Theodore Roosevelt was a great lover of nature long before he became President. From boyhood throughout his adult life, Roosevelt's enthusiasm for conservation was encouraged and shaped by several influential figures.
Early on, TR's uncle, Robert Barnwell Roosevelt inspired his nephew with his tireless struggles on behalf of conservation policy. Later, Roosevelt would meet the naturalists John Burroughs, George Bird Grinnell, and Museum ornithologist Frank Chapman. During his presidency, Roosevelt would call upon them as trusted advisors.
One of his greatest political allies in the crusade to preserve America's natural beauty was Gifford Pinchot, the first chief of the U.S. Forest Service. As President from 1901 to 1909, Roosevelt would implement laws and policies that would eventually protect some 230 million acres of land.
The newly restored Theodore Roosevelt Memorial is now open.