California Poppy Reserve

California Poppy Reserve. The Dream of a Poppy Park. , In the 1940s Jane S. Pinheiro, a local resident and self-taught wildflower artist, became concerned that rapid growth in the Antelope Valley was endangering wildflower fields. Jane's dream was to have a "Poppy Park" to protect the official state flower of California, the California Poppy, as well as other native wildflowers. She shared her dream with the Lancaster Woman's Club of which she was a member. In 1963 Jane and other members of the club established the first springtime Antelope Valley Wildflower Center to foster public appreciation for area wildflower displays. , In the late 1960s a botanist from U.C.Davis came to the Wildflower Center and, after looking at Jane's paintings on display, declared they were so botanically correct that they could be used for identification purposes and should be protected. Soon after, the Lancaster Woman's Club formed the Wildflower Preservation Committee to raise funds to acquire a collection of Jane's paintings. Dorothy Bolt was appointed as the committee chairman to oversee fundraising efforts. , The committee agreed on an additional goal when Jane Pinheiro was sent a copy of a five-year study done by the Resources Agency of the California Department of Parks and Recreation. This report recommended that the best location for a state park, designed to preserve the state flower, was around the Antelope and Fairmont Buttes located 14 miles west of Lancaster. With this information, Jane suggested that the Wildflower Preservation Committee raise funds to buy land for a "Poppy Park" in addition to buying her paintings. , Jane's request was approved and Chairman Dorothy Bolt began the effort to purchase land by contacting the California State Parks Foundation. The foundation agreed to support the Wildflower Preservation Committee's quest for land acquisition and to act as trustees for the monies that were raised. They both worked with the California Department of Parks and Recreation. School children throughout California collected "Pennies for Poppies" to help create a Poppy Park. With this additional help, the Wildflower Preservation Committee was ultimately successful in achieving both goals. They were able to purchase 125 of Jane Pinheiro's wildflower paintings and in 1976 the Dream of a Poppy Park became a reality. , 1976 - Poppy Park dedicated with 1,763 acres of purchased land. , Park officially becomes the "Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve". , 1982 - Jane S. Pinheiro Interpretive Center dedicated. The 125 Jane Pinheiro wildflower paintings purchased by the Wildflower Preservation Committee donated to the State of California for display in the center. , To support visitor services at the Poppy Reserve, local citizens form the "Poppy Reserve Interpretive Association" ("PRIA") with Grace Pickus as the first president. , 1991 - Milt Stark's A Flower-Watchers Guide, featuring Antelope Valley Wildflowers, published. , 1994 - "PRIA" becomes "PRMDIA" - the "Poppy Reserve Mojave Desert Interpretive Association" when the group expands its mission to include support for additional state parks.