The Mojave Desert Land Trust is joining with partners to offer free virtual advocacy training sessions that will equip our communities with the tools to be advocates for public lands.  Participants will be trained in the basics of advocacy, receive an overview of public lands policy, and learn how to meet with an elected official or other decision-maker. Sessions are divided into two segments. Advocacy 101 is an introduction to advocacy and policy while Advocacy 102 will dive into the issues threatening local public lands and give you the opportunity to hone your skills in a mock congressional meeting. We recommend attending both segments if you are new to advocacy. Public lands came under unprecedented threats in 2025, but our communities pushed back and saw major victories. These achievements came down to the dedicated efforts of people like you. With more challenges expected in 2026, our public lands need champions to sway decision-makers and ensure their protection in perpetuity. 

Register for Public lands advocacy 102 here.

The Mojave Desert Land Trust is joining with partners to offer free virtual advocacy training sessions that will equip our communities with the tools to be advocates for public lands.  Participants will be trained in the basics of advocacy, receive an overview of public lands policy, and learn how to meet with an elected official or other decision-maker. Sessions are divided into two segments. Advocacy 101 is an introduction to advocacy and policy while Advocacy 102 will dive into the issues threatening local public lands and give you the opportunity to hone your skills in a mock congressional meeting. We recommend attending both segments if you are new to advocacy. Public lands came under unprecedented threats in 2025, but our communities pushed back and saw major victories. These achievements came down to the dedicated efforts of people like you. With more challenges expected in 2026, our public lands need champions to sway decision-makers and ensure their protection in perpetuity. 

Register for Public lands advocacy 101 here.

MDLT is closed in observance of the holiday.

The Mojave Desert Land Trust is joining with partners to offer free virtual advocacy training sessions that will equip our communities with the tools to be advocates for public lands.  Participants will be trained in the basics of advocacy, receive an overview of public lands policy, and learn how to meet with an elected official or other decision-maker. Sessions are divided into two segments. Advocacy 101 is an introduction to advocacy and policy while Advocacy 102 will dive into the issues threatening local public lands and give you the opportunity to hone your skills in a mock congressional meeting. We recommend attending both segments if you are new to advocacy. Public lands came under unprecedented threats in 2025, but our communities pushed back and saw major victories. These achievements came down to the dedicated efforts of people like you. With more challenges expected in 2026, our public lands need champions to sway decision-makers and ensure their protection in perpetuity. 

Register for Public lands advocacy 102 here.

MDLT is closed in observance of the holiday.

Step into the strange and shimmering world of the Mojave Desert, from the remarkable, tangled history of the Joshua tree to the fierce beauty of our most overlooked public lands. Gather for a special reading and conversation with the authors of Yuck and The Enduring Wild, two books that explore this landscape in all its complexity.

Plus: free beer, signed books, and limited-edition desert posters and tote bags! 50% of sales will support the Mojave Desert Land Trust and their vital conservation work across the California desert.

Reviewers have called Yuck “an apocalyptic joyride… concise and mystic… a prismatic collage as twisted and weird and ominous and beautiful as the Joshua tree itself…”

and The Enduring Wild “spectacular and striking… a breathtaking tribute to California’s unseen ‘leftover lands’… a clarion call to safeguarding them for future generations."

📍 The Last Bookstore – Studio City (@lastbookstorestudiocity)

📅 December 17, 6:30pm

🎙️ Moderated by journalist Dana Covit

📚 Featuring Barret Baumgart, author of Yuck, and Josh Jackson, author of The Enduring Wild

✨ No RSVP required

Join the Conservation Lands Foundation and our Friends Grassroots Network for a fun-filled family celebration honoring 25 years of protecting America’s most treasured public lands and waterways at Covered Wagon Tours! Click here for more information and to RSVP.

