Caliente Creek: community-centered conservation
Tucked in between multiple mountain ranges hundreds of miles from MDLT headquarters, Caliente Creek may seem far removed from the iconic Joshua trees, creosote, and ocotillo of California’s deserts. But Caliente Creek is a connective thread that ties together plant and animal communities from across California. The Sierra Nevada, Mojave Desert, San Joaquin Valley, and Southern California ecosystems all converge here.
Data highlights tamarisk beetle populations within Mojave Trails National Monument
Over four years, interns with the Women In Science Discovering Our Mojave program returned to five data points within Mojave Trails National Monument to study the presence of the tamarisk beetle (Diorhabda spp.), introduced as a biocontrol against invasive tamarisk trees. Data collected illustrates that the tamarisk populations have changed dramatically during that time.
Protecting the Pacific Flyway
The Pacific Flyway is a flight path for migratory birds that originates in Alaska and ends in Patagonia, South America, passing through California along the way. It is a valuable route for birdlife, shown through the volume of birds passing through each year - around one billion altogether!