mInfo Center | Welcome to Paradise

EARTH TALK
Great Natural History & Environmental Quotations
Whereby I introduce you to 202 of the outstanding
personages that American Natural History
literature has produced
(including the thoughts of a few concerned citizens)

Selected and edited
by Tom Thomson

mailto:shtnorth@netwalk.com

COPYRIGHTED 1997 BY TOM THOMSON
404 Thurber Drive West, Columbus, OH 43215
(Selections of individual quotations may be used without permission,
however the title and the totality of the compilations are copyrighted. Bibliographical sources will be provided on request. )

Introduction

Abbey, Edward
Discover the wry wit and acute observations of this ascetic "desert rat" and his thoughts
on what we are doing to the environment. Some of his adherents say he is now a
Turkey Vulture. Decide for yourself. Find some of his other books. Some of them are a hoot..
Ackerman, Diane
She writes of bats and whales.
Agassiz, Jean Louis Rodolphe
He was founder of the Marine Laboratory at Woods Hole
Agosta, William C.
He mentions pheromones.
Aguvlak, Raymond T.
He speaks of killer whale memories.
Allen, Durward L.
An authority on wolves speaks of elemental things
Allen, Oliver E.
He describes an episode over the Indian Ocean.
Allen, Robert Porter
He helped save the Whooping Crane.
Anderson, Sherwood
Ardrey, Robert
The author gained fame with his book African Genesis.
Asimov, Isaac.
Audubon, John James
The most famous American bird artist was also
a writer of considerable talent
Austin, Mary
She fell in love with the great American desert.
Bates, Marston
This biologist will give you plenty to think about.
Bergman, Charles
"Now is the time to think of many things . . ."
Berry, Wendell
This native Kentuckian is a conservationist to the tips of his toes.
Beston, Henry
Visit the man who lived by the side of the sea and wrote a book about it.
Black Elk
He survived the massacre at Wounded Knee.
Boone, J. Allen
He befriends animals, large and small
Borland, Hal
For many years he wrote nature essays for The New York Times.
Bronowski,
His mathematical mind was also good with words.
Broun, Maurice
His name is synonymous with Hawk Mountain.
Brower, David
This is the dauntless man who founded Friends of the Earth.
Brown, Lester R.
He founded the Worldwatch Institute.
Brownell, Baker
Buckingham, J. H.
What the countryside looked like in the mid-19th century.
Buel, Ronald A.
Some freeway facts and figures
Burroughs, John
Nature teaches more than she preaches," comments this giant
figure amonst our most gifted nature writers.
Burton, John A.
Capra, Fritjof
"Rational thinking is linear," he says.
Caras, Roger
Carey, Ken
Reflections on a day in the Ozarks
Carson, Gerald
Carson, Rachel
Long ago Rachel Carson was warning us about the chemical poisons that are
all around us. Even today, many people refuse to listen. Read what she says and
make up your own mind.
Carver, George Washington
Communing with nature.
Chapman, Frank M.
Chief Seattle
Regardless of whether these are the Chief's exact words, they are surely his true sentiments.
Child, Lydia
Chiras, Daniel D.
Coman, Dale Rex
This veteran writer and naturalist has some good advice
to offer, that is, if you are listening.
Commoner, Barry
You have to read his 4 environmental laws.
Constantz, George
Essays about the natural history of Appalachia
Cooper, Bryan
Some cold facts about energy and Alaska
Costello, David F.
One of his great loves is the American prairie
Cousteau,Jacques-Yves
Explore the watery deeps with this famed oceanographer
Crane, Hart
This talented poet was very aware of nature.
Crick, Francis
A couple of thoughts by this noted biologist.
Cromie, William J.
Cruise, Tom
This movie star is an ardent environmentalist
Cudmore, L. L. Larison
The objects of his admiration are very small.
Curry, Robert R.
One amazing statistic about human population.
Daniel, John
