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Let her inspire you
Some call her Mother, some call her The Great Outdoors, whatever you want to call her, you simply cannot avoid her influence when you visit a Virginia State Park, she's there.
Stop for a picnic along the New River Trail State Park
By now you probably have worked out who I am speaking of, Mother Nature. She is one grand lady, and a force not to be reckoned with, but being around her will challenge you and bring out the natural goodness in you.
“I felt my lungs inflate with the onrush of scenery—air, mountains, trees, people. I thought, This is what it is to be happy.” -Sylvia Plath
Have you ever wondered why we call her "Mother?"
Perhaps it is her domineering attribute, her strength or her creative and caring side. Perhaps it is from her proliferation of and life giving force to flora and fauna. Wherever you stand on calling her Mother or just Nature she will inspire you, just like she did these well know naturalists:
John Muir
I think about the great naturalists of our lifetimes, like John Muir, who was a Scottish-American naturalist, author, environmental philosopher and early advocate of preservation of wilderness in the United States. John Muir founded the Sierra Club, National Audubon Society. Nature inspired him to write letters, essays, and books telling of his adventures in nature, especially in the Sierra Nevada of California, have been read by millions. His activism helped to preserve the Yosemite Valley, Sequoia National Park and other wilderness areas.
In his later life, Muir devoted most of his time to the preservation of the Western forests. He petitioned the U.S. Congress for the National Park bill that was passed in 1890, establishing Yosemite National Park. The spiritual quality and enthusiasm toward nature expressed in his writings inspired readers, including presidents and congressmen, to take action to help preserve large nature areas. He is today referred to as the "Father of the National Parks" and the National Park Service has produced a short documentary about his life.
“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
The American author, poet, philosopher and naturalist Henry David Thoreau's books, articles, essays, journals, and poetry total over 20 volumes. Among his lasting contributions are his writings on natural history and philosophy, where he anticipated the methods and findings of ecology and environmental history, two sources of modern-day environmentalism.
His literary style interweaves close natural observation, personal experience, pointed rhetoric, symbolic meanings, and historical lore, while displaying a poetic sensibility, philosophical austerity, and "Yankee" love of practical detail. He was also deeply interested in the idea of survival in the face of hostile elements, historical change, and natural decay; at the same time he advocated abandoning waste and illusion in order to discover life's true essential needs.
“We need the tonic of wildness...At the same time that we are earnest to explore and learn all things, we require that all things be mysterious and unexplorable, that land and sea be indefinitely wild, unsurveyed and unfathomed by us because unfathomable. We can never have enough of nature.” -Henry David Thoreau
Freeman Tilden
Tilden was one of the most instrumental figures in paving the way for Naturalists today through “interpretation” of nature (many Naturalists’ job titles are formally “Interpretive Naturalist” nowadays). A quote from one of his works pretty much sums up the thought process behind the importance of Naturalists everywhere; “Through interpretation, understanding; through understanding, appreciation; through appreciation, protection.”
An acclaimed writer, Tilden all worked all over the United States with the National Park Service to improve their staff’s abilities of interpreting to visitors. His books “Interpreting Our Heritage” and “The State Parks – Their Meaning in American Life” are considered standards in the field.
“Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson
John James Audubon
One might not think that a painter should be included in a list of such integral Naturalists, but Audubon was the publisher of one of the most famous ornithological works of all time – “Birds of America.” During his expeditions, he discovered 25 new bird species, and greatly aided in public understanding of bird anatomy and physiology. Charles Darwin was a student of Audubon, and quoted him a few times in “On Origin of Species,” which obviously became a lightning rod for scientific thought.
Though he struggled with crushing debt during certain spans of his life, Audubon eventually succeeded in his work. The National Audubon Society, which focuses on bird-related ecology is named after him, and hey…his portrait hangs in the White House.
Johnny Appleseed was a conservationist and a real person, but the folklore about him preceded him
Johnny Appleseed (John Chapman)
The famous figure of a gaunt chap sporting a tin pot as a cap is often cartoonized, but John Chapman was a real person, and he did one heck of a lot of good in the conservation field during his lifetime. Though common legend portrays him as running willy-nilly around the countryside spreading apple seeds everywhere, Chapman was a skilled nurseryman. He played an integral part in agriculture in the Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana region (at the time, that region was considered “the West”).
Mainly it was his appearance that began the tall tales of this historical figure, from his lack of shoes to his principle garment being made form a coffee sack, in which he cut holes for his head and arms to pass through, and pronounced it "a very serviceable cloak, and as good clothing as any man need wear.”
Caroline Dorman
Caroline Dormon was a true pioneer for preservation and beautification of our natural lands. Though possessing a bachelor’s degree in literature and art, she had always held a strong interest in nature. After teaching for a brief stint, she began working with the Forestry Department in her home state of Louisiana. She eventually played a major role in the establishment of Kisatchie National Forest in 1930. She was a naturalist in every aspect, as she worked in ornithology, botany, and several other nature-related fields. She helped in the development of what is now Hodges Gardens State Park (it became a state entity in 2007). She also played a hand in developing what is now the Louisiana State Arboretum, which spans over 300 acres.
Dormon was also a somewhat prolific writer, having several books published, including “Wildflowers of Louisiana,” “Forest Trees of Louisiana,” “Flowers Native to the Deep South,” “Natives Preferred,” “Southern Indian Boy,” and “Bird Talk.”
Information above gathered from Wiki and The Clymb.
Spend some time with Mother find your park here
If you have read the article and have a question, please email nancy.heltman@dcr.virginia.gov.
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