Nature and Conservation

On July 8, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson created Sieur de Monts National Monument, which later became Acadia National Park.  The park is located on Maine’s Mount Desert Island, Isle Au Haut, on the Schoodic Peninsula.

On June 15, 1934, Franklin Roosevelt signed legislation establishing Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Home to some of the highest mountains in North America, the park is one of the most visited in the United States.

On May 15, 1993, the USPS issued the first installment in the Garden Flower Series, which would honor flowers that bloom in each of the four seasons. The series was inspired by the popular Wildflowers 50-stamp se-tenant issued a year earlier.

Eugenie “Genie” Clark was born on May 4, 1922, in New York, New York.  Nicknamed “The Shark Lady,” she was a world-renowned marine biologist best known for her work with sharks and trailblazing in the field of scuba diving for marine research.

On April 29, 1945, the Peace rose was made available for sale in the US. The Peace rose helped popularize gardening and provided a huge boost to the rose industry. 

John Muir was born on April 21, 1838, in Dunbar, Scotland. Considered the “Father of the National Parks,” he dedicated most of his life to exploring wilderness and protecting it, most famously Yosemite Valley in California.

On April 10, 1872, the first Arbor Day was held in Nebraska. Later moved to April 22 to celebrate the holiday’s founder, more than 200 million trees have been planted by the National Arbor Day Foundation.

On April 8, 1975, an Act of Congress officially established Voyageurs National Park. The park preserves and commemorates the thousands of men who paddled their canoes through Canada and Minnesota with their bundles of furs.  Not only did they help grow the economy of the area, but they encouraged settlement and opened pathways previously unknown to bring people to the northwest.

Botanist John Bartram was born on March 23, 1699, in Darby, Pennsylvania Colony. Called the “greatest natural botanist in the world,” he started one of the first botanic gardens in the United States.