conservationists

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.

"The Florida Everglades are made up of nine different ecosystems supporting an astonishing variety of wildlife-panthers, manatees, snails, frogs, and a rainbow of bird species. But for years, the Everglades were threatened. They needed a voice to speak up for them. Marjory Stoneman Douglas became that voice. Her book "A River of Grass" helped the world see the irreplaceable beauty and value of the Everglades. Marjory's activism led to the creation of a national park and dedicated conservation efforts, and throughout her long life she inspired countless people to use their voices to make a difference"--.

This collection features 25 empowering tales of girls and women who are dedicated to fighting for the planet-to saving endangered storks, ending plastic pollution, and building the cities of the future. Read about their clever actions and tactics, celebrate their successes, and be inspired to join the fight in any way you can.

Examines the life and works of John Muir.

Youth climate activist Dara McAnulty writes about the changing of the seasons in Northern Ireland, and captures his connection to the wildlife and the way he sees nature. He also includes writings on his life as teenager and activist, moving and changing schools, and the uniqueness of living with autism.

"Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka, Uganda's first wildlife veterinarian, tells the remarkable story of her life protecting critically endangered mountain gorillas. In the face of discrimination in a male-dominated world, one woman's passion and determination to build a brighter future offers inspiration and insights into what is truly possible for our planet when we come together. What begins as her enchanting account of being fresh out of vet school, treating sick gorillas, relocating wandering elephants, reintroducing giraffes, rescuing orphaned baby chimpanzees, and testing Cape buffalo for zoonotic diseases, beomes a tale of human health advocacy, as she realizes that in order to save wild animals from extinction, we must also help their human neighbors. When she makes the connection that diseases in the local human communities are affecting gorillas and tuberculosis is rampant in wild buffalo herds as well as among the villagers, she sets off on a parallel path creating a support system to improve health and well-being of the people surrounding Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Thus, the NGO Conservation Through Public Health was born. Since those early days, Dr. Gladys has helped revolutionize conservation throughout the world with a focus on the integrated health of humans and wildlife. Walking with Gorillas is the story of her incredible journey." -- Book jacket.

"A personal and scientific work on trees, forests, and the author's profound discoveries of tree communication"--Provided by publisher.

"A picture book that tells the important story of Chico Mendes, who led the fight to protect the Amazon rainforest and demand fair treatment for the people whose livelihoods depended on it. Chico Mendes lived in the depths of the Amazon rainforest where trees grew tall and strong and wildlife roamed freely. From the age of 8, Chico worked with his father collecting sap from trees that could be sold to make rubber. Rubber tappers were very poor and the rainforest was increasingly being destroyed by burning and logging, threatening their livelihoods. Chico knew he had to take a stand. He became a spokesperson for the community, fighting hard to preserve the Amazon rainforest, and speaking up for the rights of other rubber tappers. He won several international awards for his campaigns, but the loggers still wouldn't stop. At the age of 44, Chico was murdered by one of the loggers"--Provided by publisher.

Brothers John and Frank Craighead knew there was a problem when they saw fewer and fewer grizzly bears at Yellowstone National Park. But how did grizzlies-with a population size once as big as 100,000-wind up on the endangered species list?.

When Howard Sharpe spotted a group of southern sea otters floating off the coast of California, he was nearly as surprised as if he had seen a dinosaur. The otters were thought to be nearly extinct, and yet he spotted hundreds splashing in the water. Soon, Howard and other environmental activists sprang into action to make sure this once nearly extinct species didn't disappear forever.