Conservation is a community effort. Few Mojave Desert Land Trust (MDLT) properties exemplify this like Caliente Creek, a special place crucial to desert health. Here, mountain ranges merge with the desert floor as rolling hills of blue oak (Quercus douglasii) and gray pine (Pinus sabiniana) share soil with desert sagebrush scrub. MDLT acquired these 1,440 acres of ecological transition zone in 2022 in conjunction with the Trust for Public Land. Since then, working directly with on-the-ground land stewards, MDLT has begun developing a land management plan that goes beyond the traditional models of stewardship. With the help of local volunteers, MDLT has initiated a plan that incorporates community input and participation. Community members themselves are the stewards of the land at the Caliente Creek Preserve.