A canoe is about as fancy as it got for Olson as he cut his way across wilderness lakes. There’s a gritty toughness to the man that belies the poetry of his words. He might have dwelled a bit on taking trout from cold streams and deep lakes, but mostly he wrote about simple rewards waiting for humans who take the time to explore wild places.

The important takeaway for all of us is we are still able to find some of the natural world in our midst. It’s safe to say we are all within an hour or less of natural areas, state and county parks and other places where nature still thrives. Our rich conservation legacy has withstood unprecedented assaults in recent years, which serves to underscore the vision and wisdom of those who came before us. Now, more than ever, we need nature to help us unplug.

Wisconsin’s list of nature writers includes names like Aldo Leopold and John Muir. Olson fits well in that company. He grew up in northern Wisconsin, was a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and had close ties to Northland College in Ashland, home of the Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute. He was a teacher, guide and adventurer, but his enduring legacy is those now-tattered books and the magic they contain.

One can imagine a whole new audience of young people relishing his words, if only they knew to pick up one of his books. How clearly quotes like this would ring: “Wilderness to the people of America is a spiritual necessity, an antidote to the high pressure of modern life, a means of regaining serenity and equilibrium.”

Bill Berry of Stevens Point writes a semimonthly column for The Capital Times. billnick@charter.net Share your opinion on this topic by sending a letter to the editor to tctvoice@madison.com. Include your full name, hometown and phone number. Your name and town will be published. The phone number is for verification purposes only. Please keep your letter to 250 words or less.