Sigurd F. Olson
Encyclopedia
Sigurd F. Olson was an American
author, environmentalist
, and advocate for the protection of wilderness
. For more than thirty years, he served as a wilderness guide in the lakes and forests of the Quetico-Superior country
of northern Minnesota
and northwestern Ontario
. He was known honorifically as the Bourgeois — a term the voyageur
s of old used of their trusted leaders.
, baptist parents, Olson grew up in northern Wisconsin
where he developed his life-long interest in the outdoors. In June 1921, Olson took his first canoe trip where he fell in love with the canoe country wilderness of northern Minnesota
that would become the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
(with his help). In August of that year, Olson married Elizabeth Dorothy Uhrenholdt, and the two spent their honeymoon on another canoe trip in the Boundary Waters. He worked as a canoe guide for J.C. Russell's outfitters on Fall Lake in Winton, Minnesota
, before purchasing the business in 1929.
After studying agriculture
, botany
, geology
, and ecology
at Northland College
, the University of Wisconsin–Madison
, and the University of Illinois
, Olson moved to Ely, Minnesota
to teach biology at Ely Junior College (now Vermilion Community College
). He later chaired the science department and served as dean. He spent most of his life in the Ely area, working as a canoe
guide during the summer months, teaching, and writing about the natural history
, ecology
, and outdoor life in and around the Boundary Waters.
On August 27, 1971, a little over a year after the celebration of the first Earth Day
, Northland College
hosted its first environmental conference. Among those invited to address the two-day conference were Senator Gaylord Nelson
and Sigurd Olson. The conference became "the instrument of origin of the Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute
," as Robert Matteson, the founder of the Institute, wrote. With energy to move in a new and exciting direction, and guided by the philosophies of Sigurd Olson, the Institute opened its doors in spring of 1972, embarking on more than 30 years of serving Northland College and the Lake Superior
region.
In 1974, Olson earned the John Burroughs Medal
, the highest honor in nature writing. He died in 1982 of a heart attack while snowshoeing near his home.
and helped draft the Wilderness Act
of 1964, becoming president of The Wilderness Society
from 1963 to 1971. He also helped establish Voyageurs National Park
in northern Minnesota, Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
, and Point Reyes National Seashore
in California. Sigurd also was a consultant to the Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall
on wilderness and national park issues.
After over 50 years of hard work, Sigurd reached his goal. Full wilderness status was granted to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
by Jimmy Carter
in 1978, four years before Sigurd died. His hard work was commemorated in many different ways, including in the naming of a central building of YMCA Camp Widjiwagan
, located on nearby Burntside Lake.
Olson was President of the National Parks Association
and a member of its Board of Trustees.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
author, environmentalist
Environmentalism
Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...
, and advocate for the protection of wilderness
Wilderness
Wilderness or wildland is a natural environment on Earth that has not been significantly modified by human activity. It may also be defined as: "The most intact, undisturbed wild natural areas left on our planet—those last truly wild places that humans do not control and have not developed with...
. For more than thirty years, he served as a wilderness guide in the lakes and forests of the Quetico-Superior country
Boundary Waters
The Boundary Waters — also called the Quetico-Superior country — is a region of wilderness straddling the Canada–United States border between Ontario and Minnesota, in the region just west of Lake Superior. This region is part of the Superior National Forest in northeastern Minnesota, and in Canada...
of northern Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
and northwestern Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. He was known honorifically as the Bourgeois — a term the voyageur
Voyageurs
The Voyageurs were the persons who engaged in the transportation of furs by canoe during the fur trade era. Voyageur is a French word which literally translates to "traveler"...
s of old used of their trusted leaders.
Biography
Born in Chicago, Illinois to SwedishSwedish American
Swedish Americans are Americans of Swedish descent, especially the descendants of about 1.2 million immigrants from Sweden during 1885-1915. Most were Lutherans who affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America ; some were Methodists...
