Celebrate Earth Day, everyday! In the early 1900s, Minerva Hamilton Hoyt, a lover of desert plants, became alarmed at the effect of increased car traffic in desert regions of southern California. A conversation activist, she spearheaded efforts that culminated in 1936 with establishment of Joshua Tree National Monument! I’m intrigued by deserts: How life survives, even thrives in harsh environments. I went to Joshua Tree on a 1997 women’s stories road trip. Titled the “Apostle of the Cacti” the plaque heralds her for contributing to a “heightened appreciation, not only of the Joshua Tree, but of the total desert environment.”
top of page
bottom of page