How Did John Muir Contribute To Nature

John Muir was an environmental philosopher and passionate advocate for the preservation of wilderness in the United States. His childhood in the wilderness and his deeply religious upbringing helped shape his vision for the future. His primary focus was to preserve land from human use. He often clashed with conservationists, who felt human interests and needs were more important than the value of nature. Muir’s passion and enthusiasm for nature was evident in his writings. His impact is still felt today, as his books and articles continue to persuade Americans to consider wilderness areas as natural resources that must be protected and preserved.

Muir and his family moved from Scotland to the United States when he was 11 years old.

“His glacial studies were the principal contributions Muir made as an original scientist, most of his life being devoted to travel, writing, and conservation activism (John).” Even though his glacial studies put in him conflict with the scientific ideas of the California state geologist, he was not afraid to document his experience and share his adventures with others. He also became familiar with the destruction of the Yosemite area. “Muir’s intimate acquaintance with the Yosemite area and the Sierra Nevada exposed him not only to the depredations of sheep but also to the rapid felling of giant old Sequoias, cut up for shingles and grape stakes (John).” This led him to publish articles to alert the public. As a result, Congress was pressured to establish Yosemite as a national park in 1890. Muir was known as a preservationist, who was trying to protect nature from human use. Even though Gifford Pinchot was Muir’s ally when Yellowstone was created in 1872, they disagreed when building a dam in the valley of Yosemite National Park. “Although originally allies in creating Yellowstone, the first national park, in 1872, Pinchot and Muir took opposed positions in the debate which lasted from 1909 to 1913, over building a dam in the Hetch Hetchy valley of Yosemite National park in order to supply water to growing San Francisco (Durbin).” Muir was afraid

His passion and enthusiasm helped ensure that land would be available for future generations to enjoy. His early accomplishment included the preservation of the Yosemite Valley and Sequoia National Park. His also worked closely with the U.S. Congress to create the National Park Service. “It was 100 years ago, in August 1916, that the United States established the National Park Service, after earlier moving to protect lands like Yellowstone and Yosemite (Kristof).” John Muir was also the founder of the Sierra Club, which continues to promote environmental preservation today. In addition, his many books outline his adventures in nature, which have inspired others to continue his efforts and appreciate