Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is a big part of John Muir's legacy. On May 28, 1892, John Muir helped form the Sierra Club with 182 members. Muir was elected president, and he stayed in office for twenty-two years, until his death. His passion for nature shaped the goals and pursuits of the club, and many people were inspired by him.
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"While we could have this great leader of all true mountaineers and lovers of 'pure wildness,' it was unthinkable that any one else should hold the office of President."
-William E. Colby, secretary of the Sierra Club when John Muir was President (January, 1916) "Too many of the places Muir loved were being lost because too few people knew about them. John Muir, and William E. Colby, his very close associate, got the idea that if you wanted people to support wilderness, they needed to know what it was like." -David Brower, First Executive Director of Sierra Club, well-known modern environmentalist. (The Final Interview, August 5, 2000) |
Today, the Sierra Club is still in action. It is the largest and most influential environmental organization. It has retired 177 coal plants, has established 431 parks and monuments, and has 2.3 million members who go on 15,000 outings per year.