goethe () wrote admiringly of california’s forty-niners, the state’s giant redwood trees, and loved the outdoors. goethe worked with organizations including the sierra club and the audubon society. he and his wife have been called "the father and mother of the nature guide movement,' initiating interpretive programs with the u.s. national park service. the national park service made goethe the “honorary chief naturalist” for his work in this field. this was motivated by their experience with nature programs in europe and desire to educate visitors in the u.s. national parks. his motto was "learn to read the trail-side as a book." goethe encouraged the general public to educate themselves about the evolution of nature as well, personally spending time dedicated to learning about different plants and animals. he later introduced the boy scouts to sacramento, due to his interest in furthering biological education for children. as an adult, goethe was a conservationist who worked to implement park rangers into national parks.