Posts Tagged ‘American naturalists’
April 21, 2026 John Muir, Mark Twain, Aldo Leopold, Flowering Outdoors by Margot Shaw, and Charlotte Brontë
Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Support The Daily Gardener Patreon Buy Me A Coffee Connect for FREE! The Friday Newsletter | Daily Gardener Community Today’s Show Notes If you kneel by the peonies right now, you’ll see it. The new shoots are already pushing. Red. Glossy. Tight as fists. But…
Read MoreWilliam Bartram’s May Diary: A Window into Early American Nature
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. May 13, 1823 On this day, William Bartram, American botanist, ornithologist, natural historian, and explorer, penned an entry in his diary that transports us to a spring day nearly two centuries ago. Can…
Read MoreWilliam Hamilton Gibson: Illustrator, Naturalist, and Savior of Prospect Park’s Wild Garden
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. October 5, 1850 Dearest reader, On this day, the natural world welcomed William Hamilton Gibson, a soul destined to paint the wonders of nature with more than ink alone. Born in Sandy Hook,…
Read MoreJohn Muir and Charles Sprague Sargent: Contrasting Spirits in Nature’s Majesty
John of the Mountains April 21, 1838 Today is the birthday of the Scottish-American naturalist, conservationist, and author John Muir. Muir was known by many names: “John of the Mountains,” “Father of Yosemite,” and “Father of the National Parks.” In particular, John’s work to preserve Yosemite resulted in a famous picture of Muir posing with…
Read MoreThomas Nuttall: The Botanist Who Explored Michigan’s Flora and Discovered the Dwarf Lake Iris
The Mackinac Island Botanist April 12, 1810 On this day, the 24-year-old English botanist Thomas Nuttal hopped on a coach and left Philadelphia. Thomas was leaving on an expedition to study the flora of the Northwest that was arranged by Professor Benjamin Smith Barton of the University of Philadelphia. With a salary of $8 per…
Read MoreHenry David Thoreau: On Maple Sap, Willows, and the Warm Places of Spring
Maple Trees and Warm Places March 22, 1856 Today Henry David Thoreau writes about spring and flowing sap in Maple trees in his journal. He also writes about microclimates – he calls them “warm places.” “Part of the White Maples now begin to flow, some perhaps two or three days. Probably in equally warm positions,…
Read MoreJohnny Appleseed: The Orchard Planter and America’s First Herbalist
An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away March 18, 1845 Today is the anniversary of the death of John Chapman – better known as Johnny Appleseed – who died on this day at the age of 70. Johnny was born in Massachusetts. In fact, the street where he was born is now called Johnny…
Read MoreHenry David Thoreau: The Winter Joy of Lesser Redpolls
Lesser Redpolls December 11, 1855 On this day, Henry David Thoreau wrote about walking through a spruce swamp and stumbling on a flock of Lesser Redpolls (“Red-Poles”). These little birds are some of the smallest in the finch family. Lesser Redpolls are small and brown with red foreheads. If you’ve ever stumbled on a flock…
Read MoreRoger Tory Peterson: The Naturalist Who Helped the World Fall in Love with Birds
Lesser Redpolls December 11, 1855 On this day, Henry David Thoreau wrote about walking through a spruce swamp and stumbling on a flock of Lesser Redpolls (“Red-Poles”). These little birds are some of the smallest in the finch family. Lesser Redpolls are small and brown with red foreheads. If you’ve ever stumbled on a flock…
Read MoreCaroline Dormon: Louisiana’s Queen of the Forest Kingdom
Lesser Redpolls December 11, 1855 On this day, Henry David Thoreau wrote about walking through a spruce swamp and stumbling on a flock of Lesser Redpolls (“Red-Poles”). These little birds are some of the smallest in the finch family. Lesser Redpolls are small and brown with red foreheads. If you’ve ever stumbled on a flock…
Read MoreHenry David Thoreau: The Philosopher Who Found Wonder in Seeds
Lesser Redpolls December 11, 1855 On this day, Henry David Thoreau wrote about walking through a spruce swamp and stumbling on a flock of Lesser Redpolls (“Red-Poles”). These little birds are some of the smallest in the finch family. Lesser Redpolls are small and brown with red foreheads. If you’ve ever stumbled on a flock…
Read MoreJohn Burroughs: The Poet Naturalist of the Catskills
Lesser Redpolls December 11, 1855 On this day, Henry David Thoreau wrote about walking through a spruce swamp and stumbling on a flock of Lesser Redpolls (“Red-Poles”). These little birds are some of the smallest in the finch family. Lesser Redpolls are small and brown with red foreheads. If you’ve ever stumbled on a flock…
Read MoreWinter’s Wakefulness and the Bee’s Slumber: Reflections on Cold and Survival
Today’s Garden Words were featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. Words inspired by the garden are the sweetest, most beautiful words of all. Sluggish bees in the snow. February 19, 2020 Winter evokes a complex array of feelings, beautifully captured in the words of…
Read MoreHenry David Thoreau and the Resilient Willow Hedge
Lesser Redpolls December 11, 1855 On this day, Henry David Thoreau wrote about walking through a spruce swamp and stumbling on a flock of Lesser Redpolls (“Red-Poles”). These little birds are some of the smallest in the finch family. Lesser Redpolls are small and brown with red foreheads. If you’ve ever stumbled on a flock…
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