Visiting Joshua Tree: a desert dweller’s guide
About three million people visit Joshua Tree National Park each year, and it’s the eighth-most visited U.S. national park overall. If you’re one of the many curious explorers coming to Joshua Tree this popular fall, winter, or spring season, it’s smart to first familiarize yourself with the sensitive desert landscape.
As a nonprofit located in Joshua Tree — and stewards and experts of the California desert ecosystem — Mojave Desert Land Trust recommends the following for a safe and sustainable trip.
Why I’m donating my estate
Donor Relations Manager Kellie Flint sat down with volunteer and donor Patty Domay to find out how she fell in love with the desert and why she's decided to join the Mojave Desert Land Trust's planned giving society, the Desert Stars.
We get by with a little help from our friends
We get by with a little help from our friends – AmeriCorps, that is. Twice in 2023, AmeriCorps National Civilian Conservation Corps (NCCC teams) assisted the Mojave Desert Land Trust with crucial habitat restoration and construction projects for our plant conservation department. Under wide desert skies, the volunteers – some fresh out of high school – aided some of MDLT’s most vital projects and properties, ranging from the remote Desert Springs in Kern County to our very own front door in Joshua Tree.
Data provides rare insights into Mojave summer birds, bees
New data collected by interns offers rare insights into the summer bird populations at two oases in the Mojave Desert. Interns with the Women In Science Discovering Our Mojave (WISDOM) program visited Arrowweed and Bonanza springs over a six-month period to study birds and bumble bees. The community science data collected by the interns is the first of its kind at these two oases.
Understanding a Mojave Desert oasis
Bonanza Spring is the largest freshwater spring in the southeastern Mojave Desert. From its 2,105 feet elevation in the low foothills of the Clipper Mountains, the spring’s freshwater is derived from a groundwater basin source. Women In Science Discovering Our Mojave (WISDOM) interns studied avian and bumble bee populations at Bonanza Spring in Mojave Trails National Monument between September 2022 and February 2023. This article explores the spring’s flora and fauna, and data collected by the interns.
Nature’s healing paths: A conversation with Travis Puglisi
Not all who wander are lost. In our third blog post honoring Mental Health Awareness Month, we speak with Travis Puglisi, owner and operator of Wandering Mojave Hiking Services. A resident of the desert for over 20 years and longtime supporter of the Mojave Desert Land Trust, Travis is also a strong advocate for mental health awareness. We talked about the positive effects of hiking, mental health, and the challenges of desert life.
Interview: Social worker Melissa Grisi on cultivating a relationship with nature
To celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month, we spoke with high desert therapist Melissa Grisi. A licensed social worker for twenty years, Melissa integrates a range of psychotherapeutic methods into practice, including connecting with nature. Melissa talked about the importance of getting outdoors and cultivating a relationship with nature for one’s mental health.