The World English Dictionary defines a conservationist as “a person who advocates or strongly promotes preservation and careful management of natural resources and the environment.” Many sportsmen today may not identify themselves with this definition, but the fact is that the two go together. Many sportsmen tend to take for granted those that went before them to ensure that they would have the opportunity to engage in their favorite pastime. While this is by no means an exhaustive list of some of the fine people that made sacrifices for future generations, it is a sampling.
John James Audubon (1785-1851) Surely a familiar name to many, Audubon was born in what is now known as Haiti, but was raised by his stepmother in Nantes, France. Famous for his attempts to paint and describe the many birds of America, many assume that the Audubon Society was founded by him, but that is not the case. However, there is a connection: George Bird Grinnell, one of the founders of the early Audubon Society was tutored by Lucy Audubon, John James’ widow. Aware of Audubon’s love for nature, Grinnell chose his name as the inspiration for the organization’s earliest work to protect birds and their habitats. The name remains synonymous with bird conservation.
John F. Lacey (1841-1913) Born in Virginia, John Fletcher Lacey moved to Iowa with his parents in 1855. Lacey considered this trip through the wild prairie to be one of the most memorable times of his life. Mostly known for his namesake, the Lacey Act of 1900, Lacey once commented, “For more than three hundred years destruction was called ‘improvement’ and it has only in recent years come to the attention of the people generally that the American people were like spendthrift heirs wasting their inheritance.
George Bird Grinnell (1849-1938) An American anthropologist, historian, naturalist, and writer, Grinnell was born in Brooklyn, New York, and graduated from Yale University. He originally specialized in zoology, but soon became a prominent early conservationist and student of Native American life. Prominent in movements to preserve wildlife and conservation in the American West, Grinnell was a founding member of the Boone and Crockett Club and served as editor of Forest and Stream magazine from 1876-1911.
Aldo Leopold (1887-1948) Considered by many as the father of wildlife management and of the United States’ wilderness system, Leopold was a conservationist, forester, philosopher, educator, writer, and outdoor enthusiast. Born in 1887 and raised in Burlington, Iowa, he developed an interest in his natural surroundings at a young age and spent several hours journaling, observing, and sketching his view of the world. In 1933, he published the first textbook in the field of wildlife management.
This list could go on and on…there are so many great people that dedicated their lives and contributed greatly to conservation. Do some research and explore the history of conservation…it is truly fascinating.
James L. Cummins is executive director of Wildlife Mississippi, a nonprofit conservation organization founded to conserve, restore, and enhance fish, wildlife, and plant resources throughout Mississippi. Their web site is www.wildlifemiss.org.