He writes of the diminishment of America.
Darling, Ding
I won't touch this one with a ten-foot pole.
Danson, Ted
Savor an outstanding concept Danson puts forth.
Darmstadter, Joel
A prediction for the year 2050
Davids, Richard C.
He writes about the arctic and polar bears.
Davis, Flora
Davis, Millard C.
Some outdoor lore by a veteran naturalist.
Davis, Norah Deakin
Some thoughts evoked by the Mississippi River.
DeBlieu, Jan
Turtle talk.
Devoe, Alan
Is this wish possible?
Dickinson, Emily
Oh, what a gal.
Dillard, Annie
Enjoy these perky comments on the State of our Union with the Environment, along
with lots of other pertinent observations.
Doctorow, E. L.
An additional perspective on Thoreau.
Douglas, Gilean
His words are music to the ears.
Douglas, William O.
Dubos, Rene
Read all about Spaceship Earth.
Dulbecco, Renato
In the beginning . . .
Eckholm, Eric
Tales of the rain forest.
Eckstein, Gustav
A new way of looking at our compatriots.
Ehrlich, Gretel
The author writes about the magic of wide open spaces
Ehrlich, Paul R.
Eiseley, Loren
Relish these words of wisdom delivered by one of the great essayists of this century.
Emerson, Ralph Waldo
Sample some of the thoughts of coach Woody Hayes' favorite philosopher.
Emmel, Thomas C.
Here are some basic facts about ecology
Finch, Robert
Some seasonal thoughts
Forbush and May
Some bird observations by two veteran ornithologists.
Frome, Michael
Fuller, Buckminster R.
He talks about Spaceship Earth.
Gelbspan, Ross
The heat is on in more ways than one
Gore, Al
Presenting the Vice-President of the United States
Gould, James L. and Carol Grant
Thoughts from their book, The Animal Mind.
Gould, Stephen J.
Grant, Susan
The Greenpeace Philosophy
Griffin, Donald R.
He debunks the old notions of anthropomorphism
Guthrie, Arlo
From Alice's Restaurant to Walden Pond, still going strong . . .
Halle, Louis J.
Louis J. Halle is an elegant spokesperson for the birding community.
Hardin, Garrett
Hartshorne, Charles
Learn a bit more about bird song.
Hasselstrom, Linda M.
Hay, John
Read these beautifully crafted words that frame the thoughts of John Hay and
decide for yourself whether he is one of our most gifted nature writers.
Hayden, Tom
This Californian poses some environmental questions.
Hemingway, Ernest
Hoagland, Edward
Provocative thoughts by a gifted writer
Hochbaum, Albert H.
If you want to learn more about the mysterious ways of our waterfowl, this is your ticket.
Hogan, Linda
Examining new perspectives
Holmes, Oliver Wendel, Jr.
Judicial opinion on Migratory Bird Treaty Act
Hubbell, Sue
From the viewpoint of an insect . . .
Hudson, W. H.
His most famous book was Green Mansions.
Hughes, Langston
The poet speaks of the earth
Jaques, Florence Page
She was a devoted companion to her artist husband.
Jennings, Gary
A few eco-horrors to consider.
Johnson, Cathy
Johnson, Josephine W.
Joseph, Lawrence
Some further explanation of Gaia.
Kay, Jane Holtz
The automobile: Our slave or our master?
Kelly, Katie
Her book is all about Garbage.
Kieran, John
A brief nature note about nocturnal migrants.
Kitcher, Phillip
He says that Mendel was in the forefront of evolutionary science
Kline, David
The author is an Amish farmer in Ohio
Kohn, Howard
Krutch, Joseph
Enjoy the thoughts of this distinguished nature writer.
LaChapelle, Dolores
An introduction into Deep Ecology.
Lawrence, Louise de Kiriline
Lawrence, R. D.
He knows a lot about animal behavior.
Lembke, Janet
The author has a way with words - and you can
tell she has had a long love affair with the Eastern Shore.
Leopold, Aldo
This man has become a legend and is considered by many to be
the father of modern ecology.
Lilly, John Cunningham
Lindbergh, Anne Morrow
The wife of a hero, she was a bright light in her own right.
Lopez, Barry
He walks with wolves.
Lovelock, J. E.
Defining Gaia
MacIntyre, Ferren
Some provocative thoughts about what makes us tick
