Ruth Denison Scholarship
Environmental Conservation Scholarship History
MBCA's $500 Ruth Denison scholarship was offered annually from 2017 through 2021. It was funded through a generous bequest from Ruth Denison, a long-time supporter of the association. Ruth Denison was the first Buddhist teacher in the United States to lead an all-women's retreat for Buddhist meditation and instruction. Her center, Dhamma Dena Desert Vipassana Center, is located in Joshua Tree, California. You can learn more about her from this Hi Desert Star article following her death in 2015 or from the Ruth Denison Wikipedia page.
Winners of the 5 Ruth Denison scholarships between 2017 and 2021 are pictured below.
Nicole Serrano, Yucca Valley High School, 2017
Morgan Novak, Yucca Valley High School, 2018
Isabel Ortega, Yucca Valley High School, 2019
Annie Hilderbrand, Yucca Valley High School, 2020
Kahlena Alcantar, Yucca Valley High School, 2021
Celebration of Life for MBCA Founder Susan Luckie Reilly
To mark the passing on her 101st birthday of longtime Morongo Basin resident Susan Luckie Reilly, who was also one of MBCA's key founders, a Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, July 8 at 10:00 AM at the Bell Center of Copper Mountain College. Read details in this Press Release from Joshua Tree National Park. Look to MBCA's History page to learn more about Susan's involvement and to read her own history of MBCA. A local news story from KCDZ-FM provides more background on her impact on the Morongo Basin and Joshua Tree National Park. We are saddened by the loss of Susan, a Morongo Basin treasure, but grateful for her years of leadership and support on behalf of the Basin and the Park.
Our Founder
Susan Luckie Reilly, 1916 - 2017
Susan Luckie Reilly was born in 1916, the same year the National Park Service was founded. In 1965, Susan donned the green and grey of the NPS and worked as a seasonal, ranger-naturalist for what was then, Joshua Tree National Monument.
Susan was the daughter of Dr. James B. Luckie, a Pasadena physician who recommended the healthy, dry, desert climate to WWI veterans suffering from the effects of mustard gas. The Luckie family spent time at the family home in Twentynine Palms when not in Pasadena. It was during these family visits that Susan developed a life long love and passion for the desert environment. A graduate of Stanford University, Ms. Reilly and others founded the Morongo Basin Conservation Association which successfully fought off an initiative by the utility company to run a massive power transmission corridor straight through the heart of the Morongo Basin.
Susan was the first recipient of the Minerva Hoyt Award in 2004. She also received a Woman of Distinction Award given by Congressman Paul Cook in 2013 and has been a driving force for preservation and protection of the Southern California desert.
Susan lived until she turned 101 years old on June 22, 2017. Her final legacy was the gift of her home and acreage to Joshua Tree National Park for research use and is now named the Dr. Luckie Study Center. Luckie Park in 29 Palms is also named in honor of Dr. James B. Luckie at its dedication on July 4, 1965.
Not only was Susan a conservationist she was also a poet. We hope you enjoy her words below:
Spirit of the Desert Night
by Susan Luckie Reilly
The rosy glow of the setting sun
Casts dark shadows afar,
A lone coyote, with an eerie note,
Sings to the evening star.
His call is wild and free—
Voice of the desert domain;
The softly soughing wind
Echoes back the refrain.
Is it just the wind? Or is it the brush
Of a moccasined foot on the sand?
Can the muffled tread of a tribe long dead
Be heard in this timeless land?
With the first pale tint of coming day
The night murmurs fade away;
The coyote’s howl and the hoot of an owl
Again hold their lonely sway.
Not only was Susan a conservationist she was also a poet. We hope you enjoy her words below:
Spirit of the Desert Night
by Susan Luckie Reilly
The rosy glow of the setting sun
Casts dark shadows afar,
A lone coyote, with an eerie note,
Sings to the evening star.
His call is wild and free—
Voice of the desert domain;
The softly soughing wind
Echoes back the refrain.
Is it just the wind? Or is it the brush
Of a moccasined foot on the sand?
Can the muffled tread of a tribe long dead
Be heard in this timeless land?
With the first pale tint of coming day
The night murmurs fade away;
The coyote’s howl and the hoot of an owl
Again hold their lonely sway.
(Thanks to Joshua Tree National Park News Release of June 8, 2016, for some of this information.
Ruth Rieman's Comments at Susan's Celebration of Life
As a long-time MBCA Board member and former President of MBCA, Ruth had a long acquaintance with Susan and presented a wonderful array of stories about Susan's contributions to our communities at the Celebration of Life on July 8, 2017.
Susan's Poetry
At the Celebration of Life for Susan, several poems she had written at various times in her life were displayed. Here are six of them.
Learn more of the history of the MBCA here.
History
What started as a small group of concerned local citizens has grown into an organization known for successfully protecting your beautiful California desert.
In 1969, residents of the Morongo Basin were threatened by a plan to bring a large electrical transmission line through the Basin. Enormous towers and large cable would have obstructed the view and taken away the natural beauty and healthy ecosystems of our desert surroundings. Thousands of desert dwellers joined in protest by appearing at meetings, sending letters of appeal, and filing petitions.
The leading residents behind this successful campaign against transmission lines became the founders of the Morongo Basin Conservation Association. The activism of Susan Luckie Reilly of Twentynine Palms was key to the effort’s success. She is considered our founder and wrote her own history of MBCA through the mid-1990s.
MBCA has continued to play an active role in preserving the Mojave Desert's natural elements and the rural lifestyle desired by Basin residents. To celebrate MBCA’s 50th Anniversary in 2019, a historic retrospective book was published. Enjoy reading MBCA’s history by clicking on the book cover below (it links to the Issuu website to view as a flipbook) or view or download the PDF version.
Susan Luckie Reilly
Susan's 100th birthday party was held on June 22nd at the Oasis Visitor Center of Joshua Tree National Park. Most of MBCA's Directors were able to attend to honor Susan's legacy for the Park and the Morongo Basin. Ruth Rieman read a birthday message to Susan from MBCA (see below) and Park Superintendent David Smith promised Susan continued, dedicated stewardship of the Park in the future. David presented Susan with a "Susan Luckie Reilly doll," which is clothed in a Park uniform.