Critique de CHOICE

Rimby (Shippensburg Univ.) thoroughly examines Dock's pivotal role at the intersection of women's rights, the conservation movement, and the Progressive Era. The author explores Dock's family background and trips to the western US, which inspired her love of the outdoors, as well as her early experiences as a public lecturer on botany. After a revelatory tour of the Black Forest in Germany, Dock (1853-1945) focused her considerable energy on forest conservation, eventually becoming the first woman to serve on a public forestry commission. The latter half of Rimby's work describes Dock's role on the Pennsylvania Forest Commission and the way in which she drew in women's clubs to the larger conservation movement. The civic improvements she championed as a part of the City Beautiful movement illustrate how she sought to connect women and children to what she saw as the value of nature. In addition, Dock advocated for women's suffrage as well as women's education and a more visible role for professional women in their communities. An extensive section of notes supports the text. Summing Up: Recommended. All academic and professional library collections. J. J. Arnold Central Piedmont Community College