“Man seems to be the only animal whose food soils him, making necessary much washing and shield-like bibs and napkins. Moles living in the earth and eating slimy worms are yet as clean as seals or fishes, whose lives are one perpetual wash.”

Scottish-born American naturalist and writer

John Muir was a Scottish-born American naturalist and writer, active in the 19th and early 20th centuries. He is remembered as an early and influential voice for preserving wilderness in the United States. Muir also worked as an environmental philosopher, botanist, zoologist, and glaciologist. He is associated with the names “John of the Mountains” and “Father of the National Parks,” titles that reflect his lasting role in shaping wilderness preservation and the language around it.