Question

aldo leopold was an american forester, conservationist, and writer. he is often considered the father of wildlife ecology. a student writing a paper claims that leopold was influenced by earlier naturalist authors henry david thoreau and david muir.
which quotation from a work by a historian would be the most effective evidence for the student to include in support of this claim?
choose 1 answer:
a \though leopold read the works of naturalists like thoreau and muir, it was his upbringing in lowa that primarily inspired his decision to become an environmentalist.\
b \leopolds career was heavily influenced by his mentorship from gifford pinchot at yale. pinchot was the first chief of the us forest service.\
c \leopold read thoreau and muir, whose works helped shape his own philosophies about nature and conservationism.\
d \leopold found thoreaus writing, particularly in his classic walden, invigorating and inspiring, but work from other naturalists like muir didnt resonate as much with him.\

Explanation:

The student's claim is that Leopold was influenced by Thoreau and Muir. Option C directly states that Leopold read Thoreau and Muir and their works shaped his philosophies, which supports the claim. Option A downplays the influence of Thoreau and Muir. Option B mentions a different influence (Gifford Pinchot). Option D says Muir's work didn't resonate as much, which weakens the claim of influence from both Thoreau and Muir.

Answer:

C. "Leopold read Thoreau and Muir, whose works helped shape his own philosophies about nature and conservationism."