Mary Bowerman facts for kids

Mary Leolin Bowerman (born January 25, 1908 – died August 21, 2005) was an American botanist. She helped create the group Save Mount Diablo. This group works to protect the land around Mount Diablo in California. Mary also wrote a book about the plants and ferns of Mount Diablo. She helped save thousands of acres of land before she passed away at 97. In 1936, she was the last person to see the Mount Diablo buckwheat plant. This plant was thought to be gone for nearly 70 years until it was found again in 2005. A type of plant called manzanita, Arctostaphylos bowermaniae, was named after her in 1978.

Who Was Mary Bowerman?

Mary Leolin Bowerman was often called "Leo." She was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She went to school in England. Later, she moved to Pasadena, California as a teenager. From 1928 to 1954, she lived in Berkeley, California. She eventually settled in Lafayette, California.

Mary was a botanist, which means she studied plants. She spent over 75 years studying the plants of Mount Diablo. She earned her first college degree in 1930. She then got her Ph.D. (a very high degree) in 1936 from U.C. Berkeley. Her teacher was a famous California plant expert named Willis Linn Jepson. Mary was his last student still alive. She started her work on Mount Diablo as a student. She once said, "Little did I know 65 years ago that my senior project would become my life's work."

Her Important Research

Mary's plant research began in 1930. This was even before Mount Diablo State Park was created. Her work became a key reason to protect the area. She expanded her 1936 Ph.D. study into a book. It was called The Flowering Plants and Ferns of Mount Diablo, California; Their Distribution and Association into Plant Communities. This book was published in 1944. In 2002, Mary and Barbara Ertter updated and republished the book. Barbara Ertter is a plant expert at U.C. Berkeley. Mary also knew a lot about the plants in southern British Columbia.

Saving Mount Diablo

In 1971, Mary helped start the group "Save Mount Diablo." She was on its Board of Directors until she died. She worked hard for her dream: "that the whole of Mount Diablo, including its foothills, should remain open space." She wanted the natural beauty of the area to be protected forever.

Mary was a big part of growing the public lands around Mount Diablo. In 1971, there were about 6,788 acres (27 square kilometers) of public land. By 2005, this grew to over 87,000 acres (350 square kilometers)! Mount Diablo State Park itself tripled in size to 20,000 acres (80 square kilometers). She helped save important places like Blackhawk Ridge, the Blackhills, and several canyons.

Recognizing Her Work

Mary Bowerman received many honors for her efforts to save Mount Diablo. In 1982, a trail at Mount Diablo State Park was named after her. It was called the Fire Interpretive Trail. In 2007, it was officially renamed for her.

In 2001, another park district honored her. A part of Highland Ridge was renamed Founders Ridge. This was to honor Mary and the other founders of Save Mount Diablo. In 1978, a type of manzanita plant was named after her. It is called Arctostaphylos bowermaniae. This plant is found near Antioch, California.

Mary received many awards for her conservation work. These included the State of California Golden Bear award and the John Muir Conservation Award. She also got the Chevron Times Mirror Magazine National Conservation Award in 1996. In 1998, she was added to the Contra Costa County Women of Achievement Hall of Fame. She received a Lifetime Achievement award in 2000. The Daughters of the American Revolution gave her their National Conservation Medal. Mary was featured in many articles and interviews. Her work was even recognized in the Congressional Record in 1998.

See also

In Spanish: Mary Bowerman para niños