Alexander Humboldt is one of my all time heroes. His travels are fascinating to read about both in his own accounts and recent biographies. He believed strongly in the interconnectedness of all of nature, and knew that to understand this interconnection in any new area he was exploring he had to go to the experts: the indigenous people. Throughout his travels he was always an advocate for indigenous people and was frequently appalled and enraged at their exploitation.
I added to this group, another favorite scientific explorer, Alfred Russel Wallace. Unlike Humboldt and Darwin, Wallace was not born into a wealthy family and had to always scramble to finance his expeditions by selling his specimens to museums and collectors. He sent his essay on evolution by natural selection to his friend Charles Darwin and so inspired Darwin to go ahead and publish his own work in this area, which he had been hesitant to do, knowing what a bombshell it would be. Wallace was fascinated by islands and their distinctive flora and fauna. Like Humboldt, his travels make for fascinating reading.
It seems strange to see so many statues of Alexander Humboldt in Cuba, but Cubans were used to Europeans coming to exploit their land. Here finally was a famous one who had come to seriously study all the wildlife, plants and geology, and it gave them a new pride in their land that they would never forget!
It seems strange to see so many statues of Alexander Humboldt in Cuba, but Cubans were used to Europeans coming to exploit their land. Here finally was a famous one who had come to seriously study all the wildlife, plants and geology, and it gave them a new pride in their land that they would never forget!
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