Alexander von Humboldt: The Father of Ecology and Environmentalism

Alexander von Humboldt, a polymath and explorer, revolutionized the scientific understanding of the world in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. His extensive travels in the Americas between 1799 and 1804 allowed him to describe and explore these regions from a Western scientific perspective. His holistic approach to studying nature and his groundbreaking views made him the most influential scientist of his time, inspiring figures like Charles Darwin and John Muir. Humboldt's work in ecology and environmentalism earned him the titles 'father of ecology' and 'father of environmentalism', making him one of the most celebrated figures of the 19th century.