Findings and Benefits from Our Social Science Training Program
April 23, 2024By: Katie Shaw Contact: kshaw@livingdesert.org The Living Desert, partnered with Imvelo Safari Lodges, held a Building Community Conservation Success workshop with students from Lupane State University and the National University of Science and Technology in Zimbabwe. Scientists from The Livin...
Read Full ArticleCulture Informs and Enables Our Conservation Success
April 23, 2024By: James Danoff-Burg Contact: jdanoffburg@livingdesert.org Respect makes everything possible. If someone were to come to our home and dictate, "This is what you must do with your home. Trust us, we know what we are talking about," most of us would tell them to get lost! Each of us mus...
Read Full ArticleA Bold New Experiment in Social Science Training
April 22, 2024By: James Danoff-Burg Contact: jdanoffburg@livingdesert.org Ensuring that Indigenous People and local communities (IPLC) not only participate in conservation but also lead or co-lead these efforts is crucial for ensuring that these projects are desired by local communities and thus more likely...
Read Full ArticleThe Living Desert conservation team seeks public input for 2024 OHV Restoration Grant
March 5, 2024By: James Danoff-Burg Contact: jdanoffburg@livingdesert.org We need your help! The conservation team at The Living Desert has prepared a preliminary grant application for the 2024 for the 2023 California State Parks Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division (OHMVR) Restoration Gra...
Read Full ArticleGrowing the Gardens
February 1, 2024Discover The Living Desert’s new, behind-the-scenes propagation greenhouse and garden with Plant Propagator Jose Marfori. Construction on the propagation garden and greenhouse began in January 2022 and the gardening team is still in the process of completing the nursery. The greenhouse measures 20...
Read Full ArticleTHE LIVING DESERT MOURNS THE PASSING OF NATALIA, A BELOVED GREVY’S ZEBRA
January 25, 2024It is with a heavy heart that The Living Desert shares the passing of Natalia, a 19-year-old Grevy’s zebra, who has humanely euthanized due to medical complications stemming from mobility issues. During her 16+ years here, Natalia touched many hearts, and we are deeply saddened by her pass...
Read Full ArticleDeserts Rule Because of Desert Rules
January 3, 2024By: Jared Moeller, Animal Care Curator Deserts are some of earth’s most extreme ecosystems. Therefore, wildlife requires equally extreme adaptations. Many of our resident animals at The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens demonstrate the most amazing of these adaptations. But there are certain ru...
Read Full ArticleCelebrating Our Golden Girls
November 25, 2023Each season of life brings cause for celebration, be it new births, critical milestones, parenthood, or the wisdom and grace of growing old. Just like with humans, an animal’s golden years are something to be cherished and are a cause for celebration here at the Zoo. With the expert care and atte...
Read Full ArticleStep Into the Future of Desert Conservation
November 17, 2023By: Katie Shaw, Conservation Social Scientist Step into the future of desert conservation at the exciting Third Annual International Desert Conservation Summit, hosted by The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens. This groundbreaking event unites global experts in a relentless mission to safeguard the...
Read Full ArticleTurn Off Lights for Birds in Flight!
November 2, 2023By: Lizze Ferrari, Sustainability & Behavior Change Manager During peak migration periods in the spring and fall, billions of birds travel across the United States, largely under the cover of darkness. Amidst this awe-inspiring natural spectacle, a rapidly escalating and often overlooked threat...
Read Full ArticleWildLights Has Been Nominated for Best Zoo Lights in North America!
November 1, 2023WildLights Has Been Nominated for Best Zoo Lights in North America! We are excited to share that, once again, WildLights has been nominated for USA TODAY's 10Best Readers' Choice "Best Zoo Lights" Award! For the past several years, you've voted us into the top 10 and we're so grateful for your su...
Read Full ArticlePalm Oil: A Tricky Treat
October 19, 2023By: Lizze Ferrari, Sustainability & Behavior Change Manager This Halloween, choose candy that's sweeter for the environment by going palm-oil free or only buying candy that is made with certified sustainable palm oil! Read on for a list of treats produced by companies that belong to the Ro...
Read Full ArticleExploring the Value of Education Impact Evaluation for Giraffe and Elephant Conservation in Tanzania with the Wild Nature Institute
September 7, 2023By: Dr. James Danoff-Burg, Vice President of Conservation We at The Living Desert are passionate about wildlife conservation, as you know. A major project of ours for the last 6 years has been to help improve and refine the important conservation work of the Wild Nature Institute in Tanzania....
Read Full ArticleHurricane Hilary Updates
August 19, 2023Monday, August 21 5:45PM: We're pleased to announce that The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens will reopen to the public tomorrow, Tuesday, August 22. Please note, for everyone's safety, some pathways may be altered and some animals may be off habitat. We ask for your patience and flexibility as we re...
Read Full ArticleBuilding Community Conservation Success In Zimbabwe: Imvelo Safari Lodges
July 18, 2023By: Katie Shaw, Conservation Social Scientist The Living Desert’s second Building Community Conservation Success (BCCS) workshop in Zimbabwe this month was held near Hwange National Park in partnership with Imvelo Safari Lodges with students from Lupane State University (LSU). After 2½ days of l...
Read Full ArticleBuilding Community Conservation Success in Zimbabwe: Rhino Reintroduction
June 26, 2023As we jostle and shimmy along the rutted and potholed dirt path that passes for a road here in rural Zimbabwe, the magic hour of sunlight, smiling and waving children running to greet us, and the warm afterglow of a productive day of surveying behind us combines to fill me with joyful accomplishment...
Read Full ArticleBuilding Community Conservation Success in Zimbabwe: Best Teaching Experience Ever
June 18, 2023By Dr. James Danoff-Burg, Director of Conservation Well! We just finished up the first of our three Building Community Conservation Success social science workshops here in Sizinda, Zimbabwe, near Victoria Falls and I am charged up! I have been teaching in a WIDE diversity of settings, locati...
Read Full ArticleBuilding Community Conservation Success in Zimbabwe
June 12, 2023By: Dr. James Danoff-Burg Ah! It’s so good to be back! After what eventually became almost four years of COVID-related delays, I am finally able to resume what I think of as my most important professional accomplishment! It’s the best thing that I have ever created, and how I can have the great...
Read Full ArticleTorres Martinez Tribal Youth Restoring California Deserts
May 30, 2023By: Katie Shaw, Lou Thomas, Sienna Thomas, Dr. James Danoff-Burg Caring for the environment requires all of us. Unfortunately, some of the most important members of our community lack the necessary resources, materials, and experience. This is particularly the case among young Tribal communit...
Read Full ArticleDesert Hot Springs Trail Clean-Up
May 11, 2023In partnership with The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens, the City of Desert Hot Springs is hosting a community Trail Clean-Up in celebration of their 60th Anniversary. Become an Agent of Conservation as you help beautify this local trail and discuss where future trail ma...
Read Full ArticleA Super Time for Desert Blooms
May 1, 2023By: Shanna Winters, Conservation department Springtime in the desert is like no other place on earth and, here in the Coachella Valley when the flowers bloom, we are treated to a show of nature’s splendor that draws people from across the world. We occasionally have a "superbloom,"&nbs...