Marcuse, Herbert
A thought about silence.
Marietta, Jr., Don
The author explains what an environmentalist is - and isn't
Marshall, Alexandra
Margulis, Lynn
Matthiessen, Peter
A sampler of the wide-ranging talents of Peter Matthiessen.
Mayr, Ernst
McIntyre, Rick
He teaches people about wolves.
McKibben, Bill
Meadows, Donella
Milne, Lorus and Margery
It's a pleasure to introduce you to this writing team.
Morton, Eugene S. and Page, Jake
Some thoughts on vocalizations
Mowat, Farley
This Canadian-born naturalist has plenty to say about the predatory nature of mankind.
Muir, John
Read some of the words of this famous mountain man who just, incidentally,
was the inspiration for the founding of the Sierra Club.
Murchie, Guy
He says that genes are memory incarnate.
Nader, Ralph
The noted consumer advocate opines on environmental ethics
Nash, Roderick Frazier
Elaborations on Gaia and environmental ethics
Nice, Margaret Morse
Working alone from her home in Columbus, Ohio, Mrs Nice was a pioneer
in the field of bird life history studies.
Ogburn, Jr. Charlton
Oliver, Mary
Sensitivity mixed with a dash of humor is this poet/naturalist's forte.
Olsen, Jack
He reminds us of the constant slaughter of wild animals.
Olson, Sigurd F.
Great adventures beckon to all of us." wrote this prolific author.
Orr, David W.
Osborn, Fairfield
He speaks of man's inheritance of the earth.
Peattie, Donald Culross
Sample the beautiful prose of this ouystanding botanist and author.
Peck Gregory
A well thought out statement on the environment.
Petersen, David
Peterson, Roger Tory
He was our modern-day hero; now he is gone.
Piatt, Jean
The Compleat Birder.
Pirsig, Robert M.
Quammen, David
A comment on the life of crows.
Redford, Robert
This famed actor is an avid environmentalist.
Rosen, Martin J.
Rosenbaum, Walter A.
Roszak, Theodore
Some sobering thoughts for you to ponder
Russell, Franklin
"I traveled toward self-knowledge but the journey was circular,"
this Jack-of-all-trades writes.
Sagan, Carl
In this age of proliferating metaphysical beliefs, consider the logical
thinking of this brilliant scientist and writer.
Sale, Kirkpatrick
Saner, Reg
Read the eco-thoughts of this award-winning writer.
Santayana, George
Schaefer, Jack
Jack Schaefer is not exactly a proponent of hunting.
Scheffer, Victor B.
He is a marine-biologist of the first water.
Scott, W. E. D.
He was worried way back at the beginning of the century
Seton, Ernest Thompson
Shabecoff, Philip
Shephard, Paul
Shephard, Ward
Shepherd, Linda Jean
Simon, Anne W.
Smiley, Jane
Snyder, Gary
He teaches literature and wilderness.
Spectator, American
Was this a case of justified violence?
Standing Bear
He was chief of the Siuox
Stebbins, Ledyard
Some thoughts about evolution.
Stegner, Wallace
Steinbeck, John
Steinhart, Peter
Stone, Doris
Some botanical talk at the ecological level
Stratton-Porter, Gene
Sutton, George M.
This gifted artist has a way with words.
Swan, James
Taylor, Theodore & Humpstone, Charles C.
A few facts and figures
Teale, Edwin Way
He took us from one corner of America to the next.
Tecumseh
"Why not sell the air?" he asks
Terborgh, John
Thaxter, Celia L.
Thomas, Lewis
Share the inquiring thoughts about the world
around us with this doctor-writer.
Thomson, Keith Stewart
Some favorite essays
Thoreau, Henry David
Come visit this famous essayist and pretend you
are in his house at Walden Pond
Tobias, Michael
Vineyard Gazette
A moving editorial on the meaning of extinction
Wallace, David Rains
An award-winning nature writer.
Walters, Mark Jerome
Watson, James
He speaks admiringly of Linus Pauling
Weiner, Jonathon
Whitman, Walt
Williams, Ted
He writes for Audubon Magazine.
Williams, Terry Tempest
Wilson, Alexander
This contemporary of Audubon was a bird artist
and a man who kept a journal.
Wilson, Edward O,
Considering humankind as a natural component of the world.