John Muir

Known in his lifetime as ''Mountain John,'' nobody else did as much to foster appreciation for the natural beauty of the American landscape than John Muir. The Scottish-born naturalist walked thousands of miles across the US, but loved, above all, California, the Sierra Nevada and Yosemite in particular. His prolific writingsù 300 articles and ten booksùand passionate prose about nature and our place in it were read by millions of nineteenth-century Americans, leading to the creation of our national park system. He also founded the Sierra Club, which carries on his program of conservation and preservation 125 years later. His words ring truer than ever today, potent reminders to protect the natural splendors of our land and to root our spirits in nature.