In an unfortunate situation, the musician Beth Orton recently filmed a music video during which she spray-painted a Joshua tree and a cholla cactus. The release of her video created a concerned response over such treatment of the rare and important ecosystem that is the Mojave Desert. Orton subsequently pulled the video offline and apologized for her actions. Beth Orton has personally reached out to Mojave Desert Land Trust (MDLT) to express her extreme regret for this incident and her desire to work with us in an effort to educate others about the need to steward, protect, and respect the desert.

Mojave Desert Land Trust (MDLT) is pleased to announce it has successfully completed acquiring the final 100 acres of privately held land located inside the Whipple Mountains Wilderness, one of the most stunning wilderness areas in the California Desert. Rising from the Colorado River, sharp brick red and deep brown peaks are dotted with saguaro and foxtail cacti and surrounded by washes filled with palo verde, ironwood and smoke trees. Bighorn sheep wander the steep cliffs that are also home to prairie falcons and golden eagles.

On Thursday May 26 – from Noon to 1:00 pm The Mojave Desert Land Trust welcomes the public to enjoy its final brown bag lunch lecture of the season with Steve Rieman and Frederick Fulmer, celebrated artists and long-time advocates for the California Desert. The artists will engage the community in a discussion about how the desert inspires their work and the mission behind the Joshua Tree Highlands Artist Residency (JTHAR) program, which helps create the next generation of desert ambassadors through hosting artists from across the globe.

Today, Mojave Desert Land Trust and its conservation partners were amongst the hundreds of local desert residents, elected officials, community and faith leaders, business owners, veterans and more who joined with Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell to celebrate the new California desert national monuments. President Obama designated the Mojave Trails, Sand to Snow, and Castle Mountains National Monuments earlier this year, permanently protecting these special desert lands.

The Mojave Desert Land Trust (MDLT) Center for Conservation Initiatives welcomes the public to its 2nd annual Spring Open House on Saturday April 16th, 2016 from 10am-2pm. Celebrating just over a year at its new headquarters location, MDLT continues their Open House tradition with a program called Desert Connection Gathering: Cultivating our Connectivity. The public is encouraged to join in and celebrate cultural diversity and connecting to America’s treasured Public Lands.

Mojave Desert Land Trust (MDLT) has kicked-off the spring season with a new Brown Bag Lunch Lecture Series. The free, public series features guest speakers who work to protect the California Desert. The public is invited to bring a lunch and enjoy networking with informative and lively conversations about desert conservation, land stewardship, wildlife, and more. To add to a robust community calendar, the lectures will float from month to month through May and pick up again in the fall.

Mojave Desert Land Trust applauds President Obama for his visionary leadership in designating three new California desert National Monuments this week: Mojave Trails, Sand to Snow, and Castle Mountains. The announcement comes after nearly a decade of tireless work by local leaders to protect significant biological, cultural and historical resources in the California desert. Last year, Senator Dianne Feinstein called upon the President to designate these national monuments, building upon years of effort to pass legislation for the protection of these one-of-a-kind resources, connections and intact landscapes.

The Mojave Desert Land Trust (MDLT) is pleased to kick off its 2016 Land Stewardship season by hosting two invasive plant removal events as part of an ongoing art and environmental stewardship project with the Arts Connection of San Bernardino County and Mil-Tree, a military and veteran’s outreach organization in Joshua Tree, CA.

An AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) team is serving with members of the Mojave Desert Land Trust (MDLT) from Jan. 12 to March 15 in an effort to engage local communities in conserving and restoring the environment. The team, known as Gold Two, is made up of 13 members ranging between the ages of 18 to 24. MDLT was formed in 2005 by a small group of citizens who wished to address the growing concern surrounding the development that threatens the delicate ecosystem encompassing the native plants and animals of the Mojave Desert

A significant group of working artists and cultural leaders from across the country have joined together in support of the efforts to protect millions of acres of pristine public lands in the California Desert. The "Artists for the Monuments" support Senator Dianne Feinstein’s call to President Obama to use the Antiquities Act in designating three new national monuments in the California Desert – Mojave Trails, Sand to Snow, and Castle Mountains. These areas are considered to be one of the most intact, wild and untouched ecosystems in the lower 48 states.