Read Full ArticleThe Monarchs are on the Move
March 30, 2023By: Emily “Lou” Thomas, Lead Conservation Biologist, and Lexi Beaty, Assistant Conservation Biologist Western monarchs have left their overwintering sites and are out in search of food and mates. This is the time to think about whether your garden helps feed the butterflies! Here in Coachella V...
Read Full ArticleHelp Ensure that The Desert is Truly a Living Desert
February 24, 2023By Dr. James Danoff-Burg, Director of Conservation Living in the living desert that surrounds The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens is a great pleasure! I love the many hundreds of native species of the greater Californian desert that surround us here – the odd cacti, twisting ocotillo, sword-bearing...
Read Full ArticlePay It Forward For Pollinators
February 24, 2023By Jessika Vazquez, Curator of Education Scientists don't have the ability of being everywhere at once. This means they rely on community scientists, like YOU, to help them make observations. The Western Monarch Milkweed Mapper project is an effort for people to find and document monarchs...
Read Full ArticleHelping Wild Tortoises Win
February 20, 2023By Dr. James Danoff-Burg, Director of Conservation Anyone living in Southern California is aware of the impacts of climate change. In the Coachella Valley, we are all experiencing hotter summers and drier years, resulting in less natural vegetation in our wild places. This is of course a huge chall...
Read Full ArticleThe Human Dimensions of Cetacean Conservation Workshop - Saving Cetaceans with Community Support
December 28, 2022By Dr. James Danoff-Burg, Director of Conservation I’m just now back from a really wonderful workshop in Nuremberg, Germany, that ended just a handful of days before Christmas and the end of Hanukkah. This workshop resulted in amazing ideas, which are among the best presents, and just may help so...
Read Full ArticlePropagation in the Coachella Valley Preserve
December 6, 2022By Emily “Lou” Thomas, Assistant Conservation Scientist In the summer of 2021, Emily Thomas and Natalie Gonzalez of The Living Desert's Conservation Department, accompanied by The Living Desert's propagator Jose Marfori, trekked through the Coachella Valley Preserve in search of seeds from hone...
Read Full ArticleAn Effective Pairing to Promote Caring for Wildlife: Bush Babies and Black Mambas
October 19, 2022By Dr. James Danoff-Burg, Director of Conservation What a marvelous day! Today was our fifth day of conducting interviews in the communities surrounding the Balule Game Reserve in South Africa, on the border with Kruger National Park. Having the honor of speaking with (now 79!) people ab...
Read Full ArticleDesert Tortoise Headstart Project, September 2022
September 30, 2022By Emily “Lou” Thomas, Assistant Conservation Scientist People sometimes joke that storks deliver babies. Well, they don't, but if they did, an entire flock would have landed at The Living Desert a few weeks ago with desert tortoise hatchlings. Instead, a dedicated team of ecologists from...
Read Full ArticleWelcoming Rose and Sage
September 30, 2022The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens is thrilled to share that Rose and Sage, the rescued mountain lions from the Oakland Zoo, arrived safely at The Living Desert on September 22nd and are now settling in at their fur-ever home. We greatly appreciate the outpouring of support for Rose and Sa...
Read Full ArticleImproving How Protected Areas in Africa are Managed with the Southern African Wildlife College
August 31, 2022By James Danoff-Burg, Director of Conservation It’s Happening! After many years in the making, including a lot of my own efforts over the last year, the Southern African Wildlife College is rolling out the first class in the Diploma in Natural Resources Management tomorrow! Okay, so it’s not t...
Read Full ArticleA Pollinator Pathway in the Coachella Valley
August 26, 2022By Kyle Mulroe, Conservation Bioengineer One of the fundamental issues facing wildlife today is habitat fragmentation, as humans divide the natural landscape into disconnected parcels with the development of roads, highways, housing communities, commercial real estate, and agriculture. In orde...
Read Full ArticleEnhancing Native American Conservation Skills
July 27, 2022By Sienna Thomas and Katie Shaw, Conservation Department The Living Desert, in collaboration with the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indian Tribe and Outward Bound Adventures, has launched the Torres Martinez Youth Environmental Ambassador program (TM-YEA) for 13-26 year-old Tribal memb...
Read Full ArticleWaldrapp Ibis Chick Hatched at The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens
July 1, 2022We are pleased to share that a waldrapp ibis chick hatched this spring at The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens! The Living Desert has a tradition of naming waldrapp ibis after Egyptian royalty or deities, as they were very significant in ancient Egyptian culture. The newest addition to the flock,...
Read Full ArticleChallenging Summer Field Conservation
June 30, 2022By James Danoff-Burg, Director of Conservation Restoring habitats across the Coachella Valley is a glorious opportunity to care for our nearby nature. We, here at The Living Desert, have been blessed with the ability to repair degraded habitats in ways that benefit many endangered species incl...
Read Full ArticleA Week for the African Painted Dogs and their People
June 1, 2022By Mary Thomas, Assistant Conservation Scientist During mid-May, 2022, team members of The Living Desert, including Mary Thomas, Assistant Conservation Scientist, Heather Shields, Animal Care Supervisor, and Morgan Waltrip-Bussell, Veterinary Technician, attended the International Af...
Read Full ArticleMeet Arya, the Black-Footed Cat Kitten
May 5, 2022“Hi, I’m Arya!” The black-footed cat born on April 8th, currently under the expert care of The Living Desert’s veterinary team, officially has a name – Arya. Meaning noble or honorable in Sanskrit, the name Arya also brings to mind the strong female character of the Game of Thro...
Read Full ArticleBlack-Footed Cat Kitten Recovery
May 3, 2022On April 8, the animal care team at The Living Desert quietly celebrated the historic birth of a black-footed cat kitten at the zoo’s Desert Carnivore Conservation Center. Born to first time mother, Tad, the kitten was growing, nursing, and bonding with her mother in their behind-the-scene...
Read Full ArticleBuilding Habitat Heroes Among Torres Martinez Tribal Youth
April 29, 2022By James Danoff-Burg, Director of Conservation The Living Desert is partnering with the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians (TMDCI) Tribe and Outward Bound Adventures (OBA) to create future conservationists among TMDCI youth. This new program is a habitat restoration and conservation workf...
Read Full ArticleEarth Day 2022
April 22, 2022By Allen Monroe, President & CEO April 22nd marks the 52nd anniversary of Earth Day. You would think something as important as our planet would get national attention more often than one day a year, plus it has to share the day with Take Your Children to Work Day and National Jellybean Day. Her...
Read Full ArticleHappy 18th Birthday Salem!
April 14, 2022By RoxAnna Breitigan, Director of Animal Care The Living Desert’s beloved mountain lion resident, celebrates a milestone birthday today – she turns 18! Salem’s story is a special one and as one of The Living Desert’s longest residents, Salem has quite a fan-club. She was brought to us fro...
Read Full ArticleMonday Minute- Training Conservation Leaders in Africa
James Danoff-BurgOctober 25, 2021
I am fortunate to have received a second Fulbright Specialist Award from the US State Department! Getting one is a great honor and receiving a second only accentuates that feeling. This is a great reflection of the excellent conservation work that we do here at The Living Desert and can only help to...
