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Nature writing isnonfiction orfictionprose about the natural environment. It often draws heavily from scientific information and facts while also incorporating philosophical reflection upon various aspects of nature. Works are frequently written in the first person and include personal observations.
Nature writing encompasses a wide variety of works, ranging from those that place primary emphasis on natural history (such as field guides) to those focusing on philosophical interpretation. It includes poetry, essays of solitude or escape, as well as travel and adventure writing.[1]
Modern-day nature writing traces its roots to works ofnatural history that initially gained popularity in the second half of the 18th century, and continued to do so throughout the 19th century. An important early figure in nature writing was theparson-naturalistGilbert White (1720–1793),[2] a pioneering English naturalist and ornithologist. He is best known for writingNatural History and Antiquities of Selborne (1789).
William Bartram (1739–1823) was another significant American pioneer naturalist who became a respected figure in literary and scientific communities after his first work was published in 1791.[3]
The tradition ofclerical naturalists can be traced back to the monastic writings of the Middle Ages, although under modern-day definitions, these writings about animals and plants cannot be correctly classified as natural history. Notable early parson-naturalists wereWilliam Turner (1508–1568),John Ray (1627–1705) andWilliam Derham (1657–1735).
Gilbert White was an Englishecologist, who expressed encouragement towards an increased respect for nature.[4] He said of theearthworm: "Earthworms, though in appearance a small and despicable link in the chain of nature, yet, if lost, would make a lamentable chasm. [...] worms seem to be the great promoters of vegetation, which would proceed but lamely without them."[5] Along with naturalistWilliam Markwick, White collected records of the dates of emergence of more than 400 plant and animal species inHampshire andSussex between 1768 and 1793. Their findings were summarized inThe Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne, in which they recorded the earliest and latest dates for each event over a 25-year period. The data recorded by White and Markwick are among the earliest examples of modernphenology.
American botanist, natural historian, and explorerWilliam Bartram traveled extensively in the Americas throughout the late 1700s, observing the nativeflora andfauna; his work, now known asBartram's Travels, was published in 1791.[6]Ephraim George Squier andEdwin Hamilton Davis, in their book,Ancient Monuments of the Mississippi Valley, name Bartram as "the first naturalist who penetrated the dense tropical forests of Florida."[7]
Another early illustrated work of nature writing wasA History of British Birds byThomas Bewick, published in two volumes. Volume 1, "Land Birds", appeared in 1797. Volume 2, "Water Birds", appeared in 1804. The book was considered to be the first "field guide" for non-specialists. Bewick provided an accurate illustration of each species, listed the common and scientific name(s) and cited the naming authorities. Each bird is described with its distribution and behavior, often with extensive quotations from external sources or correspondents. Critics noted Bewick's skill as anaturalist as well as anengraver.[8]
Throughout the 19th century, works of nature writing included those of American ornithologistJohn James Audubon (1785–1851),Charles Darwin (1809–1882) andAlfred Russel Wallace (1823–1913).[9] Additional authors who published modern works include English authorRichard Jefferies (1848-1887), American authorsSusan Fenimore Cooper(1813–1894) andHenry David Thoreau (1817–1862). Other significant writers in the genre includeRalph Waldo Emerson(1803–1882),John Burroughs (1837–1931) andJohn Muir (1838–1914).
The second half of the 20th century saw a significant increase in nature writing in fiction and non-fiction in Britain. One of the earliest of these works wasJohn Moore (1907–1967), a best-selling pioneerconservationist. Writing from the 1930s to 1960s, he was described by Sir Compton Mackenzie as the most talented writer about the countryside of his generation.[10] Moore's contemporaries includedHenry Williamson (1895–1977), best known forTarka the Otter, whose imaginative prose won him theHawthornden Prize in 1928.[11] Other 20th century writers included American authorsEdward Abbey (1927–1989),Aldo Leopold (1887–1948) and Indian authorM. Krishnan (1912–1996).
AfterWorld War II, other writers emerged including English teacher and naturalistMargaret Hutchinson (1904–1997), who strongly advocated for raising children as naturalists from an early age.[12] American authorRachel Carson (1907–1964) is known forSilent Spring, published in 1962.[13] Carson heralded a new and pointed style of nature writing that carried stronger warnings of environmental loss as pesticide use in industrial agriculture became an increasing concern after World War II.
Relevant contemporary nature writers in Britain includeRichard Mabey,Roger Deakin,Mark Cocker, andOliver Rackham. Rackham's books included Ancient Woodland (1980) and The History of the Countryside (1986). Richard Mabey has been involved with radio and television programmes on nature, and his book Nature Cure, describes his experiences and recovery from depression in the context of man's relationship with landscape and nature. He has also edited and introduced editions of Richard Jefferies, Gilbert White,Flora Thompson andPeter Matthiessen. Mark Cocker has written extensively for British newspapers and magazines and his books includeBirds Britannica (with Richard Mabey) (2005). and Crow Country (2007). He frequently writes about modern responses to the wild, whether found in landscape, human societies or in other species. Roger Deakin was an English writer, documentary-maker and environmentalist. In 1999, Deakin's acclaimed book Waterlog was published.[14] Inspired in part by the short storyThe Swimmer byJohn Cheever, it describes his experiences of 'wild swimming' in Britain's rivers and lakes and advocatesopen access to the countryside and waterways.[15] Deakin's bookWildwood appeared posthumously in 2007. It describes a series of journeys across the globe that Deakin made to meet people whose lives are intimately connected to trees and wood.
German contributions to nature writing include German authorPeter Wohlleben's bookThe Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate. Published in 2016, it was translated from German into English and subsequently became aNew York Times Bestseller.[16] In 2017, the German book publishing companyMatthes & Seitz Berlin began to grant theGerman Award for Nature Writing, an annual literary award for German writers who fulfill criteria within nature writing as a literary genre. It comes with a prize of 10,000 euro and an additionalartist in residency grant of six weeks at the International Academy for Nature Conservation of Germany inVilm.[17][verification needed] In 2018, theBritish Council offered an education bursary and workshop opportunities to six young German authors deemed to be dedicated to nature writing.[18]
American poetMary Oliver found inspiration for her work in nature and had a lifelong habit of solitary walks in the wild. Her poetry is characterized by wonderment at the natural environment.
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