John James Audubon
His paintings inspired interest in nature. His work lives on as the National Audubon Society. |
Hugh Bennett
He founded the Soil Conservation Service and built awareness of soil as a critical natural resource. |
John Burroughs
His two dozen books and numerous essays charmed the world and connected science with conservation. |
Rachael Carson
Her book Silent Spring sparked interest in pesticides and helped start the modern environmental movement. |
Anna Botsford Comstock
Mother of nature education, she was one of the first to bring her students and other teachers out-of-doors. |
Jacques Cousteau
He took us underwater inspiring generations to explore our environment and study its complexity. |
Jay N. "Ding" Darling
Wildlife artist and political cartoonist, he helped make Federal Duck Stamps and the National Wildlife Federation. |
Marjory Stoneman Douglas
Her book, The Everglades: River of Grass, raised awareness about this unique aquatic ecosystem. |
Ira Gabrielson
First director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, he focused on wetlands and waterfowl. |
George Bird Grinnell
He founded the first Audubon Society and laid the foundation for national parks and forest reserves. |
William Temple Hornaday
An early crusador for endangered species, he lead the fights to save American bison and migratory birds. |
Aldo Leopold
Conservation pioneer, visionary and game manager, he wrote about the concept of the land ethic. |
George Perkins Marsh
As a Congressman, he wrote in the mid- to late-1800s about man's impact on soil, water, and vegetation. |
Robert Marshall
A founder of the Wilderness Society, he would hike more than 50 miles a day through uncharted wilderness. |
Stephen Mather
Worried about Yellowstone, he created the National Park Service and doubled the size of the nation's parks. |
John Muir
Founder of the Sierra Club, he focused the nation on a new type of progress: conservation. |
O.J. Murie
He forged the Wilderness Act of 1964, now the National Wilderness Preservation System. |
Frederic Law Olmsted
Landscape architect, he designed urban parks - such as Central Park - bringing nature to the city. |
Sigurd Olson
He often rallied diverse interests in his leadership positions for government and environmental groups. |
Roger Tory Peterson
The Peterson era began in 1934 with A Field Guide to the Birds. Illustrated with Peterson drawings. |
Gifford Pinchot
Founder of the U.S. Forest Service, he taught science- based management to the first generation of foresters. |
John Wesley Powell
The first surveyor of the American Southwest, he developed land-use policies in the West. |
Theodore Roosevelt
This President made the first wildlife refuges, set up the Forest Service and protected millions of acres. |
Ernest Thompson Seton
Inspiring both science and fiction, his art captured the exact anatomy and the romance of animals. |
Wallace Stegner
A passionate advocate for the protection of the West, he taught with his writing such as The Wilderness Letter. |
Ernest Swift
Former executive director of the National Wildlife Federation, he shaped the first U.S. Wilderness Act. |
Henry David Thoreau
He wrote Walden, one of the greatest masterpieces of nature writing, inspiring people to explore nature. |
Morris Udall
In Congress, he championed many green laws such as the Alaska Lands Act, doubling the national park system. |