- Author, naturalist, entomologist, and a founder of the Xerces Society.
- Author of many popular books on entomology, Pyle stated: "When I went off to college in the mid-1960's, my greatest desire was to be ilke Johh Muir."
- For Pyle's thoughts about the inspiration of John Muir, see Pyle's Foreword to John Muir's Last Journey.