Mary Ivy Burks

The two had a son, Robert Ivy Burks, and she spent most of her time caring for their child.

While volunteering in the community she met Blanche Evans Dean, an activist and self-trained botanist in the area.

Dismals Canyon is a nature park in Franklin County, Alabama, that is the home to dismalites, rare glowworms that attract food and mates by releasing a bright green light.

The group began to perform field studies with the hopes of gaining the support of Del Thorton, Alabama's forest supervisor.

The first small victory in the process was the suspension of timber cutting and road construction for a year.