FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 31, 2016
Contact: Shauna Tucker, Mojave Desert Land Trust
Phone: 760.366.5440
Email: shauna@mojavedesertlandtrust.org
Website: www.mojavedesertlandtrust.org/mission
NALC MEDIA CONTACT
Nicole Johnson
Phone: 760-844-2402
Email:  najohnson@tribalpolicy.com
Website: www.nalc4all.com

Joshua Tree, CA— Mojave Desert Land Trust (MDLT) and the Native American Land Conservancy (NALC) are pleased to announce their continued partnership through hosting a family-friendly cultural gathering and nighttime adventure at the Cadiz Dunes Wilderness Area on Saturday September 17, 2016.

The Cadiz Dunes Wilderness Area is now part of the newly designated Mojave Trails National Monument. The new Monument spans 1.6 million acres and encompasses a striking variety of rugged mountain ranges, ancient lava flows, rare desert oases and spectacular sand dunes. Monument status allows for the protection of the area’s many historic resources as well, including ancient Native American trading routes and cultural sites, World War II-era training camps, and the longest remaining undeveloped stretch of Route 66. With over a decade-long local and regional grassroots effort to secure the new monuments designation, attendance for the Cadiz Dunes program filled up immediately, signaling the desire by the public to experience and better understand these fragile wild places.

The Cadiz Dunes outing is the first program of its kind into the new Monument and is part of a year-long suite of celebrations with the Conservation Lands Foundation in honor of each of the three new CA Desert Monuments: Mojave Trails, Sand to Snow and Castle Mountains. This partnership is designed to connect community members to America’s Public Lands and to provide the first immersive series of outings to celebrate and raise awareness to help protect the rich cultural and biological treasures of the region.

During the Cadiz Dunes event, The NALC will host special cultural programming with oral stories told around the sunset and full moon rise. MDLT will lead guided moonlight walks on the dunes to discover the nighttime creatures and plants of the dune ecosystem.

Sean Milanovich (Cahuilla, Agua Caliente Band), Vice President of NALC says the mission of NALC is to “help American Indians reconnect with the land by providing a pathway to communicate with the land and give thanks to the creator. The NALC teaches that every being whether a grasshopper, a pine tree or a human has a purpose here on earth. It is this connection that links all together." Mr. Milanovich has served on the NALC Board for a number of years, and is actively involved in organizing the “Learning Landscapes” program which connects youth, families and Elders to the land. He also serves on the Board of Directors for a NALC partner organization, Paayish Neken.

Danielle Segura, Executive Director of MDLT notes “We are pleased to partner with NALC in support of the new California Desert monuments. These lands have long been sacred to First Nations people and we are thrilled to be working together to celebrate the cultural and ecological knowledge of the Cadiz Dunes.”

Monica Mahoney, MDLT Director of Education and Public Engagement, who developed the program collaboratively with the Native American Land Conservancy notes: “We bring together our strengths and passion for land conservation and cultural programming. The Cadiz Dunes outing is the first of many unique opportunities for the public to experience the new CA Desert National Monuments.”

The Mojave Trails National Monument is managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Needles Field Office located at 1303 S. Hwy 95 Needles, CA 92363. For more information about recreation and to become involved with the BLM’s public visioning process call (760) 326-7000 or see: http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/prog/nlcs/Mojave_Trails.html.

About the new CA Desert Monuments: On February 12, 2016 President Obama protected 1.8 million acres of California Desert under the Antiquities Act of 1906, thereby creating three new California Desert National Monuments (Mojave Trails, Sand to Snow and Castle Mountains) now the largest intact ecosystem in the lower 48 states. Together with Joshua Tree National Park and Mojave National Preserve, these expansive Public Lands connect residents in the Morongo Basin with the Inland Empire, Big Bear Lake, Coachella Valley and the high desert communities of Needles, Barstow, Victorville, and Apple Valley and more. In partnership with the Conservation Lands Foundation, this program helps inform and engage the public on ways to enjoy and protect these special places. See also: http://3monuments.org/ 
About NALC: Focusing on aboriginal territory of tribes in present-day Southern California, the Native American Land Conservancy protects and restores sacred sites and areas, provides educational programming for Native American youth and the general public, and conducts scientific studies on cultural, biological, and historical resources on sacred lands. The organization started in 1998 with leadership from an intertribal cultural group interested in protecting off-reservation sacred sites in the Southern California desert. Today, the NALC’s work is more important than ever as development continues in the Inland Empire, Coachella Valley, and Morongo Basin.
About MDLT: Mojave Desert Land Trust is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to protect the Mojave Desert ecosystem and its scenic and cultural resource values through acquisition, land stewardship, education and outreach, and strategic partnerships. This year MDLT is celebrating ten years of protecting and connecting the California Desert. Together with supporters, MDLT has protected more than 60,000 acres throughout the Mojave Desert, including the ongoing restoration and stewardship of nearly 16,000 acres and continues to carry forth its vision of acquiring, protecting and caring for many more acres of land, habitat and wildlife corridors throughout its 24.5 million-acre service region.