Chris Clarke could see the entire northern part of the Mojave National Preserve from the summit of Kessler Peak. Light from that magical hour around sunset highlighted distant mountains and ridgelines. The view was spectacular. But as the sun dipped below the horizon he realized the path he’d taken to climb to the top was too steep to descend. Suddenly, he heard the melodic song of a canyon wren and saw a safe path open before him. “It was one of those moments when everything came together,” says Clarke. “The Mojave National Preserve took care of me.”
Clarke applauds the Park Service staff that works hard to keep the public safe, protect rare plants and animals, preserve archaeological resources, and provide educational programs for young people at the preserve. But sometimes even the Park Service can use a little help. “There is a role for a citizen organization to complement the park staff in interpreting the park’s natural and cultural resources,” says Clarke.
In April, the conservancy funded the park’s Mojave Outdoor Education Program, which brought 52 students from Barstow to the Zzyzx Desert Studies Center for an overnight visit. While at Zzyzx, the children learned about desert ecology, American Indians, and climate change through hands-on learning activities. Later in a sandy wash near the center, they used ultraviolet lights to hunt for scorpions in the darkness.
Linda Slater, the Mojave National Preserve chief of interpretation, believes that environmental education programs like the one at Zzyzx are critical in educating today’s youth about nature. “Kids spend more time inside at the computer or in front of the television today. Programs like this are a chance for them to get out to the desert and make a connection to the environment,” says Slater.
In addition to monetary support, the conservancy is also helping identify artists to participate in the preserve’s Artist in Residence Program, which allows selected artists to stay at the preserve while honing their talents. Bob Killen, a conservancy board member and fine arts photographer includes announcements for the program during his teaching activities and workshops. He’s received a great deal of interest from a wide variety of artists.
The next Artist in Residence will be Terry Ellis, a photographer, whose work depicts small flowers that punctuate the rocky soils of the Mojave each spring. “She’s got a great interpretive eye and really appreciates the loneliness and solitude of the desert,” says Killen. Proceeds from the sale of the artist’s work while at the preserve are reinvested in the park.
The conservancy also recently hosted a “star party” to celebrate the preserve’s stunning, clear, dark night sky. Held at the Black Canyon Group Camp the event was designed to showcase and build support for protecting this unique resource. Activities at the camp featured the Old Town Astronomers who interpreted the night sky and provided their powerful telescopes to view the celestial bodies.
For David Lamfrom, Desert Program Manager with the National Parks Conservation Association and president of the conservancy, the star party, the Artist in Residence Program, and the Mojave Outdoor Education Program all highlight the importance of the Mojave National Preserve Conservancy. “The formation of the Conservancy is a community action,” says Lamfrom. “As people become more familiar with the wildlife, wildflowers and wide-open spaces of the Mojave National Preserve, they choose to protect it, for themselves and for their grandkids….If you have yet to experience the preserve, get to know this national treasure.”
Seth Shteir is senior program coordinator at the National Parks Conservation Association in Joshua Tree, California.
Learn more about joining the Mojave National Preserve Conservancy.
Photo of Mojave Preserve courtesy David Lanfrom.
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