Island Life Magazine Ltd October/November 2009 | Page 68

life

COUNTRYSIDE, WILDLIFE & FARMING

Freshwater Gate - Right: Marsh Helleborine by T.M Hotten

Darwin’s Island
connections
He is most closely associated with the

the deep fog of myth, superstition and

important visits to the Isle of Wight; visits

Galapagos Islands, but at the height

misunderstanding.

that were to help shape his great theories

of his powers Charles Darwin visited

His method of reaching conclusions

of evolution. Darwin’s eldest son, William

the Isle of Wight three times and even

based on knowledge through observation

Erasmus Darwin, lived in Southampton,

began writing his greatest work here.

is the cornerstone of the Wildlife Trust’s

meaning he also has a strong connection

Two hundred years after his birth, we

work today. It is not an exaggeration to

with Hampshire. Darwin corresponded

retrace his footsteps.

say it forms the basis of how we seek to

with a great community of scientists who

describe and conserve the biodiversity we

constantly questioned each other in huge

see around us.

volumes of letters, journals and scientific

Charles Darwin is generally considered
to be one of the greatest scientific minds
of all time, ranking with Da Vinci, Galileo,

Born 200 years ago, Darwin became

papers. Some of these men lived on the

Newton, Curie and Einstein. Like these,

familiar with the flora and fauna of the

Island, meaning Darwin was provided with

his genius was in providing insight into

British Isles from an early age. In later

a constant supply of information about

the way the natural world works and

life, after his groundbreaking voyage of

local species.

how it affects our daily lives, penetrating

discovery aboard The Beagle, he paid

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In all, Darwin visited the Island three