The Walking Encyclopedia auction represents a relatively new and important source of funding for the Thoreau Society.  Since 2004, we have raised over $25,000 for our programs in and out of Concord.  We hope you’ll consider joining us in making this year’s online auction the most successful one ever. 

The Thoreau Society was founded in 1941 by a group led by world-renowned Thoreau scholars Raymond Adams and Walter Harding.  We are the oldest and largest organization devoted to an American author. Our members have produced the majority of Thoreau scholarship during the 20th century, and our publications continue to attract and foster top-flight scholarship into the 21st.

Our membership is incredibly diverse, reflecting the varied interests of Thoreau himself. Individuals give a number of reasons for joining the Society, but at the core is a shared interest in learning more about his philosophy and in helping to foster education about his life, works, and legacy. We believe Thoreau’s ideas and values empower individuals to meet today’s challenges.

"If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them." --Walden, Henry D. Thoreau

Our organization is mission driven and member supported. We conduct programs, excursions, and events throughout the year, culminating in our annual gathering each July in Concord. We own one of the largest collections on Thoreau anywhere, at the Thoreau Institute’s Henley Library. Through the Friends of Walden Pond, an activity of the Thoreau Society, we work with the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation to help preserve and protect Thoreau’s cherished Walden Pond.

Warmest regards,

Mike Frederick
Executive Director, Thoreau Society
mike.frederick@thoreausociety.org
978-369-5319