#46 - John Muir

This week our beard of history is none other than the original California Beard himself, John Muir.

Known as “John on the Mountains,” he was an American naturalist, author, environmentalist, and preservationist who lived from 1838-1914.

Born in Scotland, he immigrated to Wisconsin at age 11, and nature eventually called him away to explore the world.

He rose to prominence because of his writing, particularly focused on the Sierra Nevada mountains in California.

His books, letters, and essays described his adventures wandering the mountainside and ultimately ended up helping to preserve natural beauties such as the Yosemite Valley, Sequoia National Park, and other wilderness areas.

He founded the Sierra Club, has a 211-mile trail named after him, in addition to Muir Woods National Monument, Muir Beach, and John Muir College.

On preserving beautiful natural landscapes, he said: “Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.”

He was so right.

Get out into some nature this weekend and heal your soul.

RIP John Muir, may your beard grow forever

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