Post on 23-Dec-2015
Henry David Thoreau
1817- 1862
Henry David Thoreau (1817- 1862)
An American author, naturalist, transcendentalist, and philosopher
Best known for his book Walden, a reflection upon simple living in natural surroundings
LifeBorn in a common family in New England
Graduated from Harvard, but only stayed at home
and helped family business
Began writing nature poetry in the 1840s with Ralph
Waldo Emerson
Began his stay at Walden Pond in 1845
Walden Pond
A reproduction of Thoreau's cabin with a statue of Thoreau
Walden PondThoreau spent two years in a small cabin near Walden
Pond, amidst woodland near Concord, Massachusetts.
Thoreau hoped to isolate himself from society in order
to gain a more objective understanding of it.
Simple living and self-sufficiency were Thoreau's other
goals.
His cabin was not in wilderness but at the edge of
town, not far from his family home.
Thoreau’s Data Thoreau spent much of his time observing nature, and his
surroundings
He made note of the life cycle events of many plants
(such as when flowers appeared) and when they occurred
The study of life cycle events of plants and animals is
called Phenology
PhenologyPhenology data has been collected for centuries,
and is often tied to proverbs such as “Spring is sooner recognized by plants than be men”
Today, scientists use this type of data to examine long-term trends in the life cycles of plants and animalsKeep tabs on ecosystem healthMake predictions about effects of climate change
The End