Diverse Perspectives on the Natural World: Choosing Quotes from Women Nature Writers

By Julia Freeman

A couple of weeks ago, I set out on a quest to find the perfect quote for an Illinois nature center. I wanted the quote to be short, focused on taking conservation action, and written by someone other than John Muir.

Have you noticed that nature centers across the country like to repeat quotes by the same group of mostly white, mostly male nature writers over and over again? Many of these writers share similar perspectives on nature. They glorify the single explorer, the mountaintop, the sublime wilderness. They often leave out the community, the garden, the long history of Indigenous Peoples within that so-called “wilderness.” The perspectives of these writers aren’t wrong, but they are overrepresented. We see their ideas everywhere, even when they don’t speak to all, or even most, people. I wanted a quote that shared a different point of view.

I found guidance on my quote search from the book Writing Wild by Kathryn Aalto. In Writing Wild, Aalto introduces us to 25 different women nature writers. She reminds us of the impact that women nature writers have had on our public and philosophical understanding of the environment. The first book of American nature writing was written by a woman, Susan Fenimore Cooper, published four years before Henry David Thoreau’s Walden.

The women of Writing Wild cover all different aspects of nature writing. They pen memoirs about hiking rocky trails and essays on spotting birds in the suburbs. They reflect on the experience of being Black in a national park and create poems about how motherhood gave them a new framework for understanding nature.

Following Aalto’s lead, I’d like to introduce you to three of my favorite women nature writers. I hope they inspire you to explore some of the many perspectives on nature. You might even find some great quotes along the way.

Robin Wall Kimmerer

Robin Wall Kimmerer is a plant ecologist and member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. In her books, she blends scientific understanding with the traditional ecological knowledge of Indigenous Peoples. I chose a quote from her book Braiding Sweetgrass for the Illinois nature center.

Terry Tempest Williams

Activist Terry Tempest Williams is known for her rich, spiritual descriptions of the American West. I recently became inspired to visit more national parks after reading her book The Hour of Land. A quote from her book Red was the runner-up for the Illinois nature center.

Aimee Nezhukumatathil

I was lucky enough to attend a virtual writing workshop led by poet and essayist Aimee Nezhukumatathil this past May. She illuminates the wonder in everyday nature with humor and delight, from backyard fireflies to the curling leaves of catalpa trees. I share the following quote from her book World of Wonders, not because I considered it for the nature center, but because it made me laugh.