Happy Earth Day! I hope you will have a chance to be outside and enjoy this beautiful spring day. It is very fitting that today’s stop on the A-Z blog challenge is S because that means we get to visit one of my favorite cities. The book I’d like to share today not only celebrates San Diego but should encourage us with a great example of how one person who cares can make a tremendous difference.
I try to get to San Diego as often as I can. My three brothers have homes there and one of my daughters attended university there. There is always way too much to see and do in the limited time I have but I always try to get to Balboa Park. When walking into the park with my family, we came to a statue of Kate Session, “The Mother of Balboa Park.” I realized that this was someone I wanted to know more about.
A few months later, I had a chance encounter at the SCBWI conference with H. Joseph Hopkins who showed me his newly published picture book about Kate Sessions. The book is written with clear and witty text and is beautifully illustrated.
The Tree Lady: the true story of how one tree-loving woman changed a city forever
By H. Joseph Hopkins (author) and Jill McElmurry (illustrator)
Beach Lane Books
picture book biography grades 1 – 5
Kate Sessions grew up in Northern California in the 1860s where she spent much of her childhood in the woods. She was different than most girls of the time as she didn’t mind getting dirty and she devoted herself to the study of science. She attended the University of California and was the first woman to graduate with a degree in science. She accepted a teaching job in San Diego and found herself in an area void of trees. San Diego was a desert town. From the school where Kate taught, she could see the desolate city park where cows grazed and people dumped their trash. Despite the doubts of most people, Kate believed trees could grow there.
Kate set about finding trees that could grow in a desert climate with little water. She wrote to gardeners who lived in arid places and asked them to send her seeds of plants that didn’t need much water. She traveled to Mexico to find trees that could grow on steep dry hills and canyons. She arranged with the city officials to plant 100 trees a year in exchange for land in the park for a plant nursery. When the announcement was made that the Panama-California Exposition was going to be held in San Diego, the city leaders wanted more trees what became known as Balboa Park. Kate asked her friends to come to tree planting parties. When it was time for the fair, millions of trees had been planted and Kate became known as the “Mother of Balboa Park.”
Kate Sessions felt that everyone could be a gardener. She wrote gardening articles for the local paper and played a large role in the San Diego Floral Association. When you visit San Diego, you can enjoy the leafy shade and beautiful plants and thank Kate Sessions.
As everyone knows, California is experiencing a monumental drought. We all need to follow the example of Kate and fill our gardens with plants that don’t need much water.
If you are interested in using this book with students, I suggest you visit Tina Cho’s store at Teacher’s Pay Teachers for a great resource.
betty says
I lived in San Diego area the majority of my life off and on, LOL, was there for four years, recently moved to Arizona this past January. Love the area and Balboa Park. I don’t think I knew this about Kate Session (or if I learned it in school, did forget it). You are right, there is that monumental drought, very scary1
betty
Claire Annette Noland says
I’ve visited San Diego for years and never heard of Kate Sessions until recently. I’m glad this book was written so that more people can learn what she did to make San Diego even lovelier.
Tina Cho says
I really like that book and just made a literature guide about it on Teachers Pay Teachers! How neat to have the photo of the statue and to have met the author. I’ve been to San Diego as well. 🙂
Claire Annette Noland says
Hi Tina,
Thanks for stopping by and commenting. I just added a link to your great resource at TPT.
Trine Grillo says
What a great piece of history about such a beautiful place. Thanks, Claire. I did not know about Kate Sessions.
Claire Annette Noland says
Hi Trine,
She was an amazing lady! I really enjoyed learning about her.
Rosie Amber says
I just Love that statue, Happy Earth Day.
Claire Annette Noland says
Hi Rosie, It is a lovely statue. I have a picture of myself standing with Kate but couldn’t find it when writing this post. I’ll keep digging around or maybe I’ll just have to go back for another photo.
Evelyne says
Happy belated Earth Day! Love San Diego and will visit more as one of my kids will be studying at UC San Diego this fall. As always your book selection is great. Agree of course on water conservation, wherever we are.
Claire Annette Noland says
Your daughter will love UC San Diego! And you will love visiting. Balboa Park has great museums.
Charlotte says
This is a book for me to keep in mind for the future!
Claire Annette Noland says
It is non-fiction but written in such a lively way that it seems more like fiction. I think you’d enjoy reading it.