The Walden Woods Project

Education:the education programs of the walden woods project serve an audience of students, educators, and life-long learners around the globe. Our signature programs include guided tours for groups visiting walden woods; the global live deliberately essay contest for youth ages 14-19; approaching walden, a week-long summer professional development program for teachers; other professional development workshops throughout the year; virtual group visits, and the stewardship lecture series. All of our programs are inspired by the writings and philosophies of henry david thoreau and ask people to explore their own sense of place--their connection to their own community and other places in the world--and to develop an environmental ethic. As thoreau himself is a highly interdisciplinary subject, we address the topics of transcendentalism, social reform, writing, natural history and 19-century history in our programs. As thoreau himself is a highly interdisciplinary subject, we address the topics of transcendentalism, environmental protection (e.g., climate change, biodiversity, conservation),social reform, writing, natural history and 19-century history in our programs.

Research and library:the walden woods project library is owned and managed by the walden woods project and is located at the wwp's campus in lincoln, massachusetts. The library houses the most comprehensive research collection by and about henry david thoreau, as well as other transcendentalists, including ralph waldo emerson and margaret fuller, and is the repository for the collections of the thoreau society, the ralph waldo emerson society, and the margaret fuller society. In 2023 the walden woods project revised its loan agreement with the thoreau society to become the permanent repository for its collections. Staffed by a full-time curator, the library is the premiere resource on a global basis for research and scholarship on thoreau and his contemporaries. The library worked with six volunteers this year who have an interest in the history and literature of thoreau's time.every year brings new people with varying interests to the walden woods project library, whether in-person or virtually. Translators from around the world have worked with the curator to provide accurate and representative translations. Our virtual classroom sessions bring our curator into schools around the world, reaching hundreds of students in 2024. We continue to publish many works electronically to ensure that our resources reach the largest number of scholars and students. Staffed by a full-time curator, the library is the premiere resource on a global basis for research and scholarship on thoreau and his contemporaries.