Henry David Thoreau's Influence On Nature

It is practically impossible to finish a history class without the mention of Henry David Thoreau. “Civil Disobedience” became one of the most important pieces of literature during the 20th century. This concept was utilized by some of the most influential people of the time like Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. (Frederick). While his political impact might arguably be the light in which he is most often discussed, in the field of biological conservation he is a giant as well. The natural world has come to the forefront in many societies around the world. It has expanded beyond science and affects the political and economic realms along with many others. Henry David Thoreau can offer an interesting and important take on what nature is in respect to humans and these subjects. He
The roots of this subject reach back over 200 years though with individuals like Thoreau, Emerson, and Muir being some of the first major contributors. In 1817, Henry David Thoreau was born in Concord, Massachusetts. While Thoreau never left this area, the insights he gained by the end of his life in 1862 were instrumental in what we think of nature and conservation today. During his time Thoreau lived mainly in the woods of New England in solitude to construct his ideas and become closer to nature. Out of this came one of his most notable works, Walden. Walden explored many things and the natural aspect of it has many interesting thoughts that affect the way individuals look at nature today. Thoreau did not see nature as something that should be used for human gain or exploitation. Instead he saw nature as an entity in it of itself with intrinsic value and was quoted as saying, “Heaven is under our feet is well as over our heads” (Thoreau 313). This mindset on nature is still held today and is at the forefront of many biological efforts such as The Nature Conservancy (“Vision and