Winner of the National Outdoor Book Award
A Northern classic and beloved favorite, Two in the Far North chronicles the incredible story of Margaret “Mardy” Murie, called the Grandmother of the Conservation Movement, and how she became one of the first women to embrace and champion wilderness conservation in America.
At the age of nine, Margaret Murie moved from Seattle to Fairbanks, not realizing the trajectory life would take her from there. This moving testimonial to the preservation of the Arctic wilderness comes straight from her heart as she writes about growing up in Fairbanks, becoming the first woman graduate of the University of Alaska, and meeting―and then marrying―noted biologist Olaus J. Murie. So begins her lifelong journey in Alaska and on to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where along with her husband and others they founded The Wilderness Society to protect nature and wildlife and speak out for ecological consciousness. From adventures of traversing over thin ice with dog sleds, camping in woods surrounded by bears, caribou, and other wildlife, to canoeing in streams with geese nearby, and more, Murie embraced nature as a close neighbor and dedicated her life to advocating for wilderness protection and conservation.
First published in 1962, this edition features a new foreword by Frances Beinecke and an afterword from Donald Murie. Margaret Murie inspires readers to join her in finding life, love, and adventure in the beautiful remote Alaskan wilderness and the natural world beyond.
Born in Seattle, Washington, in 1902, Margaret E. Murie was a naturalist, conservationist, and author who has been called the “grandmother of the conservation movement” for her efforts in helping establish the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. She received several awards for her conservation work, including the Audubon Medal, the John Muir Award, and the Robert Marshall Conservational Award. In 1998 she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Clinton, and in 2002 the J.N. Ding Darling Conservationist of the Year Award. Murie was also made an Honorary Park Ranger by the National Parks Service for her passion and commitment to preserving the natural world and wildlife. She died at her home in Moose, Wyoming, in 2003 at the age of 101.
Frances Beinecke is an environmental activist and wilderness advocate. She was appointed by President Barack Obama to the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling in 2010, and has served for organizations dedicated to nature conservation and preservation, including the Wilderness Society, the World Resources Institute, the Nature Conservancy, and more. Beinecke is the recipient of the Robert Marshall Award, the Wilderness Society's highest award presented to a private citizen who has never held federal office, as well as the Rachel Carson Award, the National Audubon's Society's honor for distinguished American women environmentalists.
