The Sigurd F. Olson Website

Quote for Week of August 17:

Last night in my tent I listened to the rain. … The tent, on the little rise with its thick cushion of bearberry, had perfect drainage all around, and the ropes were tied to two good trees. The gale could blow now and the rain come down, but I would be safe and dry the rest of the night. I settled down luxuriously to enjoy a sound I had known on countless campsites in the wilderness....

As I lay there, I too seemed to expand and grow, become part of the lushness and the rain itself and of all the thirsty life about me. This is one of the reasons I like to hear the rain come down on a tent. I am close to it then, as close as one can be without actually being in it....

In my old tent somewhere, safe and dry with nothing to do but listen to the rain come down.

Listening Point

This quote will be read on KSKA radio in Anchorage, Alaska this Wednesday, August 20. It's appearing on a program called "Hold This Thought," which is "a daily, 1-minute thought from literature, history, or culture designed to inspire reflection and conversation." The program's website is holdthisthought.org. Sigurd's quote will continue to be accessible on the website.





Yvonne Olson, 1926-2008

Check out this site's first video excerpt from The Wilderness World of Sigurd F. Olson!



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Contents

The Monthly Special | Profile of SFO | Timeline
This Month in Olson History Archive| Library | SFO's Wilderness Theology
Photo Essays | Photo Albums | The Voyageurs
Personal Anecdotes | The Listening Point Foundation | Links

[bullet]The Monthly Special

Each month you'll find something new here—an unpublished speech of Olson's for example, or some correspondence. I'll keep each new piece on this page for two months, then remove it or, in some cases, move it to a different portion of this web site. You'll also find here the current month's edition of "This Month in Olson History."

[bullet]Biographical Profile of Sigurd Olson

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but here you'll get a picture and a thousand words. This short essay covers the key facts and highlights of Olson's life.

[bullet]A Timeline of Olson's Life

Major events of Sigurd's life, listed by year.

[bullet]The Land Beyond the Rim: Sigurd Olson's Wilderness Theology

An in-depth analysis of Olson's spiritual journey and his conclusions about the meaning of wilderness. It was published in the April 1995 issue of Forest & Conservation History.

[bullet]The Library

Get the complete text of previously unpublished speeches, letters and other documents here, past editions of "This Month in Olson History," and a complete bibliography of published works by and about Olson.

[bullet]The Listening Point Foundation

The Listening Point Foundation was founded in 1998 not only to preserve and protect "Listening Point," the rugged and beautiful northern Minnesota lakeshore property that served as a getaway place for Sigurd F. Olson, but also to promote Sigurd's philosophy and build upon his legacy in the field of wilderness education. This portion of the Sigurd F. Olson Web Site will include articles and speeches about wilderness, about Sigurd Olson, about Listening Point, and news about the Foundation and its efforts.

[bullet]The Voyageurs

Diaries, photos and more from the various canoe trips taken by Sigurd Olson and friends, dubbed "The Voyageurs" by Canadian news media.

[bullet]Photo Essays

Select from a menu of photo essays about various aspects of Olson's life.

[bullet]Personal Anecdotes

Do you have a personal memory about Sigurd Olson or about how his writings have affected you? This page contains such personal anecdotes and reflections; read them, and submit your own for possible inclusion.

[bullet]Links

Links to people, places, groups and topics of importance to Sigurd Olson, plus links to sources of environmental information on the web, and more.

[bullet]About This Site

Goals for this site, and a little about its creator.


See also the sites below:

Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute

Comments or suggestions are welcome. Please email me: David Backes, Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.




Last updated: August 17, 2008
This site was established on May 11, 1997