Tortoise Tales 
Newsletter of the Hi-Desert Nature Museum 
Fremont Cottonwood Trees
Fremont Cottonwood Tree
MUSEUM FUNDRAISER
Fundraiser

Saturday, May 11th, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Join us for the Hi-Desert Nature Museum's biggest fundraising event of the year! This family-oriented event features arts and crafts vendors, live music and dance, kids' crafts and face painting, food, and a bounce house. This much anticipated event is being hosted by three local merchants - Mom's Homemade Shipping, momTech, and Kim's Fabric Outlet. The outdoor venue will be held at the hosting businesses at 57085 Twentynine Palms Highway in Yucca Valley, across from Sizzler.

 

Entertainment Schedule:

10:00 - 10:30 a.m.          Jewels of the Desert Bellydance Troupe

11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.    The John Linn Band:  

High energy country band with southern rock influences

2:00 - 2:30 p.m.             Jewels of the Desert Bellydance Troupe

   

momTech will be holding their grand opening during the event and have generously donated an Xbox 360, Windows laptop computer, and iPhone as door prizes. Other prizes include artwork by Troy Pence and Christy Anderson. Opportunity tickets for door prizes will be available for participants throughout the event. The John Linn Band has donated a beautiful John Linn Band custom acoustic electric guitar which will be auctioned off to support the museum.   All proceeds from the fundraiser will go to benefit the museum and its educational programs. For additional event information contact Mom's Homemade Shipping at (760) 365-7355.

 

 

Handmade acoustic electric guitar by the John Linn Band. 
The proceeds will benefit the Hi-Desert Nature Museum  
Bid freely and generously.
   ebay
 

 

CURRENT EXHIBITS
YVHS Eva Trimarchi
YVHS Art Show
This exhibition highlights the finest work of some of this community's rising talent from Yucca Valley High School.  The show displays a variety of compelling subjects in different mediums such as drawing and painting.  (Shown here, painting by Eva Trimarchi)

amboy crater
Desert Volcanoes
Over 500 volcanoes exist within the North American deserts.
Some of them, like Amboy Crater, are easily recognizable, but others are more obscure.
Check out this fascinating exhibit and learn about cinder cones, lava domes and volcano imposters.

 

 Both exhibits will be on display through May 30, 2013   

 

 

UPCOMING EXHIBITS

 

Progression of an Artist

 

Local artist, "Michael", presents his debut exhibition, a series of acrylics on canvas and mixed media. He illustrated various concepts of forms and textures found in the natural environment i.e.: an ammonite Fossil Bed, the primal aggression of an archeopteryx, mysterious desert vistas, the allure of a tropical sunset, and a crystal moon with sparkling crystal trees.

 

Opening Reception: Friday June 14, 5-7 p.m. FREE ADMISSION 

michael's cactus

SCIENCE SATURDAY
scared tortoise

The Hi-Desert Nature Museum brings hands-on learning and the thrill of scientific discovery to children with the popular "Science Saturdays" activities.  This series of science programs is designed to ignite curiosity by presenting information and performing experiments relating to biological and physical sciences.  It is recommended that children be of school age for this program.  

11:00 - 11:30 a.m., FREE! No pre-registration required
May 11: Animal Traces
May 25: Fear

 

GECKO GIFT SHOP SALE
for sale
The Hi-Desert Nature Museum
GECKO GIFT SHOP
 has a big 50% off blow out sale.
Jewelry, postcards, books, and toys are still available.  Don't miss out!

John Fremont

John C. Fr�mont  

 

John C. Fr�mont was born 1813 under scandalous circumstances. After college Fr�mont got a job as a math teacher aboard the USS Natchez. In 1838 he was appointed a second lieutenant in the Corps of Topographic Engineers and went on several expeditions to survey the western territory of the United States.

During his lifetime he fought in the Mexican-American war, he was military governor of California, charged with mutiny, disobedience of orders, assumption of powers and dishonorably discharged. He ran for president in 1864, was the first American to see Lake Tahoe, and was the governor for the Arizona Territory. He died impoverished in 1890 in New York City.

Fr�mont branded the Joshua Tree "the most repulsive tree in the vegetable kingdom." Even though he spoke that unkindly of the Joshua Tree, over 20 different plant species, most of them in California, bear his name.

For example: Fremont Cottonwood (Populus fremontii) Pincushion Flower (Chaenactis fremontii), Goldfields (Lasthenia fremontii), Tidytips (Layia fremontii), Desert Pepperweed (Lepidium fremontii), Desert Boxthorn (Lycium fremontii), Monkeyflower (Mimulus fremontii), Fr�mont's Phacelia (Phacelia fremontii), Desert Combleaf (Polyctenium fremontii), Desert Apricot (Prunus fremontii), and Indigo Bush (Psorothamnus fremontii).

 

# 1

How "museum" ranks on the list of words that Americans associate with "the idea of culture."

International survey conducted by the Fondazione Florens (2010): bit.ly/10KNLxZ


The Hi-Desert Nature Museum is located in the Yucca Valley Community Center Complex at 57116 Twentynine Palms Highway.  The museum is open Tuesday - Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  Admission is free; donations support the educational mission of the museum.  The Hi-Desert Nature Museum is operated by the Town of Yucca Valley. 

 

For more information on our programs and events contact the museum at (760) 369-7212 or visit our website at www.hidesertnaturemuseum.org 

 

To view a full schedule of Yucca Valley events, sports programs and recreation classes visit the Town's website at www.yucca-valley.org 


In This Issue
Museum Fundraiser
Exhibits
Science Saturday
Museums are #1
Facebook Logo