Burroughs was also a close friend and early champion of Walt Whitman, publishing the poet's first biography, "Notes on Walt Whitman as Poet and Person" (1867), and later "Whitman: A Study" (1896). His literary breakthrough came with "Wake-Robin" (1871), a collection of bird essays that established his reputation. Other celebrated works include "Winter Sunshine" (1875), "Birds and Poets" (1877), "Locusts and Wild Honey" (1879), "Pepacton" (1881), and "Signs and Seasons" (1886). His retreat, Slabsides, became a gathering place for admirers, and his legacy endures through the John Burroughs Medal, awarded annually for distinguished nature writing.
John Burroughs
John Burroughs (1837–1921) was a renowned American naturalist and nature essayist, often called the "Grand Old Man of Nature." Born on a farm in Roxbury, New York, in the Catskill Mountains, he developed an early love for the natural world that shaped his entire career. After working as a teacher, journalist, and Treasury Department clerk, he devoted himself to writing about nature with a clear, intimate, and philosophical style. A key figure in the American conservation movement, he befriended fellow naturalist John Muir and became an inspiration to later nature writers.