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Nolina Peak:
Future Secured
The Mojave Desert
Land Trust is very pleased to announce that the extraordinary
efforts of concerned citizens and generous donors have
Saved
Nolina Peak for future generations!
A blessing and celebration will be held
to honor all those whose generosity and extraordinary efforts
have brought this project to the final steps in preparation
for its permanent protection within Joshua Tree National Park.
There will be a special ceremony on the
mountain Saturday, June 21st with a Native American blessing
from Ernest Siva, a Serrano Elder, and a symbolic burying
of an olla, hand crafted by Tony Soares in the traditions
of the early stewards of the mountain.
Placed within this olla are:
the names of charter donors
and members
a piece to date the sealing
and placement
some native seeds
other carefully selected items
and icons
Each item, representing the history of the mountain will be
discussed.
The sealed capsule will be permanently placed
somewhere on the mountain within the property.
Following the blessing ceremony on the mountain
The Land Trust will host a Celebration and Party at The Black
Rock Campground Visitor Center from 7-9pm. There will be a
short program featuring Joshua Tree National Park Superintendent
Curt Sauer, a Land Trust media presentation, and a program
by David McChesney all accompanied with light refreshments.
If you would like to attend either of these
landmark events please RSVP soon to the Land Trust offices
at 760-366-5440.
Or by sending an email to Pat Flanagan at pat@mojavedesertlandtrust.org
as soon as possible.
Space for the Mountain Ceremony is very
limited so please call immediately to assure your spot for
this part of the event.
The Celebration at Black Rock can accommodate
a good crowd; please RSVP to the Land Trust to assist our
plan for food and parking. Carpooling advised.
Nolina Peak was named by the Mojave Desert
Land Trust to honor its amazing stand of ancient Perry’s
Nolina and was the focus of an intense effort last year to
raise enough money to purchase the 639 acre mountain for transfer
to Joshua Tree National Park. Thanks to the overwhelming generosity
of Morongo Basin residents and grant assistance from a preservation
foundation, the goal was met and the mountain was purchased.
Since that successful effort in 2007 The
Mojave Desert Land Trust has protected and monitored this
property to prepare it for permanent preservation within Joshua
Tree National Park. A new security gate was installed when
we acquired the property and replaced or repaired twice. Several
unauthorized roads have been cleaned up or removed, and the
property has been visited and photographed on a regular basis
since its purchase. The result of such commitment will deliver
this amazing mountain to The National Park Service in better
condition than it has been for many years despite fires, vandalism,
and irresponsible off-road activity.
From here the transfer process is in the
hands of the federal agencies and Congress. We are informed
that it is their desire is to complete the transfer in the
next few months.
Land
Stewards Needed
The Mojave Desert Land
Trust currently owns more than 5,000 acres in the
California Desert National Parks - Joshua Tree, Death Valley
and The Mojave Preserve. These acres are being donated to
the National Park Service under agreements which must be permanently
monitored. Monitoring property is one of the most fundamental
activities a land trust or natural resource management agency
can perform.
Volunteers play a central
role in the Land Trust’s ability to ensure that donated
lands or fee lands are protected forever. Stewards are trained
by professionals including National Park staff and will learn
to:
- Locate properties in the field using
GPS units
- Monitor properties including maintaining
a written and photo log
- Document threats
- Help with on-the-ground restoration
when needed
- Document Long Term Change as part of
the NPS data base on the effects of global warming
- Document wildlife sightings for habitat
modeling
Threats include:
- Garbage dumping
- Road problems
- Illegal recreation development
- Landscape alterations
- Off-Road Vehicle use
- Invasive plants
2008 Land
Steward’s School
When & Where
Our next adventure into the California Outback is set for
Saturday, March 15th.
We will be meeting at The Joshua Tree Visitor
Center on Utah Trail in Joshua Tree. We’ll be forming
up at the Visitor Center at 8:00am and entering the Park as
a group. This group of properties is in the Pinto Basin area
of the Park so we’ll base there and disperse in teams
to the specific holdings.
Interested?
Sign Up Now
If you are interested in doing meaningful work in our beautiful
desert national parks and are in good physical condition*,
call Dave Miller at the Mojave
Desert Land Trust office or email dave@mojavedesertlandtrust.org
. The Training is free with a commitment of 3 monitoring visits
per year.
To sign
up we will need your address, telephone # and email. Email
is essential for our communication strategy.
Membership in the Mojave Desert
Land Trust, or another land trust, is required by our Insurance
Company.
* Good physical condition means being able
to walk at least 3 miles over uneven terrain. Locations range
from level to extreme so there is plenty of variation to choose
from.
The Training is free
with a commitment of 3 visits per year (average 10 hours/visit).
Although the course is free membership in the Mojave Desert
Land Trust or another California land trust is required.
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