Twelve Ferrum College faculty members were asked, “Which writer inspired your deep connection with nature?”

The Nature’s Writers Trail is the outcome of that conversation. The trail is a tribute to authors who have moved generations of people toward a more nuanced appreciation of humanity’s profound interdependence with nature.

“(The project was) eight years in the making,” said Dan Caston, Recreation and Leadership professor.

Spearheaded by the Ecotourism program, the project involved Ferrum College faculty from English, Environmental Science, Recreation Leadership, Biology, and Art.

“(The) library staff created an interactive guide to the project that takes folks deeper into the lives and works of these authors,” Caston said.

Several generations of Recreation Leadership students contributed to the development of the trail layout and installation. The project was a focal point of REC 413 Recreation Facilities this fall, with the final posts going in over fall break.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the trail is planned for this Thursday, Nov. 17, at Chapman Pond (near Dyer hall) at 11:30 a.m.

All are invited to come out and celebrate these authors and the trail’s opening.

Notable authors featured on the trail include:

Robert Frost
Henry David Thoreau
Aldo Leopold
Edward Abbey
John Muir
Gary Snyder
Rachel Carson
Barbara Kingsolver
William Bartram
Marilou Awiakta
Jean Craighead George
Robert Bullard