Sierra Club: 100 years of protecting nature

Forest and Bird, Issue 266, 1 November 1992, Page 36

Sierra Club: 100 years of protecting nature

Felicity Gifford

by Tom Turner (Harry N. Abrams Inc) $139.00 This beautifully presented book is a fitting tribute to an extraordinary organisation, America’s oldest and largest — over 650,000 members — conservation group, the Sierra Club. To anyone with an interest in the natural wilderness areas of America the book will provide an endless source of pleasure. Begun in San Francisco in 1892 by John Muir as an advanced walkers’ group of likeminded people, the club’s main aim was "to explore, enjoy and protect the wild places of this earth". The name derives from one of their favourite areas, the High Sierras of the Pacific coast. Things began to change as this active set of people became aware of some of the threats to their beloved wilderness areas. One of the first in a series of many battles was fought over the creation of the Yosemite National Park. The club was enthusiastically lead by Muir, the first president and perhaps the first modern "‘conservationist’’, at a time when conservation was considered a lunatic fringe idea. Today the Sierra Club sees itself as "the most radical of the mainstream organisations’. It has over 250 national staff and its roles range from political lobbying and supporting green congressional candidates to promoting recreation and outdoor pursuits and publishing superb photographic records of the natural world. As for the next 100 years, David Brower (celebrated mountaineer and former president) in addressing the centennial celebration issued the following challenge to all environmental groups, indeed all Americans: "We need to stop and take time to clean up the mess".