Read Full ArticleMonday Minute: International Desert Conservation Summit
James Danoff-Burg, Director of ConservationOctober 18, 2021
What if you could hear from almost a dozen globally leading conservationists committed to restoring rhinos and countering the threats that they face? Wouldn’t hearing them tell their stories be a transformative experience? Well, this November 20th that unique opportunity will be possibl...
Read Full ArticleMonday Minute - More Milkweed, More Monarchs
Natalie Gonzalez, Assistant Conservation ScientistOctober 11, 2021
“Plant a milkweed to save the monarch!” is a recommendation you’ve likely heard a lot lately. But what is milkweed and why do we need it to save monarchs? Countless insects have intricate specialist relationships with specific species of plants. In the case of monarchs, milkweed is the ONLY p...
Read Full ArticleMonday Minute- Meet the neighbors: Black Rhinoceros
Jared Moeller, Animal Care CuratorOctober 4, 2021
The new Rhino Savanna is being built with the desire to create a little slice of an African ecosystem and transfer it to the Coachella Valley. Rhinos are referred to as ecosystem engineers, meaning they disproportionately affect and alter the environment around them. From creating water collecting p...
Read Full ArticleMonday Minute - Together We Are Stronger
James Danoff-Burg, Director of ConservationSeptember 27, 2021
I just spent six of the most awe-inspiring, mind-expanding, and transformative days that I have ever had at a conference! The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) hosts a World Conservation Congress every four years, and this year it was in Marseille, France. The Living Desert...
Read Full ArticleWildlife Ranger Challenge Day
Dr. James Danoff-Burg, Director of ConservationSeptember 21, 2021
Last Saturday, I was lucky enough to participate in the Wildlife Ranger Challenge! This month-long effort is designed to raise money to support the wildlife rangers who protect wildlife across Africa. COVID has of course stymied ecotourism to African countries. Many of these countries rely on these...
Read Full ArticleMonday Minute - World Rhino Day
Dr. James Danoff-BurgSeptember 20, 2021
Here at The Living Desert, we are really rallying around restoring rhinos! As you may know, all five species of rhino that live around the world are threatened with extinction. Adding all rhinos that exist together results in fewer than 30,000 rhino in the entire world - and over 20,000 of...
Read Full Articlemonday minute - Volunteers, Unique Conservation Partners
JJ Leissing, Director of Education EngagementSeptember 13, 2021
As Agents of Conservation, our volunteers interpret the plants and animals at The Living Desert to inspire our guests to take conservation action. These passionate individuals share stories with our guests about the important conservation work that The Living Desert participates in both locally and...
Read Full ArticleMonday Minute - Meet the neighbors: Small Mammals
Jared Moeller, Animal Care CuratorSeptember 6, 2021
In previous editions of the Monday Minute, you’ve been introduced to the animals that will call the large multi-species habitats of the Rhino Savanna home. This new expansion not only highlights the large charismatic ungulates and birds of arid ecosystems, but also some thrilling small mammals. Gu...
Read Full ArticleMonday Minute - The Scoop on Poop
Mary Thomas, Assistant Conservation ScientistAugust 30, 2021
For our animals and plants, The Living Desert is a place of growth and reproduction. We care for many species, providing top-quality food for animals and resources as appropriate for plants. A consequence of all this biological activity is that we have lots of, um, biological waste products that we...
Read Full ArticleCelebrate the African Painted Dog
Emily and Mary Thomas, Assistant Conservation ScientistAugust 23, 2021
Happy African Painted Dog Day! Today we are celebrating this unique member of the Canidae family and one of our conservation partners, Painted Dog Research Trust (PDRT), that strives to preserve them. Dr. Greg Rassmussen, founder and director of PDRT, has studied these talented hunters in Zi...
Read Full ArticleMonday Minute - Matchmaking at the Zoo
RoxAnna Breitigan, Director of Animal CareAugust 23, 2021
Zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) are committed to ensuring species do not go extinct from the planet. They collectively utilize some of their resources to ensure there are self-sustainable populations of animals. This cooperation among zoos strengthens the gen...
Read Full ArticleA fulbright award
August 19, 2021Our own Dr. James Danoff-Burg, Director of Conservation, has received a second Fulbright Specialist Award, this time to help improve ranger training in South Africa! These extremely competitive Fulbright Awards (only 400 are awarded annually) are the flagship international educational exch...
Read Full ArticleMonday Minute - Rhino Roadtrip
Erin Scott, Senior Manager, Brand, Marketing and Public RelationsAugust 16, 2021
Last month, we had the amazing opportunity to fly to the Midwest to meet The Living Desert’s newest residents, Jaali and Nia! Equipped with our cameras, notebooks, and smiles, we embarked The Living Desert’s first Rhino Roadtrip! Bright and early on a hot July morning and filled with antic...
Read Full ArticleMonday Minute - Partners in Conservation: ZooTeens
Larson AnkenyAugust 9, 2021
It’s never too early to become an agent of conservation! I have always been interested in animals and have vivid memories of every year asking my family to take me to the zoo for my birthday. I was fascinated by the diverse animals, enthralled by the exciting shows, and inspired by the animal keep...
Read Full ArticleMonday Minute - Scouts Save Species
Dr. James Danoff-Burg, Director of ConservationJuly 26, 2021
Participating in Scouting has improved the lives of many of us. I can say with great certainty that a big part of why I am such an ardent conservationist, outdoors person, and all-around lover of nature is due to the decade I spent in Boy Scouts as a youth. Girl Scouts build girls of courage, confid...
Read Full ArticleRaven populations are thriving in the Coachella Valley. This is perilous for local wildlife
Sonora Walton, Conservation InternJuly 24, 2021
The California desert ravens were once occasional occupants of the Coachella Valley. In the past we were merely a stop for them on their migrating path. However, their population has grown seventeen times larger within the last fifty years and most now occupy the Coachella Valley as their permanent...
Read Full ArticleLocal Zoo Helps an Eagle
Antonio Catanzarite, Eagle Scout, formerly of Troop 276July 24, 2021
Like many Boy Scouts, the challenge of finding an Eagle Scout Project was daunting and stressful for me. It was the only thing standing between me and the Eagle Scout rank--the highest rank in the Boy Scouts of America and an honor I had been chasing for 7 years. To make matters worse, I had to comp...
Read Full ArticleMonday Minute - Celebrating Zookeepers and Beyond
Erin Scott, Senior Manager, Brand, Marketing, and Public RelationsJuly 19, 2021
The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens is excited to participate in the annual National Zookeeper Week, now through Saturday, July 24. This is a time where we take a concerted moment to share our appreciation for the incredible passion, expertise, and hard work of our amazing animal care profes...
Read Full ArticleWhere Did You Get That Plant? - The Threats of Illegal Plant Poaching
Natalie Gonzalez, Assistant Conservation ScientistJuly 19, 2021
You may be aware that a walk through the Zoo will put you face to face with animals that are imperiled by wildlife poaching and trafficking, but did you know, a walk through our gardens will do the same? While we are largely aware that animals are commonly poached for parts that are valued for perce...
Read Full ArticleSigns of Nature: Leading Coachella Valley Communities to Nearby Nature
Alex Ocañas, Conservation Social ScientistJuly 19, 2021
For decades, communities across the world have been suffering through what some call an ‘extinction of experience’ as opportunities for interaction with nature are steeply declining. Considering the well-documented benefits we reap from interactions with nature, such as improved physical, emotio...
