Nellie Teale

Nellie Imogene Teale (née Donovan; 1900–1993) was an American naturalist and conservationist. She was an important contributor to the nature writing of her husband, Edwin Way Teale, serving as researcher, critic, and editor for his manuscripts. She was noted for her keen observations of flora and fauna; her motto was to "go slow and see more".

Teale and her husband traveled throughout North America, documenting natural history and covering over 76,000 miles during a 15-year period. She graduated from Earlham College in Indiana and was on the faculty of Friends University in Kansas. From 1959, the Teales lived in northern Connecticut near the wilderness at a property they named Trail Head. They donated their property to the Connecticut Audubon Society.

Early life, education and marriage Nellie Imogene Donovan was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on September 13, 1900.

Nature travels and Trail Wood The Teales moved to New York City in 1924 and had a son, David Allen, in 1925. From 1928 to 1941, Teale was a homemaker and raised her son. They lived in Baldwin on Long Island, where they established an insect garden that became the basis for Edwin's 1937 nature book Grassroots Jungle. In 1945, their son David, then 19 years old, was killed in action on a reconnaissance mission in Germany. chronicling natural history and documenting their experiences. Nellie was noted for her astute observations of flora and fauna, and for having a better understanding of birds than her husband. Teale's book A Naturalist Buys an Old Farm recounts their experiences at Trail Wood. He writes in the book that Nellie's motto was to "go slow and see more".

Later life Teale and her husband befriended many naturalists and authors, including Rachel Carson and John Kieran. Nellie served on the board of Hampton's Fletcher Memorial Library. She and her husband were also members of several organizations, including the New York Entomological Society, The Explorers Club, the John Burroughs Memorial Association, and the Thoreau Society. She died of colon cancer on July 18, 1993, at the Abbey Manor Convalescent Home in Windham, Connecticut.