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John Muir was one of the most influential people in the early conservation movement in the United States. He loved the natural world and believed that wild places were important for everyone. He did not have political power himself. Instead, he used his writing, his ideas and his personal contacts to change people's minds.

Muir was born in Dunbar, Scotland, in 1838. When he was eleven, his family moved to Wisconsin in the United States. Life on the family farm was hard, but Muir was very curious. He liked machines, inventions and nature. In 1867, he had a serious accident at work and could not see for some time. When his sight returned, he decided to spend more of his life outdoors.

In 1868, Muir reached California and visited Yosemite Valley. He was deeply impressed by the mountains, waterfalls, forests and meadows. He stayed in the area for several years and worked in different jobs. He also spent a lot of time observing plants, animals and glaciers. These experiences helped him understand the landscape better.

But Muir also saw environmental problems. Sheep ate plants in mountain meadows, trees were cut down and more people wanted to use the land for business. Muir began to write articles about Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. His message was simple: beautiful wild places needed protection, and nature was not only important because people could make money from it.

His writing became more and more important. In the late 1880s, Muir campaigned for stronger protection of Yosemite. In 1890, Congress created Yosemite National Park. Two years later, in 1892, Muir and other conservationists founded the Sierra Club. Muir became its first president. The organisation helped make the conservation movement stronger and more visible.

One of Muir's most famous meetings took place in 1903. President Theodore Roosevelt visited Yosemite and spent several days with him. Muir showed Roosevelt the landscape and explained why it should be better protected. Roosevelt already supported conservation, but the trip made the issue even more important at a national level. In 1906, Yosemite Valley and Mariposa Grove came under stronger federal protection.

Muir was not successful in every campaign. A major conflict was about Hetch Hetchy Valley inside Yosemite National Park. San Francisco wanted to build a dam there to get a reliable water supply. Muir and the Sierra Club fought against the plan because they believed that a national park should not be changed in this way. Congress approved the dam in 1913. Muir died one year later, in 1914.

Muir's importance is not only about the battles he won. His books and articles helped many people see wilderness in a new way. He also helped make the idea of national parks more popular. Today, people still discuss the same basic question: How can we meet human needs and at the same time protect the environment?