Eco-Heroes: Adolph Murie

Adolph Murie – 1899-1974

Throughout his life, Murie had a passion for wildlife.  He earned his doctoral degree in biology, and became an important voice in preserving wild nature in the National Parks.  He conducted a number of studies, including an influential report on the wolves in Alaska’s Denali National Park (then called Mt. McKinley National Park).     Murie’s observations of the wolves in their natural habitat led to a ban on wolf hunting in Denali, and also contributed to future wolf reintroduction efforts in Yellowstone National Park.

Murie lived in Alaska for much of his life, and his love of the wilderness pushed him to oppose the development of the park.  In the 1960’s his voice was heard, and a proposed 90-mile paved road was stopped after 13 miles.

The Murie Center in Grand Teton National Park continues the conservation work started by Murie and his brother, Olaus, and The Murie Science and Learning Center in Denali was opened in 2004.

Eco-Heroes: John Muir

John Muir (1838-1914): Born in Scotland but raised in the U.S., Muir was a naturalist and founder of the Sierra Club.  He petitioned Congress to enact the National Parks Bill to establish Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks in California, which led to our current national parks system.  Filmmaker Ken Burns documented Muir’s story in his PBS special, “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea.”