The Wonder of Rachel Carson (1907-1964)

Unsilencing the Spring

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Now that spring is here and you can hear the sounds of birds chirping, celebrating the day and drawing attention to their aerial acrobatics, think how different the world would be without their joyful notes.

Rachel Carson, the author of Silent Spring – the landmark 1962 book that launched the environmental movement – did just that, reflecting on how pesticides used in agriculture and industry were killing birds and other wildlife and threatening the health of mankind.

Carson, who received her MA in Zoology from Johns Hopkins University in 1932, is an example of what one person can do to make a difference – a major difference.

Despite enormous obstacles placed in her path by the chemical industry and agribusiness, who labeled her an alarmist and extremist, Carson pursued her mission to convince the scientific community and U.S. government that chemical pollution was endangering the planet and all living things. 

Carson’s efforts successfully led to a nationwide ban on the use of DDT pesticides and the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency in 1970.

SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdau and Patti Kishel believe that Carson’s pioneering work in environmentalism is as relevant today as when it was first conducted. She combined a scientist’s approach with an artist’s eye to convey the wonders of the world of nature, imploring people to take a good look at the beauty around them and to treasure it.

In Carson’s words:

“One way to open your eyes is to ask yourself, ‘What if I had never seen this before? What if I knew I would never see it again? ‘”

After starting out her career writing radio scripts for the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries, Carson went on to work for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service where she became the Editor-in-Chief for all its publications.

Drawing on her scientific research, Carson also wrote articles for professional journals and magazines, including Atlantic Monthly, and five books – all explaining and extolling the importance and joys of nature.

Examining the mysteries of the sea, 

Carson showed readers the rich life beneath the ocean’s surface in her award-winning books…

Under the Sea-wind…

The Sea Around Us…

The Edge of the Sea

Carson also gave parents the perfect book to introduce children to the world around them and to inspire them to enjoy and protect nature…

The Sense of Wonder. 

In looking back through history, it’s often the case that an incident or comment that initially doesn’t seem that important can turn out to be monumental.

For Rachel Carson it was a letter from a friend – Olga Owens Huckens – telling about the death of numerous birds in the woods around her home in Massachusetts. 

The birds had been killed by government-ordered, aerial spraying of DDT to get rid of mosquitoes. And now the woods, once filled with the sounds of songbirds, were strangely silent.

Huckens asked Carson if she could do anything to stop further spraying...launching Carson on her quest to stop the misuse of chemicals in the environment.  

SurfWriter Girls are in awe of what Rachel Carson accomplished and are thankful that, because of her efforts, we can all enjoy the simple pleasures of an unsilenced spring, filled with the gleeful songs of birds. 

  

Birdsong for Spring

From the forests to the sea,

From a flower or a tree,

The birds sing for you; the birds sing for me.

From high in the sky,

From a branch nearby,

The birds sing hello; the birds sing good-bye.

From the earliest morning light,

From the darkest time of night,

The birds sing we’re here; the world is all right.

SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel ©

www.surfwritergirls.blogspot.com

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