John Muir led an interesting and eventful life, full of notable achievements. Most famously, he was an explorer of wild places who caught the attention of influential people, and produced a considerable body of written work that continues to inspire. In this section, you will find resources about his life, achievements and the ways in which Muir’s legacy can still be seen today.
Information about John Muir | Websites
John Muir misquoted
Muir-misquotes… mis-attribution, retelling…
Sierra Club Exhibit
An extensive website containing a wide variety of Muir-related resources and tributes.
John Muir’s Birthplace
Discover how the boy born in this house in Dunbar, East Lothian, became one of the driving forces behind the global conservation movement. This absorbing hands on interpretation centre will take you on the journey of John Muir’s life as a pioneering conservationist, explorer, writer, geologist and inventor.
Friendly, well informed staff are on hand to help and answer questions. For more information click here.
Celebrating Muir in the Digital Age
This interactive webpage illustrates John Muir’s story and the significance of his work in environmental conservation and advocacy, and provides virtual access to two homes (Dunbar and Martinez) which greatly inspired Muir’s work.
Information about John Muir | Resources
Resource Guide
An overview of John Muir’s biography, quotes and bibliography, as well as links to useful websites.
Part of a suite of John Muir Award Resource Guides.
John Muir Award Spring Newsletter
The Spring 2013 edition of the John Muir Award Newsletter celebrates all things Muir, and “encourages people to explore what Muir, and others like him, both historic and contemporary, stand for in today’s society”.
John Muir’s Last Stand
An article that explores the importance of John Muir’s legacy 100 years after his death, at a time of conflicting perspectives on the future direction of the conservation movement.
Muir Images
This document offers guidance on how to access images of John Muir.
‘A land teeming with wildlife would be a fitting legacy to John Muir’
An article in the Glasgow Herald by the John Muir Trust. Published on 21st April 2015 – John Muir’s Birthday and John Muir Day – it explores Muir’s continued and strengthening legacy in his native land.
Scotland on Sunday John Muir Supplement
Read a special pull out on the life of John Muir from the 21 April 2013 edition of Scotland on Sunday.
Sierra Club Earth Day Presentation: Muir & Activism
Bruce Hamilton, Sierra Club Deputy Executive Director, gave a talk for Earth Day 2014 at the John Muir National Historic Site in Martinez.
‘To be a modern day John Muir you need to be joyful, full of wonder, enthusiastic, humble, willing to take risks, and able to tell a good story. Is that too much to ask of any of us?’
Information about John Muir | Books
Strong Brave True by Mairi Kidd and Tom Morgan-Jones
For all ages, a brilliant selection showcasing the innovations of Scots including John Muir – well-known and less well-known, men and women alike – throughout the ages and in many different fields: from astronomy, ecology, philosophy and lighthouse design to technology, poetry and medicine.
Wildheart: The Daring Adventures of John Muir
This John Muir Graphic Novel is a visual showcase of Muir’s adventurous life, starting with his wild and playful boyhood in Scotland to his legendary exploits in America, where he became an inventor, a global explorer, and the first modern environmentalist. His words made a difference and inspired people in many countries to start protecting planet Earth – and they still do. The original ‘John Muir, Earth – Planet Universe’ version is available for free at the Scottish Book Trust as a pdf and includes teaching notes and resources.
John Muir: My Life With Nature by Joseph Cornell
A unique biography told in the words of John Muir and brimming with his spirit and adventures. With text selected and retold by Joseph Cornell, author of Sharing Nature with Children, the book offers an ideal introduction.
Restless Fires
A detailed rendering of young John Muir’s thousand-mile walk to the Gulf, particularly examining the development of Muir’s environmental thought after recovering from partial blindness due to a factory accident.
Information about John Muir | Films
John Muir – Back to the Future Film
A 5-minute film featuring young people offering views on John Muir and his relevance today.
‘Muir’ – a 3-minute animated film by Ian Boone Timothy
A short stop motion film exploring the writings and adventures of naturalist, author, and father of the National Parks, John Muir.
The Last Explorers – John Muir
Via short clips from the BBC 1 series, presenter Neil Oliver traces Muir’s journey from Dunbar to California, looks at his impact on the world, and attempts to climb in Muir’s footsteps.
The full 58 minute documentary can be viewed here.
John Muir – A Glorious Journey
A two-part 30 minute biography of Muir’s life in America, available for viewing on YouTube (part two here).
National Parks – America’s best idea (films)
Browse a selection of video clips from the documentary, scenes that had to be cut, and untold stories of John Muir and The National Parks.
Information about John Muir | Podcasts
Why John Muir settled in the East Bay
Muir’s gravesite is now open to the public. This podcast (22 mins) considers a side of “the father of America’s National Parks” that’s not widely known — his life in Contra Costa County, including stories of Muir’s local adventures, his family and why he was often spotted carrying “pillowcases full of money.”
For more info on visiting Muir’s grave, click here.
Discover John Muir 