John Muir

"In every walk of nature, one receives more than they seek."

John Muir was born in April, 1838 in Dunbar Scotland. Living in the small coastal town until he was 11, Muir lived a very traditional farmers life with his authoritarian father, whom would work Muir and family for long hours every day. When he was 11, Muir and his family emigrated to the United States, near Portage Wisconsin, where Muir would find his love for the outdoor world.

Always an avid inventor, including timepieces and a machine that would tip him out of bed in the morning, Muir took his inventions to the Madison fair, where he won several awards in 1860. From this, he attended the university of Wisconsin, eventually leading him to travel north through the U.S and into Canada, committing to small odd jobs where he could.

Suffering a temporary blinding eye injury in 1867, Muir experienced an inner awakening to nature and the world around him. From there, he spent the next several years travelling ; Walking 1000 Miles from Indianapolis to the Mexican Gulf, sailing to Cuba and then Panama, returning up the west coast to San Francisco in 1868.

From here, Muir would engage in countless expeditions over the years, travelling to every Continent (bar Antarctica) in the world. From these trips, it resulted in over 300 articles and 10 major books being published between 1874 and 1901.

In 1901, Muir published "Our National Parks", which got the attention of then U.S President Theodore Roosevelt, causing them to finally meet in 1903. This friendship, evolved into conservation programs which would help shape the modern worlds attitude towards the environment.

John Muir was arguably one of the worlds most famous conservationists, with his efforts and written works being used as a base reference for many modern day practices and environmentalists of today.