ABSTRACT
With the publication of Silent Spring in 1962, Rachel Carson woke the nation from its naive and somnambulistic belief in “better living through chemistry.” Th is was not the fi rst time Carson wrote about the need to protect nature from the ravages of humankind, but by highlighting the dangers of widespread indiscriminant pesticide use, Carson helped launch the modern environmental movement. It was Carson’s deep love of nature and her understanding of the interconnectedness of all life that motivated her to write Silent Spring. Th is same foundation shaped the course of her life and her contributions to the fi elds of environmental science, natural history literature, and ecology, as well as experiential education.
