Who Was Rachel Carson?

As a little girl, Rachel Carson liked to sit on the porch of her family’s farmhouse and hold her mother’s conch shell to her ear. As she pressed the seashell to her ear, Rachel looked out at the fields and woods that surrounded her home. Rachel loved the plants, the animals, and even the insects that lived in the fields and woods. But the magical sounds that seemed to come from deep inside the shell made her dream of the sea. More than anything, Rachel wanted to stand on the shore of the ocean. She wanted to feel the waves wash over her feet.

Rachel was a shy girl, but she was also determined. Not only did she dream of the sea, she also dreamed of being a writer. Rachel knew that if she worked hard and held on to her dreams that maybe someday they might come true. And that’s exactly what happened. Even though Rachel faced many challenges in her life, through her hard work and determination she became a writer—a writer who knew all about the sea, the shore, and all the creatures that made their homes there.

In her books, Rachel explained scientific ideas about nature in a way that ordinary people could understand. She also showed how all living things are connected. Rachel wanted people to understand how important it is to look after the planet we share with every plant, insect, and animal.

When she sat on her family’s porch holding the shell to her ear, little did Rachel know that her dream would one day help shape the world we all live in.