Celebrating the History of Environmental Science this Earth Day

celebrating-the-history-of-environmental-science-this-earth-day

Charlotte Walton, Senior Marketing Manager, Library Field Marketing, Wiley

April 19, 2022

Join us in celebrating the history of environmental science this Earth Day (April 22). This year’s theme, brought to you by EarthDay.org, is Invest in Our Planet.

See what notable scientists were up to centuries ago when it comes to environmental research by exploring primary source examples from the Royal Geographical Society and the New York Academy of Sciences on Wiley Digital Archives. Get a first look at how these early discoveries and observations shine a light on how we can take better care of our planet today.

Coral Reefs

During his voyage on the HMS Beagle Charles Darwin mapped the distribution of coral reefs and proposed a theory of how isolated rings of coral reefs, known as atolls, formed.

From the archives: The Structure and Distribution of Coral Reefs by Charles Darwin, 1874

Environmental photography

Frank Hurley (1885-1962) was the official photographer on Ernest Shackleton's 1914-1917 Endurance Expedition. He spent over four years in Antarctica photographing the landscape and wildlife.

From the archives: 1914 photograph of Antarctic Glacier and Emperor penguin

Natural disasters

Geographer Vaughan Cornish wrote a first-hand account of the 1907 Kingston earthquakes in Jamaica their immediate aftereffects, one of the world's deadliest earthquakes recorded in history.

From the archives: Jamaica earthquake journal manuscript

Pollution

The Harbor Project was a 5-year endeavor to resolve industrial pollution of the New York/New Jersey Harbor. The project impacted environmental standards around the world.

From the archives: Harbor project summary

Botany

Nathaniel Lord Britton (1857-1934) was a botanist, taxonomist, and first Director-in-Chief of the New York Botanical Garden. He studied and catalogued flora and fauna indigenous to the United States.

From the archives: Annotate catalogue of New Jersey Plants, 1881

If you have any questions about Wiley Digital Archives or would like a free trial please contact us.