HomeCuriosity CornerApril 3 - Happy Birthday, John Burroughs

April 3 – Happy Birthday, John Burroughs

 Posted on April 3, 2022

This is an update of my post published on April 3, 2011:


April 3 - Happy Birthday, John Burroughs

John Burroughs wrote 23 books, was very popular and well-connected during his own time, and was important in the American conservation movement—and I don’t remember ever hearing about him!
Born on this day in 1837, in New York, Burroughs grew up to become the Grand Old Man of Nature. He wrote about the Catskill Mountains, fly fishing, birds and bees, flowers and trees, and all things natural. He hung out with Teddy Roosevelt, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford (who gave him a car, as a gift!), John Muir, Walt Whitman, and Harvey Firestone. He traveled to Alaska with scientists, artists and photographers, and he wrote about the expedition and his other travels. 

Burroughs wrote about science in general, including controversial topics: he disagreed with the (relatively) new-fangled idea of evolution through natural selection (but now that truck-loads and mountains of evidence have accumulated, we know he was wrong). 

John Burroughs lived to be 84 years old.

April 3 - Happy Birthday, John Burroughs


Burroughs wrote in 1912:

“We can use our scientific knowledge to improve and beautify the earth, or we can use it to…poison the air, corrupt the waters, blacken the face of the country, and harass our souls with loud and discordant noises, [or]…we can use it to mitigate or abolish all these things.”

Links I Like

Here is a short story written by Burroughs. It’s really interesting!

A natural history society is named after him and runs field trips, lectures, and a newsletter. If you live in New York, check it out!

April 3 - Happy Birthday, John Burroughs

April 3 - Happy Birthday, John Burroughs
We all need to be environmentalists, now.
AND we need to be concerned about how
environmentalism affects everyone.
Environmental justice and climate justice
are crucial.



Also on this date:

April 3 - Happy Birthday, John BurroughsNational Tweed Day 




April 3 - Happy Birthday, John Burroughs
Canada’s Got Talent





April 3 - Happy Birthday, John Burroughs


Find a Rainbow, Share a Rainbow Day




April 3 - Happy Birthday, John Burroughs

World Party Day



April 3 - Happy Birthday, John BurroughsWeed Out Hate: Sow the Seeds of Greatness Day



April 3 - Happy Birthday, John Burroughs


Anniversary of first flight over Mount Everest


April 3 - Happy Birthday, John Burroughs


Don’t Go to Work Unless It’s Fun Day


April 3 - Happy Birthday, John Burroughs


Birthday of the “Einstein of Structural Engineering, Fazlur Rahman Khan







April 3 - Happy Birthday, John Burroughs

Birthday of primatologist Jane Goodall


April 3 - Happy Birthday, John Burroughs

Beginning of the Pony Express





Plan ahead:


Check out my Pinterest boards for:

  • April holidays
  • April birthdays
  • Historical anniversaries in April

And here are my Pinterest boards for:

  • May holidays
  • May birthdays
  • Historical anniversaries in May


 




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