Got Milkweed?
Monarch caterpillars must feed on milkweed in order to develop into adult butterflies, and the plants impart natural toxins that protect both caterpillar and butterfly from predators. Read on for an intimate look at a fascinating native plant.
Fire damage at a Mojave oasis
In March 2022, the Heritage Fire breached Palisades Ranch, burning 34 acres of this special wildlife haven. At least 300 mature trees burned in the fire and 10% of the riparian habitat was affected. In recent decades, the former agricultural fields at the property had become overgrown with invasive species including perennial pepperweed, which seriously impacted the native plant population and helped fuel the fire’s spread.
New program aims to address prairie falcon threats
Prairie falcons rely on special nesting sites that are under threat. The Mojave Desert Land Trust has launched a new conservation program to help tackle the problem in the California desert.
Researchers help identify Mojave summer bird population
Birdwatching interns with the Women In Science Discovering Our Mojave program have closed a gap in the data about avian species in Mojave Trails National Monument.
Tracking desert tortoise in the Colorado Desert
The desert tortoise population is in steep decline — in some areas, the population has decreased by 90%. Each year the Mojave Desert Land Trust heads out to areas of critical tortoise habitat looking for signs of hope for this threatened species.
New data pinpoints dark skies above Mojave Trails National Monument
Interns with the Women In Science Discovering Our Mojave program spent a year studying night sky quality. Their findings provide a new baseline of data about the Mojave Desert.
Rediscovering the night sky after the pandemic
Nature is one thing that never ceases to amaze me. Prior to the onset of the pandemic, I often camped. So, after a year of staring at my computer screen and not being able to see more than a handful of stars each night, venturing into the vast natural beauty that is Mojave Trails National Monument and gazing up at the ink black skies and the awe-inspiring beauty of the Milky Way on our field excursions, I couldn’t help but feel the way so many of us do.… incredibly lucky and also very, very small.