Dark skies and fault lines: Interactive education in the Mojave Desert
Experiential learning is central to the Mojave Desert Land Trust’s Desert Discovery Field Studies program. With screen time increasing and digital media constantly vying for our attention, providing opportunities for real-world, hands-on education is crucial. When students investigate and share their discoveries with others, they learn faster, understand better, and retain information for longer.
Joshua trees need bold action. So do we.
If you are reading these words, you probably have a relationship with Joshua trees. Some of you grew up among them and know them as family. Some of you moved to the desert later in life, at least in part, because of them. Or maybe some of you have never seen one in real life, and you hope to make your way to the Mojave to see their spiny branches warmed by the hot sun.
Targeted conservation for the desert tortoise
Desert tortoises are one of the oldest extant species in the United States, having resided in the Mojave Desert for an estimated 15 to 20 million years. In the past century, changes to their habitat from the ongoing threats of urbanization, off-highway vehicle activity, predation, large-scale renewable energy projects, wildfires, and proliferation of invasive species have caused a significant population decline. In 2023 MDLT began work on a three-year restoration project within critical Mojave desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) habitat in the Superior-Cronese region near Barstow, California, thanks to generous funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. This unique project is part of a larger initiative, the Desert Tortoise Recovery Partnership.