Mojave Desert Land Trust invites the public to an open house celebration on Saturday, November 14, 2015. The MDLT Fall Gratitude Gathering: A Celebration of Community and Conservation will be held from 9am-2pm at the MDLT headquarters (60124 29 Palms Hwy) in Joshua Tree.

On Tuesday, October 13, 2015 Senator Dianne Feinstein hosted officials from the Obama Administration, the U.S. Congress, the state of California, and County and local governments to discuss and listen to public comment on the proposed Mojave Trails, Sand to Snow, and Castle Mountains National Monument designations. A diverse group of over 1,000 people who live, work and recreate in the California Desert came from near and far to attend Senator Feinstein’s meeting at the Whitewater Preserve.

The Mojave Desert Land Trust (MDLT) is applauding the announcement that Senator Dianne Feinstein will host a public meeting to discuss the proposed Mojave Trails, Sand to Snow, and Castle Mountains National Monument designations. Monument status would provide long-term protections for more than one million acres of Mojave Desert lands, which hold significant biological, cultural and historical significance.

Visual and performing artists and cultural leaders have joined forces with the Mojave Desert Land Trust (MDLT)  as “Artists For the Monuments” to support the designation of three new national monuments in the California Desert. The pairing of arts and conservation leaders signals a vigorous grassroots movement for Senator Feinstein’s ongoing California Desert Conservation and Recreation Act and her most recent letter urging President Obama to utilize the 1906 Antiquities Act to designate the Sand to Snow, Mojave Trails and Castle Mountains as national monuments.

Mojave Desert Land Trust (MDLT) is pleased to announce it has successfully completed the acquisition of the 690-acre Quail Wash property in Joshua Tree, a landmark achievement that was nearly ten years in the making. This parcel, located adjacent to the west entrance of Joshua Tree National Park, was part of the original Joshua Tree National Monument proclaimed by President Roosevelt in 1936, but was removed by Congress for mining activity in 1950.

The Mojave Desert Land Trust (MDLT) today announced its resounding support for a proposal to designate three new areas in the region as national monuments. Senator Dianne Feinstein recently sent a letter to President Obama asking him to use his executive authority to designate the Sand to Snow, Mojave Trails and Castle Mountains lands as monuments under the Federal Antiquities Act. Monument status would provide long-term protections for more than one million acres of these lands, which hold significant biological, cultural and historical significance.

From major national parks including California’s Mojave National Preserve to state recreation areas like South Carlsbad State Beach, many open spaces in America have been made possible by the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). This critical funding for conservation is set to expire in just 100 days unless Congress acts quickly. “This program has benefitted millions of Californians and visitors to our state who value the outdoors, not only out here near the beautiful Mojave Desert, but up and down the Pacific Coast and across the Central Valley,” said Danielle Segura, Executive Director of the Mojave Desert Land Trust.

Mojave Desert Land Trust (MDLT) is pleased to announce it has successfully completed acquiring the last 160 acres of privately held land located inside the Bright Star Wilderness area, located 26 miles southwest of Ridgecrest, CA in the Southern Sierra Nevada. This acquisition was made possible through generous foundation and donor gifts, as well as the Land and Water Conservation Fund and will complete the boundary of Bright Star’s 8,100 acre wilderness area, guaranteeing its protection for the future.

Joshua Tree Art Gallery (JTAG) and Mojave Desert Land Trust (MDLT) present. “A Changing Desert, How To Navigate Climate Change” a presentation by local conservationists at Joshua Tree Art Gallery. Saturday, June 13th from 5-6pm.

The Joshua Tree Music Festival weekend kicks off with a day of earth based projects and community service. The Polish Ambassador, music producer extraordinaire, and headliner at the Joshua Tree Music Festival, will bring his Permaculture Action day to Joshua Tree. Local permaculture organization, Transition Joshua Tree, will lead a crew of festival volunteers in planting a water wise desert garden at the new Mojave Desert Land Trust headquarters. Other volunteer projects include a stewardship clean-up on a local wildlife linkage property.