Read Full ArticleMonday Minute - Meet the neighbors: The Antelope
Jared Moeller, Animal Care CuratorJuly 5, 2021
The $17 million Rhino Savanna is a new and exciting way to care for and engage people with some of the world’s most interesting species. The centerpiece of this expansion is the large, four-acre multi-species habitat. One goal of the Rhino Savanna is to give both guests and the resident animals th...
Read Full ArticleMonday Minute - Keeping Cool in the Desert
RoxAnna Breitigan, Director of Animal CareJune 28, 2021
How do the animals at The Living Desert stay cool during our extremely hot temperatures in the summer? This is often a question we find ourselves answering every year as the thermometer lingers in the triple digits. As many of you know, The Living Desert is dedicated to the desert species...
Read Full ArticleMonday Minute - World Giraffe Day
RoxAnna Breitigan, Director of Animal CareJune 21, 2021
June 21st is known for being the start of summer and the summer solstice, which is the longest day of the year. For us, here at The Living Desert, this date marks the day we celebrate our longest-necked animals that call the zoo home, the giraffe. Today is World Giraffe Day, a worldwide celebra...
Read Full ArticleMonday Minute - Get ready for Pollinator Week
Natalie GonzalezJune 14, 2021
Next week - June 21st-27th - is pollinator week! This is a week where we give extra gratitude to pollinators and the life they support. Pollinators are essential for ecosystem health, as 80% of flowering plants depend on pollinators for reproduction. When pollinators visit flowers in search of...
Read Full ArticleMonday Minute - This is how we Zoo it
Erin Scott, Senior Manager, Brand, Marketing and Public RelationsJune 7, 2021
We did it! Thanks to you for all of your support, The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens placed #7 in the USA Today 10Best Botanical Gardens. Our first time placing in this category! Although we didn’t place in the top 10 for the USA Today’s 10Best Best Zoo category, we still feel like the...
Read Full ArticleMonday Minute - Enriching Experiences
Christine Montgomery, Animal Care CuratorMay 31, 2021
As the sun rises over the San Jacinto Mountains, the animal care team at The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens is hard at work setting up for the day in ways you might not expect. A cut branch of acacia is being hung high for the giraffes, basil is being spread around for the bobcats, and the sound of...
Read Full ArticleMonday Minute - Rhinos are crashing the neighborhood this fall
Erin Scott, Senior Manager, Brand, Marketing and Public RelationsMay 24, 2021
The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens is thrilled to announce the names and details about the Coachella Valley’s newest neighbors arriving this November – two eastern black rhinos. As the Zoo’s new Rhino Savanna nears completion, The Living Desert is eager to share more about the two eastern black...
Read Full ArticleMonday Minute -The Sixth Extinction: Endangered Species Day
Lou Thomas, Assistant Conservation ScientistMay 17, 2021
This Friday, May 21st, is Endangered Species Day! Currently, the rate at which species are going extinct is 10,000 times greater than it was prior to the 1880s. The Living Desert works to conserve threatened and endangered species around the world, however, we are stronger with a larg...
Read Full ArticleMonday Minute - Amazing Animal Moms
RoxAnna Breitigan, Director of Animal CareMay 10, 2021
Yesterday, we celebrated our moms. Whether it was reflecting on fond memories, zooming through separated miles or sharing a meal together, we all can be thankful for our moms for bringing us into this world and for countless ways they have supported us throughout our lives. The cleaning up afte...
Read Full ArticleMonday Minute - Rhinos are coming
Dr. James Danoff-Burg, Director of ConservationMay 3, 2021
This Wednesday we celebrate Cinco de Rhino with others around the world in sharing about these amazing creatures and supporting rhino conservation. This is especially important to us at The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens as we prepare the Rhino Savanna and ready it to welcome our own crash of rhinos...
Read Full ArticleMonday Minute - USA Today's 10Best Reader's Choice Trail Award
Erin Scott, Senior Manager Brand, Marketing and Public RelationsApril 26, 2021
We’re excited to share that The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens has been nominated for USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Trail Award in two categories: Best Botanical Garden and Best Zoo. Voting is open now through May 24! Being nominated for Best Zoo in the Readers’ Choice Travel Awards...
Read Full ArticleMonday Minute - Earth Day Celebration
Alex Ocañas, Conservation Social ScientistApril 19, 2021
As our Conservation Social Scientist, Alex Ocañas helps our conservation programs understand, navigate, and empower the human dimensions of conservation. She helps ensure our efforts work with and for people, who are the most critical component of successful wildlife conservation. Her...
Read Full ArticleMonday Minute - The Living Desert Partners with KultureCity to Launch a Sensory Inclusive™ Program.
Kathy Lambert, Senior Manager Guest RelationsApril 12, 2021
Kathy Lambert is the Senior Manager of Guest Services at The Living Desert. Her team is responsible for Admissions, Membership, Attractions and all Guest Services, including the launch of many accessibility initiatives such as the partnership with KultureCity. Their goal is to provide a Wonderf...
Read Full ArticleMonday Minute - Caring for Our Animals in their Golden Years.
RoxAnna Breitigan, Director of Animal CareApril 5, 2021
Roxanna Breitigan is the Director of Animal Care at The Living Desert. She is responsible for overseeing the Australian, African and North American animal sections, including the new upcoming Rhino Savanna, veterinary care, nutrition, wildlife programs and outreach. Quiz time: What is the number on...
Read Full ArticleSalt Creek Restoration- Species Identification and Seed Collection
Natalie Gonzalez, Assistant Conservation ScientistApril 2, 2021
When planning for habitat restoration for a site that has been taken over by invasive plant species, revegetating with native species can both facilitate the reestablishment of the native plant community and suppress invasive species regrowth after removal. The presence of invasive species in an eco...
Read Full ArticleSalt Creek Restoration- Plant Propagation
Natalie Gonzalez, Assistant Conservation ScientistApril 2, 2021
To begin propagating the seed collected from Salt Creek, we first determined if any seed prep would be required. We know that different species of plants depend on different environmental factors to cue germination. Depending on what natural environmental factors seeds must experience to signal germ...
Read Full ArticleMonday Minute - Your Support Saves Species!
Lexi Ward, Annual Giving OfficerMarch 29, 2021
As the Annual Giving Officer, Lexi Ward oversees year-round fundraising through the Annual Appeal, Guardian Society Membership Circles, and Champions of Conservation monthly giving programs. The Living Desert has been active in the conservation of desert species since its founding in 1970,...
Read Full ArticleMonday Minute - 2021 Spring Zoo Camps are going virtual!
JJ Leissing, Director of EducationMarch 22, 2021
As the Director of Education Engagement, JJ Leissing oversees volunteers and educational programs at The Living Desert since 2021. Zoos and aquariums can help create meaningful connections that enhance the public’s understanding of the need to conserve the places wh...
Read Full ArticleMonday Minute - A Conversation on Desert Pupfish and the Salton Sea
Kyle Mulroe, Conservation Biologist and Natalie Gonzalez, Assistant Conservation ScientistMarch 15, 2021
As a conservation biologist, Kyle Mulroe uses tools of biology and engineering for the conservation of wildlife at The Living Desert since 2019. Natalie Gonzalez, Assistant Conservation Scientist, joined The Living Desert in 2020 with a degree in Ecology, Behavior, and Evolu...
