"On Wednesday, June 22nd , from 3:00pm - 5:00pm, Joshua Tree National Park and the Joshua Tree National Park Association will host a birthday celebration in honor of Ms. Reilly and the centennial of the National Park Service. The festivities will be held at Oasis Visitor Center and the public is invited to come out and participate in wishing Susan Luckie Reilly and the National Park Service a hearty, happy birthday!"
More info.
I learned about Dr. Luckie and his daughter Susan from reading Sand in my shoe: Homestead days in Twentynine Palms by Helen Bagley. Dr. Luckie brought World War One vets, many who suffered from respiratory illnesses, out to the desert leading eventually to the Small Homestead Act. Our area has a strong tie to veterans, and the healing quality of desert solitude and quietness.
Susan Luckie Reilly granduated from Stanford University in 1938 and took a job as a ranger/naturalist at Joshua Tree National Park. This lead to a lifetime of desert stewardship. She fought a massive electrical transmission corridor that would have cut through the Morongo Basin and the park. This lead to the creation of the Morongo Basin Conservation Association.
Join me at the Oasis Visitor Center on June 22 to wish Susan Reilly a happy 100th birthday!
