Cactus queen Minerva Hoyt establishes Joshua Tree National Park
Long before she became known as the Cactus Queen, Minerva Hamilton Hoyt found solace in the unexpected beauty of the Mojave Desert in California. She loved the jackrabbits and coyotes, the prickly cacti, and especially the weird, spiky Joshua trees. However, in the 1920s, hardly anyone else felt the...
| Main Author: | Alexander, Lori (Author) |
|---|---|
| Other Authors: | Ely, Jenn 1983- (Illustrator) |
| Format: | Books Print Book |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
New York, N.Y. :
Calkins Creek, an imprint of Astra Books for Young Readers,
[2024]
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| Edition: | First edition. |
| Subjects: |
| Summary: |
Long before she became known as the Cactus Queen, Minerva Hamilton Hoyt found solace in the unexpected beauty of the Mojave Desert in California. She loved the jackrabbits and coyotes, the prickly cacti, and especially the weird, spiky Joshua trees. However, in the 1920s, hardly anyone else felt the same way. The desert was being thoughtlessly destroyed by anyone and everyone. Minerva knew she needed to bring attention to the problem. With the help of her gardening club, taxidermists, and friends, she took the desert east and put its plants and animals on display. The displays were a hit, but Minerva needed to do much more: she wanted to have the desert recognized as a national park. Although she met with President Franklin D. Roosevelt and won him over, Minerva still had to persuade politicians, scientists, teachers, and others to support her cause. And, it worked! Minerva's efforts led to what came to be known as Joshua Tree National Park in California, and saved hundreds of thousands of plants and animals. Now, the millions of people who visit each year have learned to love the desert, just as Minerva did. |
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| Physical Description: |
1 volume (unpaged) : illustrations (chiefly color) ; 29 cm |
| Bibliography: |
Includes bibliographical references. |
| ISBN: |
9781662680212 166268021X |
| Author Notes: |
Jenn Ely is an artist and animator, who has worked on the movies The Boxtrolls and Guillermo Del Toro's Pinocchio .In her recent foray into children's books, she illustrated T he Gardener of Alcatraz and If You Were a Kid Building a Pyramid . |