Read Full ArticleMonday Minute - Saving Coachella Valley Species
James Danoff-Burg, Director of ConservationMarch 8, 2021
Visiting a zoo can be a great way to connect with nature, but did you know that when you visit a facility accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums - and of course The Living Desert in particular - you're also directly supporting conservation initiatives? I recently gav...
Read Full ArticleMonday Minute - Let's celebrate World Wildlife Day
Amy Crabb, Senior Manager DevelopmentMarch 1, 2021
Every day at The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens we celebrate the wildlife of deserts close to home and around the globe. Deserts are a magical place of hidden treasure and splendid beauty if only we take the time to quietly wait, wonder, and discover the secrets they hold. World Wildlife Day, held o...
Read Full ArticleMonday Minute - Western Monarchs Need Your Help
Natalie Gonzalez, Assistant Conservation ScientistFebruary 22, 2021
Danaus plexippus, which in Greek means "sleepy transformation," is one of the most iconic insects in North America. Danaus plexippus is the scientific name for our national insect, the monarch butterfly! However, there is nothing “sleepy...
Read Full ArticleMonday Minute - A Step Into Desert Plant Conservation
Emily Thomas & Natalie Gonzalez, Assistant Conservation ScientistsFebruary 15, 2021
The preservation of desert species, animals and plants alike, is a vital part of The Living Desert’s mission of desert conservation. Nestled across from the pronghorn habitat, a new exhibit hosts some of the thousands of desert plants propagated by The Living Desert staff and volunteers each year...
Read Full ArticleMonday Minute - Education in the Time of COVID
Elise Shtayyeh, Education Program CoordinatorFebruary 8, 2021
The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens’ commitment to education remains steadfast despite the year’s changes due to COVID. With schools going virtual and buses parked, The Living Desert took the opportunity to adapt and change the way we engage with schools, educators, and students. The Challe...
Read Full ArticleMonday Minute - Celebrating International Zebra Day
Mary Thomas, Assistant Conservation ScientistFebruary 1, 2021
In celebration of International Zebra Day (1/31), The Living Desert is excited to highlight one of our esteemed conservation partners, the Grevy’s Zebra Trust. Grevy’s zebra (Equus grevyi) are the largest of three sub-species of zebra. Native to Kenya and Ethiopia, Grevy’s zebra are the m...
Read Full ArticleThe Once and Future Sonoran Pond
Kyle Mulroe, Conservation BiologistFebruary 1, 2021
At full capacity, The Living Desert’s Sonoran Pond—which homes the endangered desert pupfish—could once hold more than 140,000 gallons of water over 14,000 square feet of surface area. However, years of overgrowth of an invasive species of cattail choked the pond and restricted its cap...
Read Full ArticleSalt creek restoration - Tamarisk Warriors
Kyle Mulroe, TLD Conservation BiologistJanuary 25, 2021
Lucky for myself and The Living Desert, two of our intern-turned Conservation Department staff members happen to be born and raised ranchers. Mary and Emily (or Lou we call her) Thomas are as field ready as they come, complete with a passion for conservation and years of hands on experience using ch...
Read Full ArticleSalt creek restoration - Planning Phase Of The Restoration
Kyle Mulroe, TLD Conservation BiologistJanuary 24, 2021
There are very few places left around the Salton Sea where the desert pupfish can be found in the wild. Drying of natural aquifers, increasing salinity of the Salton Sea, competition from invasive species such as sailfin mollies, crayfish, golden apple snails and tamarisk – each of these changes a...
Read Full ArticleSalt creek restoration - Why restore Salt Creek?
Kyle Mulroe, TLD Conservation BiologistJanuary 23, 2021
One of the exciting parallels to the work we do conserving species on grounds here at the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens is working to conserve species living in their native environments. One local example of our combined ex situ and in situ approach has been the conservation of the desert pupfish b...
Read Full ArticleCommunity Science to the Rescue
Mary Thomas and Emily ThomasOctober 29, 2020
Grevy’s Zebra Trust (GZT) is an organization based in Kenya that takes a holistic approach to Grevy’s zebra conservation. One of GZT’s many projects is a non-invasive method of wildlife monitoring referred to as camera trapping. This system utilizes game cameras to observe wildl...
Read Full ArticleTortoise Week
Alex OcanasOctober 23, 2020
The second week of October was ‘Desert Tortoise Week’, where institutions like The Living Desert, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and Joshua Tree National Park, to name just a few, band together to celebrate and promote the conservation of the iconic and beloved desert tortoise (Gopherus agass...
Read Full ArticleZoom Backgrounds
April 29, 2020If you miss ZOOing, but you've been doing a lot of ZOOMing, make your next meeting a little more wonderfully wild with our free background images. How to Use These Zoo Zoom Virtual Backgrounds From the options below, select the background you wish to download. Click the...
Read Full ArticlePupdate #4
April 29, 2020In an effort to continue sharing the important conservation efforts behind saving this endangered species, the selection of names come from a list of African National Parks. At one time, it was estimated African wild dogs roamed in large numbers in 39 countries across Africa; however, today, the spe...
Read Full ArticleA re-nesting guide
Emma BaldwinApril 20, 2020
Coexisting with Nature and Wildlife Cottontail Rabbits: Cottontail rabbit nests are shallow depressions on the ground, covered with soft plant material and lined with fur from the mother rabbit. They are well-hidden and are meant to keep the babies undiscovered by predators. The mo...
Read Full Article50 Things to Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day with The Living Desert on our 50th Anniversary
April 15, 2020It may seem like the actions of one person will not make a difference to help conservation. However, as Jane Goodall has said “What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” If we all do what we can, we will be able to make a real difference to...
Read Full ArticlePupdate #3
February 21, 2020The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens is excited to share that all 11 critically endangered African wild dog puppies, born January 18, 2020, are healthy and thriving. On Wednesday, February 18th, the animal care and veterinary teams performed a routine well-baby exam and learned there are seven males an...
Read Full ArticlePupdate #2
February 13, 2020At three weeks old, the 11 puppies are now around 2.5 - 3.5lbs and growing! They are also scooting and moving around the den–when they’re not sleeping or nursing, of course. Mom, Beatrix, has begun to introduce them to the rest of the pack. This is an exciting time in the puppies’ development...
Read Full ArticlePupdate #1
January 28, 2020The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens is proud to announce the healthy birth of 11 endangered African wild dog puppies to second-time parents, Beatrix and Kiraka (ker-ah-kuh). In the comfort of a private, underground birthing den, the puppies were born in the afternoon and evening of Saturday, January 1...
Read Full Article…and it’s a wrap!
Dr. James A. Danoff-BurgNovember 7, 2019
Well, after a very hot week, we have successfully completed our Zimbabwe social sciences workshop. Thank goodness that we had at least two days with ample rain to cool things down a bit overnight. There was a third evening with rain, but it was too little to make any difference. All of us were grate...
