Earth visionaries. Climate drivers. Believers. World in their Hands
tells the stories of those who saw the importance of our natural world
and dedicated their lives to its conservation, preservation, and
protection in diverse and inspiring ways. These were tireless
champions--thinkers, doers, and fighters who spoke up and took action
long before it was fashionable, or critical. Thinkers such as Henry
David Thoreau and Aldo Leopold ground us in their deeply rooted
emotional and physical attachments to nature. Doers like Theodore
Roosevelt, John Muir, and Rachel Carson include those who geared up and
went out there to study, learn, record, report, and otherwise inspire
the rest of the world. Fighters are the folks that got vocal, sometimes
loudly, and stood their ground in the face of staunch adversity and
resistance. Even at their own peril, they refused to abandon their
commitment to saving a species or coveted piece of land. Taking the
preservation of the natural world into their own hands, their efforts
led to the founding of the National Park Service and the Wilderness
Society, the establishment of the Wilderness Act, the preservation of
untold millions of acres of land around the world, and countless other
victories. Their inspiring stories evoke a deeper appreciation of nature
in each of us; showing us where we've been, how far we've come, and what
the road ahead will look like for the next generation of conservation
crusaders, at a time when conservation, environmentalism, and action is
more vital than ever.
