Naturiotism

Rachel Carson (1907-1964), Author & Ecologist

“One Way To Open Your Eyes Is To Ask Yourself, What if I Had Never Seen This Before? What if I Knew I Would Never See It Again?”

The publication of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring (1962) was a watershed moment in the environmental history of the United States. Calling attention to the rampant use of chemicals, such as DDT, following World War II, she applied her scientific background and prose to create a national conversation on the unforeseen impact of humans on the environment. Despite being vilified by the chemical industry, her scientific background ultimately prevailed, setting in motion the banning of DDT, which subsequently led to the recovery of our national emblem, the Bald Eagle and other charismatic species, such as the Peregrine Falcon, Osprey, and Brown Pelican. Sadly, she passed away from cancer in 1964, but her legacy endures.

Rosalie Edge (1877-1962), Women’s Suffragist & Environmentalist

“The time to protect a species is while it is still common.”

Rosalie Edge was a force of nature. Active in the women’s suffrage movement from 1913 until women received the right to vote in 1920, she turned her assertive personality, intelligence, and activism toward the environmental movement.