Read Full ArticleWe Are the World, Zimbabwe Edition
Dr. James Danoff-BurgNovember 6, 2019
After a really successful workshop in Botswana last week, I am here in Zimbabwe for workshop two! The closest town is Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, or across the bridge across the chasm that forms the incredibly beautiful Victoria Falls, is Livingstone, Zambia. However, we are deep into the bush, and we...
Read Full ArticleReducing Rancher-Predator Conflict
Dr. James A. Danoff-BurgNovember 5, 2019
In my last post, I discussed how climate change is already manifesting in many desert locations, and here in Botswana in particular. As a general rule, dry areas will get drier with climate change, including in Southern California as well as here in Botswana. Currently, the flood of water t...
Read Full ArticleBotswana Wildlife, Climate Change, and Ranching
Dr. James Danoff-BurgNovember 4, 2019
Some of my favorite ideas have come when I am “relaxing”, even though I am not particularly skilled at doing so. Long runs, bike rides, or swims are often the venues for my best thinking. I don’t drive that much, so long drives usually are not. However, during my most recent long drive I reall...
Read Full ArticleA Great Success, Despite Some Small Challenges
Dr. James A. Danoff-BurgNovember 3, 2019
Dumela e le amogetswe! Or, hello and welcome all, in Setswana! Last Friday, we finished up our first weeklong workshop in Maun, Botswana as a great success, with some small caveats. These workshops help teach conservationists how to find out information from their local communities to impro...
Read Full ArticleCan a People be Predisposed to Social Sciences?
Dr. James A. Danoff-BurgNovember 2, 2019
Whew! Today was really great. The assembly of the survey items went really well and the test run of the interviews – a pilot test of sorts – were raucous and great fun. However, one part of our social science training workshops that is always challenging, was surprisingly easy today. Facility wi...
Read Full ArticleA Dry and Dusty Place, Brimming with Kindness
Dr. James A. Danoff-BurgNovember 1, 2019
Greetings and Dumela (hello!) from Beautiful Botswana. I’ve traveled around the world, from West to East, and North to South, comprising almost 40 hours of transit time. I’m here in Botswana to be able to offer the first of two weeklong workshops here in southern Africa. Next week, I w...
Read Full ArticlePupdate #8
July 2, 2019The 2,000+ votes are in and the winner is…. Mikumi! Our female African wild dog puppy now has a name thanks to you! The puppies are named: - Mikumi (me-KOO-mee) - Chobe (cho-beh) - Arli (ar-lee) - Zakouma (za-koo-ma) - Faro (Far-oh) - Digya (dig-yah) Each puppy’s name plays homage to African...
Read Full ArticlePupdate #7
June 27, 2019The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens is asking for the public’s help in selecting a name for one of the six African wild dogs that were born at the Zoo on April 24, 2019. The poll, which can be found on the Zoo’s Facebook page, is open to the public and voting is available through Monday, July 1. T...
Read Full ArticlePupdate #6
June 19, 2019The puppies are now 8 weeks old and have begun to venture out of the den. At this age, they are rough playing, running, and very curious. They are also weaning and being fed by their parents regurgitating food. Beatrix and Kiraka have done an amazing job...
Read Full ArticlePupdate #5
May 24, 20195/24/2019 PUPDATE The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens is excited to share that all six puppies, born April 24, 2019 are healthy and thriving. Today, May 24th, the animal care and veterinary teams performed a routine well-baby exam and learned there are five male puppies and one female puppy in the li...
Read Full ArticleAh, the Challenges of Fieldwork
Dr. James Danoff-BurgMay 24, 2019
Over the last four posts, I’ve been talking about the two workshops and all that we did in them to train these groups of conservation biologists in Kenya and Tanzania how to find out what the communities surrounding their projects think. In this penultimate post, I wanted to brag a bit – not abo...
Read Full ArticleTanzanians are Among the Nicest People You Will Ever Meet
Dr. James Danoff-BurgMay 22, 2019
The last three days were some of the most challenging and exciting and invigorating days of my professional career. We just finished the workshop phase of our second workshop – this time in Arusha, Tanzania, working with some of the finest people I have yet met. The two organizat...
Read Full ArticleLewa Conservancy Benefits Wildlife by Working with Communities
Dr. James Danoff-BurgMay 21, 2019
In my previous posts introducing the concept and describing the outcome of the Kenyan workshop, I have been speaking generally about our approach. In this post, I would like to highlight a great example of our impact by one of our workshop participants that is also a world-leading conservation organ...
Read Full ArticleKenyan Conservationists are World Leaders
Dr. James Danoff-BurgMay 17, 2019
Well, that was amazing! I just completed the first workshop with 28 people from 10 different Kenyan conservation organizations, all in the shadow of Mount Kenya. I do not know that I would normally call a workshop thrilling, but I may make an exception here. Thrilling! Kenyan conservation biologists...
Read Full ArticlePupdate #4
May 10, 20195/10/2019 PUPDATE The African wild dog is a member of the dag family, Canidae. They are related to jackals, foxes, coyotes, wolves and dingoes. While hyeneas may look similar, they are of a different family classification, Hyaenidae. African wild dogs have a number of different...
Read Full ArticleBuilding Community Conservation Success in East Africa
Dr. James Danoff-BurgMay 7, 2019
Jambo wanawake na wanaume - or, hello ladies and gents in Swahili! Mike Chedester (Director of Education at The Living Desert) and I have arrived in Nairobi, Kenya safely and smoothly last night, despite landing and driving through a torrential downpour. David, our driver was much calmer an...
Read Full ArticlePupdate #3
May 5, 20195/5/2019 PUPDATE The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens is excited to announce the healthy birth of six endangered African wild dog puppies to first-time parents, Beatrix and Kiraka. In the comfort of a private, underground birthing den, the puppies were born on Wednesday, April 24, 2019. African wild...
Read Full ArticlePupdate #2
May 3, 20195/3/2019 PUPDATE Expectant wild dog mothers select and prepare a den/burrow a few days to a few weeks before giving birth. Gestation is approximately 70 days. After whelping (giving birth), the mother stays within the den for the first few days with the puppies. The breeding male and other pack-mat...
Read Full ArticlePupdate #1
May 2, 2019The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens is excited to announce the healthy birth of six endangered African wild dog puppies to first-time parents, Beatrix and Kiraka (ker-ah-kuh). In the comfort of a private, underground birthing den, the puppies were born in the afternoon and evening of Wednesday, April...
Read Full ArticleWildflower Season
Kirk AndersonFebruary 27, 2019
The rains have come, transforming the Valley’s arid environs with a green veneer of ephemeral growth. A mid-October rain coupled with continued warm temperatures perked up perennials like creosote (Larrea tridentata) and initiated the germination of annuals on The Living Desert’s Edmu...
Read Full ArticleCetacean Conservation with JDB - Day 3
Dr. James Danoff-BurgDecember 21, 2018
Progress? I generally find it hard to really identify progress at the end of multi-day sessions when we have been talking non-stop. When we come to the end of the designated time, clearly an artificial stoppage point, it feels like we have only begun, not that we have just finished. It is a...
Read Full ArticleCetacean Conservation with JDB - Day 2
Dr. James Danoff-BurgDecember 18, 2018
Can’t We All Just Get Along? When it comes to conserving endangered species, we all agree, but we also do not agree. We agree on the long-term goal – that of conserving endangered small cetaceans (vaquita, dolphins, and relatives). Everyone agrees at the Ex Situ Options for Cetacean Conservati...
