I'm Nicola Cochlin and for BBC Radio 4, this is history's youngest heroes. Rebellion, risk and the radical power of youth.

She thought, right, I'll just do it. She thought about others rather than herself.

Twelve stories of extraordinary young people from across history.

There's a real sense of urgency in them, that resistance has to be mounted,

it has to be mounted now.

Follow History's youngest heroes, wherever you get your podcasts.

Hello, I'm Joya Putneyi, a production assistant here at Wonder Media Network,

and I'm so excited to be guest hosting this episode of Womanica. This month, we're talking about cultivators,

women who nurtured, cross-pollinated, experimented, or went to great lengths to better understand

and protect the natural world. In order to truly understand nature, you don't

have to be a scientist. Today's Wamanican proved that curious wanderers can make meaningful

contributions to the study of the natural world, if they're willing to embrace it. A simple walk

through your neighborhood and careful observation of your surroundings can go a long way.

That's exactly what led this woman to become a pioneer of American nature writing.

So get out your notebook and step outside.

Let's meet Susan Fenimore Cooper.

Music Fennemannemore Cooper.

Susan was born on April 17, 1813 in Scarsdale, New York, the second child of Susan Delancey and James Fenimore Cooper.

Her father was a novelist and the son of William Cooper, the founder

of Cooperstown, a prosperous settlement in New York State. And Cooperstown is where Susan grew up.

She had fond memories of her childhood spent in the family's large red farmhouse, built by her

grandfather. Young Susan, or Sue, as her

...