HEROES 

OF STEM

Rachel Carson was an American marine biologist, author, and conservationist whose book Silent Spring is credited with advancing the global environmental movement.

Carson began her career as an aquatic biologist in the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries, and became a full-time nature writer in the 1950s. Her 1951 bestseller The Sea Around Us won her a U.S. National Book Award, recognition as a gifted writer, and financial security. Her next book, The Edge of the Sea, and the reissued version of her first book, Under the Sea Wind, were also bestsellers. 

Late in the 1950s, Carson turned her attention to conservation, especially some problems that she believed were caused by synthetic pesticides. The result was the book Silent Spring, which brought environmental concerns to the American people. Although Silent Spring was met with fierce opposition by chemical companies, it spurred a reversal in national policy, which led to a ban on DDT and other pesticides. It also inspired a grassroots environmental movement that led to the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

TRY THIS!

Put on your researcher’s cap and find other Americans who became popular a by writing about nature and conservation. We can think of 10. How many can you find? Here’s a clue: one person is largely responsible for our national parks.