Read Full ArticleCetacean Conservation with JDB - Day 1
Dr. James Danoff-BurgDecember 15, 2018
Conservation, Care, and Breeding of the Vaquita and other Endangered Cetaceans Well. After five countries, five flights (two more than planned), an unexpected overnight stay in Brussels, a train, a bus, and a slew of taxis, I'm finally at the Ex Situ Options for Cetacean Conservation workshop here...
Read Full ArticleOn the Road with RoxAnna – 8
RoxAnna BreitiganJuly 23, 2018
This past couple of weeks has been challenging but we have kept a positive attitude even without knowing what was in store for us. For most of our time here, we were uncertain if we would be able to accomplish our mission and we tried to not feel defeated. It was also helpful that we had each other...
Read Full ArticleOn the Road with RoxAnna - 7
RoxAnna BreitiganJuly 23, 2018
Field conservation can be defined as action that helps secure the long-term survival of species in its natural ecosystems and habitats. Projects in the field can be to recover a species, coordinate veterinary care for disease issues, create assurance populations, research, increase community awarene...
Read Full ArticleOn the Road with RoxAnna - 6
RoxAnna BreitiganJuly 23, 2018
As the time passes in the desert, many topics come and go. The concept of animals being happy has been one of the many that have been discussed here. The definition according to Websters dictionary for happiness is, "a state of well-being or contentment or a pleasurable, satisfying experience." Do a...
Read Full ArticleOn the Road with RoxAnna - 5
RoxAnna BreitiganJuly 18, 2018
Sleeping in the middle of the desert in a tent under the stars hearing the sounds of the night is not always the best way to fall asleep. You hear noises and if you are not familiar with the area, you do your best to decipher the sounds of the night instead of trying to fall asleep. The heat is so i...
Read Full ArticleOn the Road with RoxAnna - 4
RoxAnna BreitiganJuly 18, 2018
The delay has made us rethink how we spend our days. While we wait for the collars there is only so much we can do around camp. The pens have been set up, the oryx have been moved to where they need to be and the supplies have been accounted for. Now all we can do is wait. We have gone out several t...
Read Full ArticleOn the Road with RoxAnna - 3
RoxAnna BreitiganJuly 16, 2018
The first time I laid eyes on the Scimitar-horned oryx out in the wild was a remarkable feeling. Goosebumps moment, for sure! To see an animal that was gone from its rangeland and now be returned is an incredible feeling. If nobody had bothered or cared enough to put forth a plan to save this animal...
Read Full ArticleOn the Road with RoxAnna - 2
RoxAnna BreitiganJuly 16, 2018
Although the trek was long to base camp and we had lots of hiccups along the way, the best part was that we were able to see so much of the country. To make it even better, Chad is in the beginning of the rainy season and they have already had some rain. This meant much of the country has beautiful,...
Read Full ArticleOn the Road with RoxAnna - 1
RoxAnna BreitiganJuly 16, 2018
I began this adventure from LAX international terminal, I had no issues except that we already had heard there would be a delay with the project that I was going to participate in as I boarded. I met up with others traveling for this project at the Paris airport. Once we were all together we began t...
Read Full ArticleIndia with JDB - 9
June 19, 2018Ah, well. After a wonderful 6 weeks in India working with the very impressive Applied Environmental Research Foundation based out of Pune, I am home. Travel to India is rarely quick and comfortable, involving multiple 10 hour plus flights and frequently long layovers in between. In fact, I had one o...
Read Full ArticleIndia with JDB - 8
June 12, 2018A decade or two ago a friend of mine was thinking about writing a book with a working title of “What’s In It For Me: A Selfish Person’s Guide to Caring About the Environment.” I doubt that he was going to use that title – talk about a way to kill sales of a book! Insulting the intended aud...
Read Full ArticleIndia with JDB - 7
June 7, 2018With only a few exceptions, most conservation activities focused on protecting ecosystems (as opposed to species) that happen in India happen with the government declaring protected areas and removing the people from the land. This approach is modeled on how National Parks are created in Wester...
Read Full ArticleIndia with JDB – 6
June 4, 2018Just after I had tucked in to read for a bit before sleep, I got a Whatsapp message from Akshay saying “Dr. James we are coming to (your) hotel in 15 min to discuss something…is it okay?” Thankfully I didn’t say what I was thinking, and instead said yes, please come over for a quick chat. W...
Read Full ArticleIndia with JDB – 5
May 31, 2018I have rarely seen as quiet and respectful a community gathering as tonight. The Applied Environmental Research Foundation and I visited a small rural tribal community of indigenous people (collectively referred to as Adivasi) in the foothills of the Western Ghats, with an aim to encourage them to a...
Read Full ArticleIndia with JDB - 4
May 24, 2018Often, you come into a situation expecting something, and after being there for a while, it turns out you were right, but not-right at the same time. The last week and a half that I have been working with the conservation researchers at the Applied Environmental Research Foundation in India has been...
Read Full ArticleIndia with JDB - 3
May 21, 2018Finally, my flu seems to be clearing, and just in time. I will need a clear head, as we will start grappling in earnest with helping to build scientific and theoretical capacity among young conservationists in India! Whew! I thought that I would be incapacitated by this stupid illness, but it does n...
Read Full ArticleIndia with JDB - 2
May 21, 2018India is an assault on the senses. Almost everything that I am familiar with in my wide travels are more intense here: the spicing on the food, the chaos of the driving, the intensity of the smells, the kindness and generosity of the people, the beauty of the women’s saris, the peace to be fo...
Read Full ArticleIndia with JDB - 1
May 21, 2018Well, here we go again! I am away from our beloved facility at The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens on another lengthy trip, this time to Incredible India for a six-week partnership working with the Applied Environmental Research Foundation (AERF). The goal of our Fulbright Program sponsored project i...
Read Full ArticleHelping Rhinos with JDB - 5
February 16, 2018A day ago, I had one of the highlights of my professional career, something that I have long read about in African adventure books: I had dinner and a game drive with an African Chief and his Royal Family. And, more importantly, it was a transformative experience in what has been a massively transfo...
Read Full ArticleHelping Rhinos with JDB - 4
February 8, 2018Well, we have really done it now! We’ve been here in South Africa for four weeks, working non-stop, and I am really happy to say we are done! All told, we have completed 151 individual interviews about the social impact of the Black Mambas Anti-Poaching Unit program – and we have even entered ne...
Read Full ArticleHelping Rhinos with JDB - 3
February 8, 2018Today The Living Desert made possible a small but important change that furthers conservation, just by buying some extremely artistic batik bags! I’m not one that is quick to tears, but I definitely welled up a bit today! Okay, more than a bit. We do conservation in many ways at The Living Desert...
Read Full ArticlePathways Africa with Mike - Day Seven
February 8, 2018It’s been 15 years I’ve inspired to visit Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) in Namibia. After attending the Pathways Africa Conference was the perfect opportunity. Founded in 1990, CCF is a non-profit organization, a cheetah sanctuary, overlooking the ecologically diverse Waterburg Plateau. CCF is...
