Welcome to Rockville, Maryland. This is the gravesite of Rachel Carson. She was a biologist, ecologist and author who gained recognition for her pioneer publications on saving the environment. She became the first woman to pass the civil service test in 1936.
During her years with the government, she began writing articles and books about marine life. Her most notable work, "Silent Spring" was an indepth look at the environmental effects of long-term pesticide misuse. Due to the revelations in "Silent Spring," US President John Kennedy initiated a committee to investigate the pesticide industry, and in 1963, Carson testified before the United States Congress. Her work has been credited as the impetus behind the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency, and she has been called the "mother of the modern environmental movement."