Bookshelf I

For anyone who is interested in the Boundary Waters but has not read any books by Sigurd Olson, I highly recommend them. Olson was the Boundary Waters' own Muir, Thoreau, and Aldo Leopold, writing in a simple, observant, and reflective style. Probably his most famous book of essays, The Singing Wilderness is a classic of northwoods nature writing. I'll be re-reading it up north this summer.

I'm reading David Backes' biography of Olson (A Wilderness Within) right now, and it's interesting to learn how much he did politically. Sigurd Olson not only helped lobby for wilderness protection for the Boundary Waters, he also was instrumental in creating Voyageurs National Park and advocating for National Parks in general. He was president of the National Parks Conservation Association as well as the Wilderness Society.