Read Full ArticleHelping Rhinos with JDB - 2
January 19, 2018Well, we’ve now officially been here in South Africa for just a bit over one week, and I cannot believe how much we have been able to accomplish in this relatively short time! Amazingly, we have completed all the interviews for two of the four projects that we had planned to complete while here. I...
Read Full ArticlePathways Africa with Mike - Day Five & Six
January 18, 2018And on the Fifth and sixth day... After an amazing week of the Pathways Conference and a day spent with GCF staff, it’s the weekend and I’m heading south to Sossusvlei. On the 400 km journey it’s evident of the deep diversity and natural beauty of the Namibian landscape. On the route through R...
Read Full ArticlePathways Africa with Mike - Day Four
January 18, 2018Today I was witness to a school field trip program like no other. Some of you may have meet Julian Fennessy, Co. Founder and Co. Director of The Giraffe Conservation Foundation, based in Namibia. Julian was one of our conservation speakers in October for our “Year of the Giraffe” campaign. The L...
Read Full ArticleHelping Rhinos with JDB
January 12, 2018The vervet monkeys woke me again today. They are simultaneously adorable and infuriating, inquisitive and terrified, quiet and racket making – a bundle of contradictions, but that is also the nature of doing conservation work in Africa. I am here in South Africa for five weeks to lead a team of r...
Read Full ArticlePathways Africa with Mike - Day Three
January 11, 2018With a light rain falling on Windhoek and after a hearty breakfast at 6:30am it’s time for day two of conservation training. The training commenced with a lecture on Land Tenure and Management, presented by Kelly Stoner, associate Conservation Scientist with the Wildlife Conservation Society. Kell...
Read Full ArticlePathways Africa with Mike - Day Two
January 11, 2018Today, as part of the Pathways training 45 participants we visited the fame of Ulf-Dieter Voight, owner of Krumhun farms. His family have been cattle farmers since 1909. In 1996 he changed Krumhuk to biodynamic farming with their community developing different production lines and processing their o...
Read Full ArticlePathways Africa with Mike - Day One
January 8, 2018After a 30 hour journey through Airports and daunting security checks, I’ve arrived in Windhoek, Namibia for the Pathways Africa Conference. Pathways is a conference and training program esigned to address the myriad of issues that arise as people and wildlife struggle to coexist in a sustainable...
Read Full ArticleTanzania with Mike - Day Six
September 11, 2017Jambo and Asante, thank you and hello are the key words to learn prior to you journey to Tanzania. Tanzanians are friendly and welcoming, and it’s nice to be too. The food is fantastic, beef, chicken and fish for us carnivores and plenty of fresh vegetables. The wildlife viewing is amazing, and to...
Read Full ArticleTanzania with Mike - Day Five
September 11, 2017After yesterday’s sightings of cheetah and realizing that only 11 resided in the park, I was ready to look for them again in the same location. Up at the crack of dawn, Boni and I setout to the site along the Tangirie River we saw them last. Along the way, laying next to its borrow was the fuzzies...
Read Full ArticleTanzania with Mike - Day Four
September 9, 2017Today I’m pick-up at my hotel very early by Boniface Veshut. Boni is a naturalist that works with WNI. We drove to Tarangire National Park. Over the next few days Boni will escort me the field for viewing wildlife and conservation in the home range of some of Africa’s big five and more. Tarangi...
Read Full ArticleTanzania with Mike - Day Three
September 9, 2017The Wild Nature institute has developed a new children's book, which is the core to their giraffe-themed conservation education project. Juma the Giraffe is the second in an ongoing series of children’s educational materials produced by the Wild Nature Institute that teach ecological and social le...
Read Full ArticleTanzania with Mike - Day Two
September 7, 2017This morning plans changed, our classroom visit have been postponed for a day, due to an unexpected government school testing program. Being flexible is very important, and that’s just what Monica Bond and Derek Lee, founders of the Wild Nature Institute are. Instead we visited the PANS foundation...
Read Full ArticleTanzania with Mike - Day One
September 6, 2017Today I’m flying to Kilimanjaro International Airport, Tanzania, via Amsterdam. There wasn’t a direct flight from Palm Springs International! Over the next week I’ll be sharing on-going conservation and education action The Living Desert supports through the WNI (Wild Nature Institute) in Tanz...
Read Full ArticleOn the Road with RoxAnna – Day 10
May 10, 2017Today is my travel day home from this long adventure, back to California I go. This will be the last post in this series. I hope you have enjoyed going on this adventure with me. It was quite the experience and I am coming home with lots of stories. Traveling to new places is...
Read Full ArticleOn the Road with RoxAnna - Day 9
May 9, 2017Last day in Senegal, Africa included a quite long bus ride, one interesting pit stop, a lovely fresh fish lunch and lots of hugs good byes to new and old friends. The goodbyes were more like until we see you again or I will email you. I felt privileged to be around these minds this week,...
Read Full ArticleOn the Road with RoxAnna - Day 8
May 7, 2017I thought today I would list out a bunch of things that have been note-worthy or curious about being in Senegal. Here it goes: TV is in French.- My francais is better but I will keep practicing. It’s still better than my Spanish. Money is in CIFA- I am not even sure I am spelling that right....
Read Full ArticleOn the Road with RoxAnna - Day 7
May 6, 2017We humans are a funny species Traveling to places you have never been before can be exciting, inspiring and enlightening. Seeing and experiencing other cultures gives you a whole new outlook on the world, life and humans. We tend to get wrapped up in our little bubbles and just see our littl...
Read Full ArticleOn the Road with RoxAnna – Day 6
May 5, 2017If not us, then who? The Sahelo-Saharan region is a part of the world that most people don’t know about and is a very harsh environment. Which in my book makes the animals that live there some of the toughest species on the planet. Against many odds they survive and can thrive in this environment...
Read Full ArticleOn the Road with RoxAnna - Day 5
May 4, 2017Trek across Senegal This morning we left Dakar and traveled for over four hours to Saint Louis, another coastal town in Senegal. As we drove across the landscape it became very apparent we were in a different world. The culture and concepts are so very different than what I am used to. These travel...
Read Full ArticleOn the Road with RoxAnna - Day 4
May 3, 2017Senegal We went on a day trip today to a Reserve where some of the rarest Giant Eland live. An eland is an antelope in case you were wondering. There were many other species of antelope plus some giraffe, zebra and a couple of rhino. One of the most amazing sights were the amount of Baobab trees. T...
Read Full ArticleOn the Road with RoxAnna - Day 3
May 2, 2017Senegal- on the coast of West Africa We all have a story, don’t we? We all have family, friends, experiences that got us to where we are today. This is a common thread among humanity. We all have a story. Today I saw many different people, some Seneglalese, some tourists, some colleagues a...
Read Full ArticleOn the Road with RoxAnna - Day 2
May 1, 2017Landed in Madrid. Third airport and 6000 miles later, still on the road. Nothing like a 9 hour layover to get you thinking. So many faces, so many destinations, so many stories. People rushing, people sauntering, people even sleeping. Somebody is always coming and somebody is always going. One thin...
Read Full ArticleOn the Road with RoxAnna - Day 1
May 1, 2017Here I go… I am at the first of many airports I will be in for the next 26 hours. I am on my way to Senegal which is on the western coast of Africa. While I have worked with many African species over the years, I have never actually stepped on the continent. To my close friends I have been referr...
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