, baptist parents, Olson grew up in northern Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
where he developed his life-long interest in the outdoors. In June 1921, Olson took his first canoe trip where he fell in love with the canoe country wilderness of northern Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
that would become the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness , is a wilderness area within the Superior National Forest in northeastern Minnesota under the administration of the U.S. Forest Service...
(with his help). In August of that year, Olson married Elizabeth Dorothy Uhrenholdt, and the two spent their honeymoon on another canoe trip in the Boundary Waters. He worked as a canoe guide for J.C. Russell's outfitters on Fall Lake in Winton, Minnesota
Winton, Minnesota
Winton is a city in Saint Louis County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 172 at the 2010 census. The city is home to a small hydroelectric dam on the edge of Garden Lake, one of 11 stations owned by Minnesota Power...
, before purchasing the business in 1929.
After studying agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
, botany
Botany
Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
, geology
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
, and ecology
Ecology
Ecology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
at Northland College
Northland College (Wisconsin)
Northland College is a small, coeducational, liberal arts college in Ashland, Wisconsin, USA. Founded as the North Wisconsin Academy in 1892, the college was established in 1906. Originally affiliated with the Congregational Church, the college remains loosely tied to the Congregational Church's...
, the University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
, and the University of Illinois
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
, Olson moved to Ely, Minnesota
Ely, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,724 people, 1,912 households, and 916 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,369.5 people per square mile . There were 1,912 housing units at an average density of 703.2 per square mile...
to teach biology at Ely Junior College (now Vermilion Community College
Vermilion Community College
Vermilion Community College is a two-year community college in Ely, Minnesota adjacent to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and the Superior National Forest ....
). He later chaired the science department and served as dean. He spent most of his life in the Ely area, working as a canoe
Canoe
A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...
guide during the summer months, teaching, and writing about the natural history
Natural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
, ecology
Ecology
Ecology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
, and outdoor life in and around the Boundary Waters.
On August 27, 1971, a little over a year after the celebration of the first Earth Day
Earth Day
Earth Day is a day that is intended to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's natural environment. The name and concept of Earth Day was allegedly pioneered by John McConnell in 1969 at a UNESCO Conference in San Francisco. The first Proclamation of Earth Day was by San Francisco, the...
, Northland College
Northland College (Wisconsin)
Northland College is a small, coeducational, liberal arts college in Ashland, Wisconsin, USA. Founded as the North Wisconsin Academy in 1892, the college was established in 1906. Originally affiliated with the Congregational Church, the college remains loosely tied to the Congregational Church's...
hosted its first environmental conference. Among those invited to address the two-day conference were Senator Gaylord Nelson
Gaylord Nelson
Gaylord Anton Nelson was an American politician from Wisconsin who served as a United States Senator and governor. A Democrat, he was the principal founder of Earth Day.-Public service and leadership:...
and Sigurd Olson. The conference became "the instrument of origin of the Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute
Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute
The Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute is the outreach arm of Northland College in Ashland, Wisconsin. On August 27, 1971, a little over a year after the celebration of the first Earth Day, Northland College hosted its first environmental conference. Among those invited to address the two-day...
," as Robert Matteson, the founder of the Institute, wrote. With energy to move in a new and exciting direction, and guided by the philosophies of Sigurd Olson, the Institute opened its doors in spring of 1972, embarking on more than 30 years of serving Northland College and the Lake Superior
Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...
region.
In 1974, Olson earned the John Burroughs Medal
John Burroughs Medal
The John Burroughs Medal, named for nature writer John Burroughs , is awarded each year in April by the John Burroughs Association to the author of a book that the association has judged to be distinguished in the field of natural history....
, the highest honor in nature writing. He died in 1982 of a heart attack while snowshoeing near his home.
