pages 271-284 (at pages 282-283)

Few are altogether deaf to the preaching of pine trees. Their sermons on the mountains go to our hearts; and if people in general could be got into the woods, even for once, to hear the trees speak for themselves, all difficulties in the way of forest preservation would vanish.

— John Muir

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "Few are altogether deaf to the preaching of pine trees. Their sermons on the mountains go to our hearts; and if people in general could be got into the woods, even for once, to hear the trees speak for themselves, all difficulties in the way of forest preservation would vanish." in the context of "pages 271-284 (at pages 282-283)" to mean that wisdom is timeless.

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Source: Wikiquote: "John Muir" (Quotes, 1890s, The National Parks and Forest Reservations, 1895: "The National Parks and Forest Reservations", address to the Sierra Club Meeting held 23 November 1895; published in Sierra Club Bulletin, volume 1, number 7 (January 1896)) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
John Muir

About John Muir

John Muir (21 April 1838 – 24 December 1914) was a Scottish-American naturalist, author, environmental philosopher and early advocate of preservation of wilderness in the United States. His letters, essays, and books telling of his adventures in nature, especially in the Sierra Nevada of California, have been read by millions. His activism helped to preserve the Yosemite Valley, Sequoia National Park and other wilderness areas. The Sierra Club, which he founded, is a prominent American conservation organization.