Today in 1892, John Muir—polymath naturalist and advocate for environmental conservation—founded the Sierra Club in San Francisco. Gaining steam (and members) during its first 50 years, the Sierra Club came into its own as a progressive lobbying organization during the Eisenhower years, promoting policies aimed at sustainable energy production and climate change mitigation. With one chapter in all 50 states (as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico), its base remains California, which has several chapters—all of which promote and guide recreational outings (the first of which was in 1901 in the Yosemite Valley) and support local and state-wide environmental causes. Muir, the club’s first president, wrote extensively about his experiences in nature (and his writing is what most people remember him for today), yet he implored readers to take next steps, literally, after putting his books down. "No amount of word-making will ever make a single soul to ‘know' these mountains,” said Muir (pictured, c. 1902) after a trip through Alaska. “One day's exposure to mountains is better than a cartload of books.” Image: public domain.
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