A statue of the young Rachel Carson, documenting a moment captured in a photo in 1951 by Edwin Gray near Sam Cahoon’s fish market dock in Woods Hole. Back then, she was at the beginning of her career, studying and working as a researcher at the Marine Biological Laboratory’s (MBL) and the Fisheries laboratories (now National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration).
Rachel Carson (1907-1964) was a pioneer Marine Biologist, writer, and conservationist. Her books sparked the environmental movement in the US and abroad and created awareness of the impact people’s actions have on the environment.
The idea to commemorate Carson in a statue came to Eric Turkington when he learned that the famous Carson was strongly connected to Woods Hole. Together with Susan Shephard, they founded the Rachel Carson Statue Committee, which raised the commission to fund the statue. Among the contributors were: Woods Hole Community Association; the Upper Cape Business and Professional Women’s Club; the Silent Spring Institute; the Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition as well as individuals who wished to honor Carson as well as to inspire everyone how important it is to save our environment.
The local Cape cod artist, David Lewis, was chosen to create the statue based on the photograph, and on July 14th, 2013, it was dedicated.
Carson is depicted sitting on a bench gazing at the water, taking notes. Several benches near her invite the visitors to join her. Her words are inscribed on the stepping stones on the grounds- “I had my first prolonged contact with the sea at Woods Hole. I never tired of watching the tidal currents pouring through the hole – that wonderful place of whirlpools and eddies and swiftly racing water.”
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