The Legacy of Rachel Carson
A Centennial Celebration
1907 — 2007

Rachel Carson. Courtesy of Lear/Carson Collection. Connecticut College.

Photograph courtesy of Lear/Carson Collection. Connecticut College.

On May 27, 2007, the nation will celebrate the 100th birthday of Rachel Carson, America’s pioneer of the modern environmental movement and author of the landmark book, Silent Spring. The Newton Marasco Foundation (NMF) is proud to organize a nationwide tribute to Miss Carson.

Centennial Celebration Events

Rachel Carson Centennial Celebration events were kicked off in the fall of 2006 in Washington DC and New York City with presentations of the play, A Sense of Wonder, based on the life and works of Miss Carson. The planned events to be held across the nation in 2007 include:

Rachel Carson Scholars — NMF is partnering with the Maryland State Department of Education to recognize and reward the next generation of scientific and literary scholars who embrace her message of environmental stewardship and activism. Find out more about the Rachel Carson Scholar Program.
A Night on Capitol Hill — NMF, actress/playwright Kaiulani Lee, and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service are welcoming the 110th Congress with a special performance of A Sense of Wonder on May 9, 2007. Find out more about this performance.
A Regional Tour of the Play — In partnership with actress/playwright Kaiulani Lee, NMF is taking A Sense of Wonder to communities, organizations and universities throughout the mid-Atlantic states. Find out more about productions of the play that are planned
Rachel Carson Day — NMF is working with local and state governments to declare May 27, 2007, Rachel Carson Day, a pesticide-free day in communities across the nation
Generating awareness of the relevance of Rachel Carson’s message today — NMF is encouraging magazines, newspapers and editorial staffs to highlight the importance and continued relevance of Miss Carson’s work.

About Rachel Carson

Rachel Carson has been called the “patron saint of the environmental movement.” She was a marine biologist and zoologist. Miss Carson worked for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for 15 years, raising public awareness about environmental issues. She is best known for her critically acclaimed book, Silent Spring, which alerted the world to the dangers of chemical pesticides and launched our modern environmental movement. Al Gore stated in his introduction to the 40^th anniversary printing of Silent Spring, “…without this book, the environmental movement might have been long delayed or never have developed at all…”

Miss Carson is also one of America’s great poets of the natural world. In her earlier books, including The Sea Around Us and The Edge of the Sea, she brought alive the beauty and mystery of the seas and its creatures to millions of readers. Miss Carson’s work and life continue to inspire us with a sense of wonder toward the natural world and a renewed commitment to defend it.

Over forty years ago, she testified before Congress calling for new policies to protect human health and the environment. Her scientific work and writings led to environmental legislation that guides us to this day. Posthumously she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian award.