Background
By the mid-19th century, a growing concern for the state of the environment began to take shape. In 1864, American diplomat George Perkins Marsh published the groundbreaking book Man and Nature. Highlighting people's responsibility to the natural world, the work marked the beginning of the conservation movement.
Before the 1890s, the idea of nature study existed, but the "efforts had been sporadic and piecemeal." Naturalist Louis Agassiz wanted to capture "learners in studying the natural world." His students, who were influenced by this philosophy, went on to provide the nature study knowledge in public schools. It was Aggasiz who coined the phrase, "Study nature, not books."
Read more about this topic: Nature Study
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