Please take the time to visit the site below, and I invite you to read the letters at the bottom of it for an idea of how Joie has touched so many lives.

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Yosemite National Institutes has established

The Joie Armstrong Memorial Fund

to provide annual awards to assist young women, ages 15-18, to participate in the Armstrong Scholars Program.
This unique summer program is dedicated to the memory of Joie and to the values and passion that made her so special.

Please visit this site for an in-depth look at her life at Yosemite.
There are also letters from parents who were amazed at how Joie's deep love and understanding of nature had affected their children's lives in such a short time. Also read the letters from the children whose lives were touched by her.

Hello Cullen,
I came across your site and was hoping to contribute my memory of Joie to her family and friends. I know this is late, but I actually didn't learn of this sad news until about a year ago. My memory of Joie dates back to when I was about 12 when my school made a trip to the Headlands in '97. I actually really hated the idea of camp. It was Joie with her enthusiasm that made our hikes interesting and more than just sweating and getting a sunburn. There was one day we did have a brutal hike. We climbed this steep hill that seemed to go on forever and I remember it felt like it was 110 degrees outside and all I wanted was water. When we got to the top all I could think of is how grateful I was for getting to rest and how amazing lunch sounded. It was there that I first heard of hummus. She told us that one day it would be really popular, that it was both healthy and tasty. When she told us it was made from garbanzo beans and all of us kids had the same look on our faces: "yuck!" until we tried it, and all of us liked it. She said this was a great option because everyone, including vegetarians, can eat it-- ok this seems like a silly memory but about 1 year later I became a vegan and my mom asked me, exasperated, "so what can you eat now?" and it was Joie who helped give me ideas about eating healthy for vegetarians from that hike.
Joie also had the best talks and was so knowledgeable. I remember her educating us about hawks, which was fascinating, and this is stuff I still remember today. She started by showing us various stuffed birds that the Headlands Institute had and gave us a background about hawks, their prey, and indigenous animals to the area. On our hike later, we got to see the hawks and she pointed them out. She was a natural when it came to teaching, so enthusiastic. Actually, she is only camp counselor who taught me something I still remember today from that trip. I won't forget her and how she inspired me to love nature. I think back to camp and how she turned it from something I dreaded to a great childhood memory. For that I wish to say;
Thank you Joie! I will never forget you.

Deborah

The next page contains photos from friends and some special letters from children who were especially touched by Joie and her classes in Yosemite.

I hope you will return to visit, as I plan to add new photos and copy as friends and visitors send items to me.

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