The Heroine of the Wetlands: Gene Stratton Porter

I was privileged to grow up in an area only a few miles from what  Gene Stratton Porter termed Wildflower Woods.  While her work in the Limberlost near Geneva, Indiana receives greater attention, much of her mature adult research  was  done near the same haunts  where I  spent idyllic childhood days... on the banks of streams, ponds, lakes, marshes, fields and woods of wildflower woods.   I grew up well aware that this underappreciated photographer, natural historian, and novelist conducted research much further north in Indiana than the Limberlost at the edge of the (Wisconsin) glacial morraine just a few miles from my family's farm.  In my worldview women could become naturalists, writers, and independent researchers because my mother always spoke with such admiration of Mrs. Stratton Porter.  It never occured to me until well into adult life to think that such women were a rarity at the end of the 19th Century.

If you, your mother, or grandmother were influenced by the work of Gene Stratton Porter, I would love to hear from you.  And please do check out my Legacy of Gene Stratton Porter site that is hosted on the Webseed Publishing Network.

I am collecting information on how Stratton Porter influenced at least three generations of women.  I'm especially interested in hearing the stories of Indiana women who went on to do research, photography, or become active in environmental causes because of Ms. Stratton Porter.

Like Ms. Porter I love the wetlands of Indiana, but I also love the west.  I now reside in Arizona, and my experiential juxtapostion of swamp and arid lands makes me all the more appreciative of the wonder of each.

More Stratton Porter Links

Unfortunately the great page on Ms. Porter for younger readers appears to have disappeared into that great night of web pages that are no more.  Perhaps it will come back.  It was at: http://tlc.ai.org/stratton.htm.  Fortunately there are other fairly stable web pages on her haunts, works,and life. Other than the official state sites listed above.

http://www.genestrattonporter.net/ This site is a wonderful resource however do be aware that the site is difficult to navigate and by no means covers Mrs. Porter's life and works which do not relate to the Geneva site.

larrygard.freeyellow.com/page28.html An interesting script for a play about Mrs. Porter.
 

General Wetlands Links

For the most comprehensive set of wetland links I've found to date, click here.
 
 

Indiana Wetlands Links

A county by county map of wetlands density in Indiana.
 
 

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