John Burroughs

Born on April 3, 1837, near Roxbury in New York's Catskill region, John Burroughs grew up on a farm and carried that firsthand knowledge of the natural world into his writing for the rest of his life. He became known as an essayist and naturalist whose work celebrated ordinary outdoor life with clarity, patience, and affection.

Burroughs published for decades, and his first essay collection, Wake-Robin (1871), helped establish his reputation. He is often linked with the tradition of Henry David Thoreau, but his voice was distinctly his own: less solitary and severe, more companionable, and deeply interested in helping everyday readers notice birds, landscapes, and changing seasons.

He was also active in the conservation movement and became a widely admired public figure in American literary and cultural life. Burroughs died on March 29, 1921, while traveling home to New York from California, leaving behind a body of work that still appeals to readers who love nature writing that is observant, calm, and humane.