Picture of author.

Sigurd F. Olson (1899–1982)

Author of The Singing Wilderness

20+ Works 1,193 Members 9 Reviews 7 Favorited

About the Author

Image credit: Photo by Alfred Eisenstaedt

Series

Works by Sigurd F. Olson

Associated Works

American Earth: Environmental Writing Since Thoreau (2008) — Contributor — 414 copies
Wilderness U.S.A (1973) 167 copies

Tagged

Common Knowledge

Legal name
Olson, Sigurd Ferdinand
Birthdate
1899-04-04
Date of death
1982-01-13
Burial location
Park Hill Cemetery, Duluth, Minnesota, USA
Gender
male
Nationality
United States of America
Birthplace
Humboldt Park, Illinois, USA
Place of death
Ely, Minnesota, USA
Places of residence
Humboldt Park, Illinois, USA (birth)
Madison, Wisconsin, USA
Ely, Minnesota, USA
Education
University of Wisconsin (1920)
Occupations
backcountry guide
naturalist
environmentalist
writer
Organizations
Vermilion Community College
National Parks Association
Wilderness Society
Awards and honors
John Burroughs Nature Award (1974)
Dedication: Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute, Northland College
Honors: Sierra Club
Honors: National Wildlife Federation
Short biography
For more than thirty years, Sigurd Olson served as a wilderness guide in the lakes and forests the Quetico-Superior country of northern Minnesota and northeastern Ontario. He was known honorifically as the Bourgeois — a term the voyageurs of old used of their trusted leaders.

He is widely credited with the successful passage of the BWCA Wilderness Act, as well as the played major roles in the establishment and preservation of Voyageurs National Park in northern Minnesota, Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and Point Reyes National Seashore in California.

Members

Reviews

Most of the essays included in this book were written shortly before I was born (1945) or shortly thereafter. The sad part of this book is that the wilderness that he writes about is gone and it would take hundreds of year before that wilderness regenerates itself. On the other hand the author does find peace and beauty which should encourage us to work hard to protect what we have left and to go out and enjoy what we have. Definitely one that should be reread often.
 
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BobVTReader | 2 other reviews | Mar 22, 2023 |
Open Horizons is Olson's autobiography, and in it he recalls his youth on a remote Wisconsin farm, his summers as a wilderness canoe guide, his thousands of miles of travel through the wilds of the United States and Canada, and his decades-long conservation battles. Throughout, Olson makes a compelling case for preserving the wilderness. He puts forth his own life as an example of how nature can have a spiritual effect on the human soul, and proposes diligence on behalf of those who fight to conserve our forests, wetlands, and dunes.… (more)
½
 
Flagged
jepeters333 | Apr 14, 2022 |
A beautiful series of essays following the course of a year in what would become the Boundary Waters Canoe Area of northern Minnesota. Delightful descriptions of the flora and fauna of the wilderness.
 
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Grace.Van.Moer | 2 other reviews | Apr 21, 2021 |
Marvelous essays set in far Northern Minnesota. Simple satisfying read.
 
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Grace.Van.Moer | Nov 28, 2015 |

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Statistics

Works
20
Also by
2
Members
1,193
Popularity
#21,548
Rating
½ 4.3
Reviews
9
ISBNs
43
Favorited
7

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