Art: David Larson

"Nature and art are what the world is about. Nature is the universe and art is the human response. There's nothing else. Within all those interlocked realms is all passion and future." - Michael Tobias, quoted in the Washington Post, February 22, 1991

Human beings have always interpreted landscapes and natural environments through the creation of art, literature, song, drama, and dance. From the cave paintings of early man to Hudson River School masterpieces and the writings of John Muir and Henry David Thoreau, we have been enriched by creating and experiencing artistic tributes to nature and the environment.

At its various trainings and other programs, the Conservation Study Institute has encouraged conservationists to share their stories of the land and explore their attitudes and feelings about the natural world through journal and poetry writing, drawing, and other forms of expression.

You are welcome to contribute your journal entries about your corner of the world, your neighborhood, or other special places. Please contact us at stewardship@nps.gov.