2. Henry David Thoreau 1817- 1862

3. Henry David Thoreau (1817- 1862) An American author, naturalist, transcendentalist, and philosopher Best known for his book Walden, a reflection upon simple living in natural surroundings

4. Life Born in a common family in New England Graduated from Harvard, but only stayed at home and helped family business Began writing nature poetry in the 1840s with Ralph Waldo Emerson Began his stay at Walden Pond in 1845

5. Walden Pond A reproduction of Thoreau's cabin with a statue of Thoreau

6. Walden Pond Thoreau spent two years in a small cabin near Walden Pond, amidst woodland near Concord, Massachusetts. Thoreau hoped to isolate himself from society in order to gain a more objective understanding of it. Simple living and self-sufficiency were Thoreau's other goals. His cabin was not in wilderness but at the edge of town, not far from his family home.

7. Thoreau’s Data Thoreau spent much of his time observing nature, and his surroundings He made note of the life cycle events of many plants (such as when flowers appeared) and when they occurred The study of life cycle events of plants and animals is called Phenology

8. Phenology Phenology data has been collected for centuries, and is often tied to proverbs such as “Spring is sooner recognized by plants than be men” Today, scientists use this type of data to examine long- term trends in the life cycles of plants and animals Keep tabs on ecosystem health Make predictions about effects of climate change

9. The End