The Mojave Desert Land Trust (MDLT) was founded in 2005 by concerned local citizens to "acquire critical habitat for permanent preservation in the Mojave Desert, a need that cannot always be met with public dollars." MDLT went to work immediately to secure private funds from philanthropic foundations, non-profit organizations, and individual donors, and by 2006 had acquired its first property for gifting to the National Park Service.

For those who haven’t had the opportunity to spend time here, it can be difficult to understand the value of the desert. Some people fear it, others see it as a wasteland, and others just view it a middle ground between “here” and “there.” As conservation director at the Mojave Desert Land Trust and a longtime desert resident, I’ve had the privilege to explore the most populous to remote regions of the California desert’s unique and resource-rich lands. Stunning Joshua tree forests silhouetted at sunset, giant sand dunes, Sonoran woodlands rich with purple and yellow blooms, and a diversity of plants and bees equal to anywhere in our country.