. Let’s us actively appreciate and PROTECT our natural heritage for generations to come. Earth Day 2020 marked 50 years with global activations that aim to mobilize a billion people worldwide for transformative action for our planet. Yes, people and governments must act cohesively to bring about this transformation.
Make a pledge this Earth Day to get out there in nature and: plant something, ride your bike, use a refillable water bottle, get produce from a local market like 2nd St., spend more time outside…”and forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair” (Kahil Gibran).