🎉 Event Highlights Include:

• 🎶 Music from local performers

• 🍔 Food Vendors offering delicious bites and refreshments

• 🎯 Games & Activities for the whole family

• 🏜️ Interactive experiences showcasing the Friends Grassroot Network and the beauty and impact of the National Conservation Lands

Together, we’ll celebrate the incredible progress made over the past quarter-century, the passionate community behind it, and look ahead to a bold future of conservation, stewardship, and advocacy.

MDLT is closed in observance of the holiday.

The Mojave Desert Land Trust is holding its in-demand native plant sale on October 25, 2025. Several thousand plants will be on sale, representing over 85 species.

The full inventory of plants and a comprehensive FAQ will be shared with the public in mid-October.

There will be around 5 new species this year. There are several native grasses, including desert needlegrass (Stipa speciosa) and desert fluffgrass (Dasyochloa pulchella), in addition to the returning favorite, big galleta grass (Hilaria rigida). Winterfat (Krascheninnikovia lanata) is also a new species this year and we are bringing back the majestic California fan palm (Washingtonia filifera).  

This year, there are ample quantities of pollinator plants. For those looking to attract butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds to their yards, there will be plenty of eastern California buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum var. polifolium), bladderpod (Cleomella arborea), and paperbag bush (Scutellaria mexicana). Mojave aster (Xylorhiza tortifolia) and rush milkweed (Asclepias subulata) among other pollinator and supporter favorites. 

Entry to the sale will be staggered to ensure safety for all visitors and improve customer experience. Come prepared: Bring a hat, a book to read, a chair, and a friend to join you! Water will be supplied. Read our FAQs to learn what’s new for 2025.

MDLT has prepared a planting guide that can be downloaded to help plan ahead. Please note the sale will be cashless this year but all major credit cards will be accepted (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, JCB, Union Pay, as well as Apple Pay and Google Pay). Checks will also be accepted.

Sign up for our newsletter to be among the first to receive updates about this year’s event.

MDLT is closed in observance of the holiday.

MDLT is closed in observance of the holiday.

MDLT is closed in observance of the holiday.

Veterans and active-duty servicemembers are invited to a special stewardship event at MDLT’s Palisades Ranch, near Helendale, CA. As one of the few places where the Mojave River flows above ground for most of the year, it provides rich habitat for rare and endangered species. Join us for a morning clean-up on Friday June 6, starting at 8am. Lunch will be provided and after the clean-up, volunteers will have a chance to tour the rest of the preserve. Email mackenzie@mdlt.org if you are interested in joining us!   

Thursday June 5, 1pm-4pm – FREE First Aid/CPR class 

This is a hybrid class. Students will need to commit to approximately 3 hours of online pre-course work before the in-person session. Email mackenzie@mdlt.org to RSVP or for more information.  

Veterans and active-duty military are invited to attend a nature hike at the Nancy Karl Trail in Joshua Tree followed by breakfast at MDLT HQ and a special presentation about the military heritage of our desert national monuments. This event is brought to you by Mil-Tree and MDLT as part of the Force of Nature program and is made possible through the Veterans and Nature Grant Program, from the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) in partnership with the USDA Forest Service. Please RSVP here. 

MDLT is closed in observance of the holiday.

To celebrate Memorial Day, the Malki Museum is hosting Kéwet (fiesta) on May 25 to honor Native American veterans. The event will offer educational programs and a traditional lunch. Sarah Bliss, MDLT's Director of Community Conservation Initiatives, will be tabling and speaking at the event. Come along and say hi or support as a volunteer. Email mackenzie@mdlt.org if you are interested in lending a hand with this event!   

MBCA’s in-person self-guided Desert-Wise Landscape Tour provides desert dwellers and visitors a day to enjoy the beauty and creativity of desert gardens and landscapes across the Morongo Basin. This year’s Tour includes five residences and two demonstration gardens, as well as several timed events that are included with paid registration.

Pre-register here. Deadline for pre-registration is 5pm on Saturday, April 26.

Registration on tour day is from 9am-noon only at MDLT headquarters (60124 Twentynine Palms Highway in Joshua Tree, California). You may use cash or credit at the check-in table.