Mr Burgess was a noted environmentalist and prolific author of children's stories. From wikipedia:
Thornton Waldo Burgess (January 14, 1874 – June 5, 1965). Born in Sandwich, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, he was a conservationist and author of children's stories featuring the wildlife of his native state —Peter Cottontail, Jimmy Skunk, Grandfather Frog, etc. His first book was Old Mother West Wind (1910). Following its success, he wrote a syndicated daily newspaper column, "Bedtime Stories" (illustrated by Harrison Cady), which appeared without interruption from 1912 to 1960. His output comprises over 15,000 stories collected in over 170 books.
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I think our Lightfoot would approve. There is now a society which carries on his environmental work:
The Thornton W. Burgess Society is a non-profit educational organization founded in 1976 to carry on the pioneering conservation work of author/naturalist Thornton W. Burgess (1874 - 1965). Mr. Burgess, who was born and grew up in Sandwich, MA., went on to achieve national and international recognition for his children’s stories that teach lessons of conservation and love of wildlife.
Over 170 books and 15,000 stories by Burgess chronicle the tales of Peter Rabbit and his animal friends, including Jimmy Skunk, Grandfather Frog, Johnny Chuck, Sammy Jay, Reddy Fox, Hooty Owl and many others. Through these engaging stories, generations of young people have learned about the natural world and have developed an understanding of the importance of conservation of our natural resources.
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