Conservation work
Olson was influential in the protection of the Boundary WatersBoundary Waters
The Boundary Waters — also called the Quetico-Superior country — is a region of wilderness straddling the Canada–United States border between Ontario and Minnesota, in the region just west of Lake Superior. This region is part of the Superior National Forest in northeastern Minnesota, and in Canada...
and helped draft the Wilderness Act
Wilderness Act
The Wilderness Act of 1964 was written by Howard Zahniser of The Wilderness Society. It created the legal definition of wilderness in the United States, and protected some 9 million acres of federal land. The result of a long effort to protect federal wilderness, the Wilderness Act was signed...
of 1964, becoming president of The Wilderness Society
The Wilderness Society (United States)
The Wilderness Society is an American organization that is dedicated to protecting America's wilderness. It was formed in 1935 and currently has over 300,000 members and supporters.-Founding:The society was incorporated on January 21, 1935...
from 1963 to 1971. He also helped establish Voyageurs National Park
Voyageurs National Park
Voyageurs National Park is a United States National Park in northern Minnesota near the town of International Falls. It was established in 1975. The park's name commemorates the voyageurs, French-Canadian fur traders who were the first European settlers to frequently travel through the area...
in northern Minnesota, Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge in northeastern Alaska, United States. It consists of in the Alaska North Slope region. It is the largest National Wildlife Refuge in the country, slightly larger than the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge...
, and Point Reyes National Seashore
Point Reyes National Seashore
Point Reyes National Seashore is a park preserve located on the Point Reyes Peninsula in Marin County, California, USA. As a national seashore, it is maintained by the US National Park Service as a nationally important nature preserve within which existing agricultural uses are allowed to continue...
in California. Sigurd also was a consultant to the Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall
Stewart Udall
Stewart Lee Udall was an American politician. After serving three terms as a congressman from Arizona, he served as Secretary of the Interior from 1961 to 1969, under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B...
on wilderness and national park issues.
After over 50 years of hard work, Sigurd reached his goal. Full wilderness status was granted to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness , is a wilderness area within the Superior National Forest in northeastern Minnesota under the administration of the U.S. Forest Service...
by Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
in 1978, four years before Sigurd died. His hard work was commemorated in many different ways, including in the naming of a central building of YMCA Camp Widjiwagan
Camp Widjiwagan
Camp Widjiwagan is a YMCA camp based on Lake Burntside near Ely, Minnesota.-Mission:The mission of Camp Widjiwagan is "to develop, in young people, respect for self, community, and the environment, through wilderness adventure and environmental education." Although the Camp is under the purview of...
, located on nearby Burntside Lake.
Olson was President of the National Parks Association
National Parks Conservation Association
The National Parks Conservation Association is the only independent, membership organization devoted exclusively to advocacy on behalf of the National Parks System...
and a member of its Board of Trustees.
List of works
- The Singing Wilderness (1956)
- Listening Point (1958)
- The Lonely Land (1961)
- Runes of the North (1963)
- Open Horizons (1969)
- The Hidden Forest (1969)
- Wilderness Days (1972)
- Reflections From the North Country (1976)
- Of Time and Place (1982)
- Songs of the North. Howard Frank Mosher, ed. (1987)
- The Collected Works of Sigurd F. Olson: The Early Writings, 1921-1934. Mike Link, ed. (1988)
- The Collected Works of Sigurd F. Olson: The College Years, 1935-1944. Mike Link, ed. (1990)
- The Meaning of Wilderness: Essential Articles and Speeches. Edited and with an Introduction by David Backes. (2001)
- Spirit of the North: The Quotable Sigurd F. Olson. Edited and with an Introduction by David Backes. (2004)
Biography
- Backes, David. A Wilderness Within: The Life Of Sigurd F. Olson. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1997.
External links
- Listening Point Foundation - a non-profit organization dedicated to furthering Sigurd Olson's legacy
- The Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute at Northland College
- Sigurd Olson website at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee
- Sigurd Olson at the Minnesota Historical Society's Author Biography Project
- The Sigurd Olson Papers are available for research use at the Minnesota Historical Society.