California Veterans Partner with Conservation Groups for a New Kind of Service

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 4, 2017
Contact: Jacqueline Guevara, Director of Education & Public Engagement, Mojave Desert Land Trust
Phone: 760-366-5440 x 226
jacqueline@mdlt.org  

California Veterans Partner with Conservation Groups for a New Kind of Service

Yucca Valley, CA – Today, the California Conservation Corps’ (CCC) Veterans Conservation Corps joined the Conservation Lands Foundation (CLF), Mojave Desert Land Trust (MDLT), and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for clean-up and restoration in the Sand to Snow National Monument. The work was funded by a $35,000 grant from Edison International to support training, mentorship, and paid job opportunities for post-9/11 military veterans.

The crew worked with MDLT volunteers on Hondo Wash, located along the north side of Black Lava Butte near the Flamingo Heights neighborhood. Veterans spent the morning posting signs to mark trails and restoring habitats by planting native flora.

“MDLT is pleased to be working alongside our veterans’ community and connecting them to our public lands in a meaningful way,” said Missy Boyd, Volunteer Coordinator at the Mojave Desert Land Trust.

“As an eight-year veteran who has made the California desert my home, I know how valuable these restoration projects are when it comes to protecting irreplaceable ecosystems and treasured public lands for future generations to enjoy.”

Over the past four years, Edison International has contributed over $140,000 to the CLF’s From Military Service to Green Service program, an ongoing Veterans-Youth Conservation Corps partnership launched in 2012. The program creates jobs for veterans in natural resources management and related fields while enhancing habitats on National Conservation Lands. Other service days have taken place in Black Mountain Wilderness and at the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument.

Transitioning to life after active duty is often challenging. Programs like the Veterans Conservation Corps help former service members return to civilian life while enjoying the therapeutic benefits of spending time in nature.

“I like being out here around people who fought for this land,” explained Lance Salazar, four-year Navy veteran and Veteran Conservation Corps member. “I’m happy to be here and be a part of that.”

The Mojave Desert Land Trust (MDLT) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with the mission to protect and care for lands with natural, scenic, and cultural value within the Mojave Desert. For more information, visit www.mdlt.org