2016 Annual Report
What's Inside
- Messages from MDLT's President and Executive Director
- Mission & Vision
- Department Reports
- Open Houses
- Stewards of the Coyote Valley
- Mojave Monuments
- Financials
President's Message
“The desert is never saved, it’s always being saved.” A conservation phrase I have come to live by.Ten years ago, a group of local desert citizens committed itself to protecting the landscape in which they lived from enormous environmental challenges. They recognized the vast, nuanced, and ecological importance of the desert. The Mojave Desert Land Trust was born in the desert by those who understand it best.The Board of Directors is a group that has included, and continues to include, these founding visionaries, dedicated local residents and people from outside this area who care deeply about the protection of this place. And while I am a Chicago native and spend part of the year there, the desert is our second home, and my escape. It’s a place for quiet solitude and peaceful reflection, while connecting with the energy of the amazing people who call the desert home.2016 was a remarkable year for desert conservation. MDLT’s total land acquisition reached 65,000 protected and connected acres. We saw our national monuments campaign come to fruition, kicked our nursery and seed bank into high gear, and had our highest volunteer and supporter engagement to date.We care about protecting these desert lands for future generations. I want my grandchildren to be able to explore mountains dotted with boulders, marvel at an endless forest of Joshua Trees, experience the wildlife, and witness the wonders of a desert sunset. I want them to have the opportunity to connect with our incredible natural world, as I have during my time in the Mojave.As time moves forward, so too must the Mojave Desert Land Trust. To that end, we are vigilant and prepared to protect our conservation gains. When we are successful, the desert remains our constant - unchanged, unfaltering, and undisturbed – but at the same time always evolving, as nature and our organization, necessarily must.Of course, we couldn’t do it without you. Every donation directly strengthens our mission to tend to, stand up for, and connect our community with these desert lands. The contributions we received in 2016 allowed us to take new strides as an organization and, with your generosity, we will continue moving ahead. Best wishes, Bob Zimmerman, Board President