SierraReferred to in the book as the mountain range in California where the author spends his summer.
Definitions:
a chain of hills or mountains"This Sierra is home to many beautiful natural features."
NaturalistThe profession of the author, a person who studies plants and animals by observing them.
Definitions:
a person who studies or is an expert in natural history, especially a zoologist or botanist"The naturalist spent his days observing and recording the behavior of animals in the Sierra."
YosemiteThe national park located in Sierra Nevada, a major place of interest in the book.
Definitions:
a national park in eastern California that includes Yosemite Valley and Tuolumne Meadows"Yosemite was just one of the many beautiful places the author visited during his summer in the Sierra."
BotanyThe scientific study of plants, central theme in the book, as Muir gives detailed descriptions of the plants he comes across.
Definitions:
the scientific study of plants, including their physiology, structure, genetics, ecology, distribution and classification"John Muir's interest in botany can be seen in the detailed descriptions of the Sierra's flora."
FaunaThe term for all animal life in a particular region, discussed throughout the book as Muir observes the wildlife in the Sierra.
Definitions:
the animals of a particular region, habitat, or geological period"The diverse fauna in the Sierra made every day a new adventure for the author."