John Muir, Preservationist
 
John Muir wasborn on April 21, 1838 in Scotland. His family moved to Wisconsin in the United States when John was 11. John enjoyed taking long walks in the woods where he could observe nature.
 
After John graduated from college, he devoted his life to nature. He walked 1,000 miles from Indianapolis, Indiana to the Gulf of Mexico. He didn’t stop there.
 
John traveled around the world. John loved California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains and Yosemite. He settled in California. 
 
In the 1800s, John Muir started the Sierra Club. He wanted people to celebrate and preserve the beautiful wilderness in the West. In the 1890s, he convinced the United States government to turn Yosemite into a National Park.
 
John Muir died in 1914. In California, on April 21, Californians honor his memory. The Grand Canyon, Sequoia, and many other beautiful places have been protected thanks to John Muir.
 
Florida’s Parks Department offers Environmental ABCs and activities: http://www.dep.state.fl.us/secretary/kids/pioneers/muir.htm
 
The Sierra Club has activities about nature and more information on John Muir: http://www.sierraclub.org/john_muir_exhibit/