Historical documents were used to identify major factors influencing environmental attitudes of five historical conservation individuals. Seven university faculty members involved in conservation and the environment through research and course instruction used the Delphi technique to identify the top five conservationists in American history. This process included the use of a five-point Likert scale ranging from 'should not be in the top five (1)' to 'definitely in the top five conservationists in history (5.)' The five historical figures identified by the Delphi team for inclusion in this study are Rachel Carson, Aldo Leopold, John Muir, Henry David Thoreau, and Theodore Roosevelt.
Historical documents pertaining to these figures were then examined for information about childhood experiences in nature, family influences, media, education, and the environment in which each individual was raised. Findings indicated that spending time outdoors interacting with nature (alone or with others), place attachment, the influence of a family member, and education (through the natural environment more so that formal education, and, especially reading) influenced the environmental attitudes of each of these historical figures.
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