A visit to 126 High Street in Dunbar, Scotland — the house where John Muir was born in 1838, now a free museum and the starting point of the John Muir Way.
Read moreInside John Muir’s Birthplace: A Visit to the House Where It All Began
The Thread That Connects Them All: Hildegard, Muir, and the Unruly Mystic Series
What does a 12th-century German abbess have in common with a 19th-century Scottish naturalist? More than you might think — and understanding the connection changes how you see both of them.
Read more10 Things You don’t Know About John Muir
Ten surprising facts about John Muir — the inventor, the farmer, the camper who almost died from unpreparedness, and the man whose life was transformed by a workshop accident that left him temporarily blind.
Read moreThrough the Eyes of John Muir
A teacher's guide and student journal that brings John Muir's life and environmental legacy into the classroom — through hands-on lessons, field studies, and inquiry-based activities designed for all ages.
Read moreWhat did John Muir call hiking?
John Muir didn't hike — he sauntered. Discover the origin of the word and Muir's philosophy that mountains are holy land, meant to be moved through reverently, not conquered at speed.
Read moreWas John Muir a racist?
John Muir's racist attitudes toward Native Americans and Black Americans have prompted a difficult reckoning within the Sierra Club and beyond. Filmmaker Michael Conti reflects on the dichotomy — and how Muir's 1879 Alaska trip may have marked a turning point.
Read moreThe Scotland Cut
During the 2020 pandemic, filmmaker Michael Conti revisited the original cut of The Unruly Mystic: John Muir and wove in new footage from Scotland — creating the 75-minute Scotland Cut that deepens the film's spiritual and environmental journey.
Read moreNature & Spirit: Q/A with Director
Michael Conti joins the San Francisco Swedenborgian Church's Nature & Spirit symposium for a Q&A on how John Muir's vision of wilderness as sacred ground continues to shape how we seek spiritual nourishment in nature today.
Read moreHappy Birthday John Muir! 2021
Celebrating John Muir's birthday with a look at the Scotland Cut — how 60+ screenings across seven states shaped the film, and why the experience of watching it together in community remains the most powerful way to encounter Muir's legacy.
Read moreMake our own pilgrimages into sacred nature
Following Rev. Matthew Fox's idea of "pilgrimages into sacred nature," Michael Conti reflects on his own desert pilgrimage and how John Muir's writings helped shape a filmmaker's spiritual practice rooted in the natural world.
Read morevMuir Day Panel 2020
During the COVID-19 shutdown, Michael Conti convened a virtual panel to celebrate John Muir's 182nd birthday — with conversations about death, isolation, nature connection, and why Muir's voice feels more necessary than ever.
Read morePersonal Bear Experience in Yosemite
While filming in Yosemite, Michael Conti had an unexpected close encounter with a black bear — a reminder that the wilderness John Muir spent his life protecting is still very much alive, and still has the power to surprise us.
Read moreMy favorite 15 quotes about the outdoors from John Muir
Fifteen of John Muir's most enduring quotes about the outdoors — on storms, silence, trees, wilderness, and the spiritual nourishment that only wild places can provide.
Read moreWhat is Yosemite National Park famous for?
Yosemite National Park owes much of its federal protection to a famous four-day camping trip between John Muir and President Theodore Roosevelt in 1903 — a conversation that changed American conservation history.
Read moreA Surprise visit from The Father of Environmental Ethics – Dr. Holmes Rolston III
At a screening of The Unruly Mystic: John Muir in Fort Collins, Dr. Holmes Rolston III — "The Father of Environmental Ethics" — arrived unannounced at age 86. A reflection on what happens when a film draws the right audience.
Read moreScots love to complain about the weather – Favorite weather related words
John Muir was born in Scotland, and Scots have always had a poetic relationship with their weather. A lighthearted look at the Scottish words and phrases for rain, wind, and cold that you won't find in Muir's Yosemite writings.
Read moreSierra Club John Muir Exhibit Review
The Sierra Club's John Muir Education Team reviews The Unruly Mystic: John Muir — examining how the film captures Muir's spiritual vision and its relevance to today's environmental movement.
Read moreSome Notes from the Post Production Process
A look behind the scenes of The Unruly Mystic: John Muir — 18 months of principal photography across the US and Canada, and what it takes to bring a personal essay documentary from the wilderness to the screen.
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