Mojave Desert Land Trust

Help us build a desert conservation strategy for the future! MDLT is hiring a Conservation Strategy and Acquisition Fellow to help envision, expedite, and enhance conservation protection plans for the desert. This two-year fellowship will begin with a foundation of desert conservation assessment and strategy development, and then shift toward a direct pursuit of priority conservation lands for acquisition or other forms of durable protection. Learn more at https://lnkd.in/gzDMSHkj Photo by Carmen Aurrecoechea

Tarantulas beware, lest ye be whisked away by a brooding female tarantula hawk (Pepsis and Hemipepsis spp.). This spooktacular reproductive ritual is one of the creepiest in the animal kingdom. ⭕ Circle of life: Tarantula hawks are a kind of wasp with venom-tipped stingers. Females will paralyze an unlucky tarantula, lay eggs on it, and then bury and enclose the still-living tarantula in a pre-made burrow. The baby tarantula hawks will hatch on the tarantula, then eat him, unfortunately for the tarantula. 🐝 That’s gotta sting: Entomologist and pain expert Justin Schmidt ranks the tarantula hawk's sting as among the most painful of all insect stings on his Pain Scale for Stinging Insects, with a maximum score of 4/4. Schmidt describes the sting as “blinding, fierce, shockingly electric… a running hair dryer has just been dropped into your bubble bath.” No thanks! 😎 Risky business: Tarantulas are commonly seen in California’s deserts during the autumnal months. Male tarantulas travel for miles in search of a willing mate. Finding a mate can be a risky endeavor, with vehicles and predators joining the list of threats along with tarantula hawks. Not all survive the search for a mate, and those who do will die shortly after. Best of luck to all tarantulas this mating season! Video by Joelle Hazher, edited by Ella DeMaria Music by the Del-Vikings Info courtesy National Park Service and the Natural History Museum of London

If you weren't able to make it to our native plant sale on Saturday, you're in luck! We're extending the sale through the end of this week. Come to MDLT HQ to shop in-person between 10am–2pm this Wednesday, October 30 through Friday November 1. There's a great selection of species still available, including firecracker penstemon, California indigobush, desert almond, and fragrant sumac. Check out our updated inventory: https://lnkd.in/g2VxP_Gt This sale extension is first come, first served; we cannot reserve plants. Carts will be available for loading into your vehicle. The posted inventory is accurate as of Tuesday October 29 and subject to change throughout the week.

Ready to lace up your hiking boots this fall? We are recruiting volunteers to help us monitor MDLT preserves throughout the desert! Four separate volunteer monitor training sessions will be hosted from October through December (see below for dates). Volunteer monitors trek across the desert with MDLT staff to record changes in the landscape. This full-day training session includes a free first aid and CPR certification, a topographic map workshop, naturalist training, and tutorials of our GIS monitoring software. Sessions are free, but RSVP for in-person attendance is required. This is not an online course. Sessions will be held at HQ: Monday October 28, 9am-4pm Thursday November 7, 9am-4pm Thursday November 21, 9am-4pm Thursday December 19, 9am-4pm Sign up at mdlt.org/events Photo by Ella Richie Teresa DeMaria

Our Native Plant Sale inventory list is out! Plan ahead with this helpful list of available plants. Remember: this year’s sale will be cashless! Check out the list today at https://lnkd.in/giixQyaP

Don’t let the plastic (or glass, or graffiti!) bring you down! For National Public Lands Day 2024, MDLT staff and volunteers joined representatives of Blight Sites, Bighorn Desert View Water Agency, Bureau of Land Management - California, High Desert Keepers, Landers Community Association, National Environmental Education Foundation - NEEF, Positional Projects, and Refuel Your Fun to steward Giant Rock. Kim Marcus, Ceremonial Leader of the Santa Rosa Band of Cahuilla Indians, provided a blessing to recognize the spiritual and cultural significance of Giant Rock. When we all come together, stewarding our planet is more fun. We can make it if we try! Music by Sly and the Family Stone Video by Ella Richie DeMaria

Stay groovy ✌️#deserttortoiseweek   Video: Kayla Thompson Audio: The Young Rascals Edit: Jessica Graybill

MDLT recently transferred 407 acres to Mojave National Preserve as part of our work to help protect the National Park system. When the Preserve became a National Park Service unit in 1994, over 85,000 acres were still in private hands. “Mojave National Preserve was created with extensive private inholdings that were the legacy of mining, railroad, and homesteading eras,” Preserve Superintendent Ray McPadden notes. “We greatly appreciate the partnership with Mojave Desert Land Trust and the work they do with willing sellers of inholdings. This new land enhances scenery and wildlife habitat in Mojave National Preserve, and becomes part of our cherished National Park system, ensuring its protection and enjoyment for present and future generations.” To date, MDLT has transferred 20,480 acres to Mojave National Preserve using the Land and Water Conservation Fund. We are proud to have transferred more tracts of land to the National Park system than any nonprofit in the country since our founding in 2006.

Join us for the 1st Annual 29 Palms Rock Rumble Royale! 🧗♀️🌍 This unique bouldering comp isn’t just about climbing—it’s about championing our planet! Let’s unite to preserve the outdoor spaces we love. 💚 With $16K in prize money, top athletes, industry leaders, and inspiring speakers, we’ll amplify our voices for conservation! 📍 Climbing in Joshua Tree National Park 🗓️ Event hub: Freedom Plaza, 29 Palms 🔗 Register today: Rock Rumble Royale: https://lnkd.in/gmKxx4mF Come climb, connect, and make the world a better place! 🤘✨ #RockRumbleRoyale #Conservation #ClimbForChange #climbforacause #Visit29 #joshuatree #bouldering

Do you like to keep all your quail in a row? We’re hiring for an Operations Assistant at the Mojave Desert Land Trust! This will be a part-time position working approximately 18 hours per week, Monday through Thursday afternoons, with some flex scheduling for weekend and evening work. Those with previous office and/or event set-up experience are encouraged to apply! https://lnkd.in/gzDMSHkj Photo by Frank Hildebrand