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Mojave Desert Land Trust

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Joshua Tree, CA
Mojave Desert Land Trust

Our mission is protect the Mojave Desert ecosystem and its scenic and cultural resource values.

09/03/2026

“I wandered the Mojave for three days this summer because I wanted to feel the heat. I packed plenty of water and sunscreen, wore a hooded sun shirt, and planned to do most of my hiking around dawn and dusk. But part of me also hoped to find some small sense of kinship with the plants and animals that endure the Mojave summer without the relief of a cold shower or air-conditioning.

The desert, meanwhile, was anything but empty. Cliff goldenbush and creosote were in bloom. A western kingbird appeared at sunrise. A black widow devoured a moth. Between two rocks lay the sun-bleached jaw of a mule deer.

Three days is hardly a Mojave summer. But it was enough to begin to understand what it asks of those who live through one.”

In our latest story, “How Life Meets a Mojave Summer,” MDLT storyteller Josh Jackson explores the many ways life adapts to the desert's most punishing season.

Read the full essay: https://www.mdlt.org/blog/how-life-meets-a-mojave-summer

08/31/2026

Members of the family Brassicaceae, commonly known as mustards, often get a bad rep in California thanks to some widespread invasive mustard species (we're looking at you, Sahara mustard). But let’s not let a few bad seeds spoil the whole bunch! There are many mustards native to California that support the living, interconnected landscapes that the Mojave Desert Land Trust works to protect.

The Mojave Desert Seed Bank (MDSB) field team has been hard at work identifying and collecting seed from seven mustard species native to California this year, including some very charismatic species like desert candles (Caulanthus inflatus), desert prince's plume (Stanleya pinnata), yellow pepperweed (Lepidium flavum), and Moapa bladderpod (Physaria tenella). These native mustards are not only visually stunning, adding to the backdrop of beautiful golden blooms often associated with springtime; but they also support a variety of native butterflies, bees, and moths, which in turn supports wildlife, plant life, and us.

Invasive plants are a real threat to the California desert and many ecosystems worldwide. By protecting native mustards (and all native plants), we help keep our ecosystems healthy, more resistant to invasive species, and resilient to the effects of climate change. And healthy ecosystems support our well-being, too.

We are excited to add these native mustard species to the Mojave Desert Seed Bank, where they will be kept safe and available for research and future restoration and reintroduction for decades to come.

Photos: Anthony Rondon

08/26/2026

Begin your volunteer journey with MDLT on Thursday September 3 at 8am! During this training, new volunteers will learn more about the Mojave Desert Land Trust, tour our facilities, meet staff, and jump right into volunteer projects like land stewardship, seed cleaning, working in our native plant nursery, or helping with outreach in our communities. Sign up today: https://www.mdlt.org/events/new-volunteer-training-09032026

08/25/2026

Today we celebrate the California legislature's adoption of Assembly Joint Resolution 9 (AJR 9), which calls on federal leaders to provide full funding and adequate staffing for our national parks and public lands. Introduced by Assemblymember Greg Wallis (AD-47), AJR 9 passed unanimously through the Assembly and Senate, demonstrating that public lands are not a partisan issue. Thank you Assemblymember Wallis for being a true public lands champion and continuing your adamant defense of iconic landscapes in the California desert!

As a joint resolution, this bill does not require the governor's signature, and will be delivered to federal agencies and decisionmakers as an official and bipartisan position from the California legislature.

Photo: Chris Wheeler

08/20/2026

Collections Manager Corina Godoy has watched the Mojave Desert Seed Bank grow in real time, from a small effort without permanent staff to a science-forward program caring for millions of seeds. What can be learned from other seed banks at this stage in our development? Corina traveled to Oregon on a special research trip to find out. Read all about it on our blog: https://www.mdlt.org/blog/where-seed-bank-staff-go-to-dream
Photo: Corina Godoy

08/14/2026

One vital aspect of our work that has received focused attention from our staff this past year is our herbarium. MDLT began collecting pressed ‘voucher’ specimens for our herbarium in 2018 and now has over 500 examples representing a diversity of plant species from the lands we steward across the California desert.

Herbaria are vital resources for plant taxonomists, conservationists, and researchers. They provide plant specimens for research, material for chemical and genetic analysis, and detailed georeferenced data for the study of distribution and flowering patterns. And now ours is going digital! Seed Bank Collections Manager Corina Godoy explains why this matters in our new blog post: https://www.mdlt.org/blog/time-capsule-desert-plants-help-understand-our-past-present-and-future

Photos: Sarah Sido

08/11/2026

New polling data released indicates that public lands are extremely important to voters across the political spectrum in California's 6th, 22nd, 23rd, and 40th Congressional Districts. According to the poll, more than 90% of voters in these districts oppose proposals to sell off public lands to private entities, and more than 80% believe that reducing funding and staffing for public lands is a bad idea.

CA-23 includes most of San Bernardino County, spanning from the high desert and Lake Arrowhead to the Nevada and Arizona borders. It contains some of the most popular public lands in California, including Joshua Tree and Death Valley National Parks, Mojave National Preserve, and Sand to Snow, Mojave Trails, and Castle Mountains National Monuments. “Our public lands bring us all together,” says Krystian Lahage, MDLT Public Policy Officer. “I hear all the time from local residents about the incredible experiences they have had in these places. It’s no wonder that protecting our public lands is so broadly popular.”

Thank you McKenna Mobley from Victorville Daily Press for reporting on this recent poll and for speaking with Public Policy Officer Krystian Lahage about this issue!

Read more: https://www.vvdailypress.com/story/news/environment/2026/08/05/high-desert-voters-rally-around-public-lands-new-poll-finds/91169008007

Photo: A person enjoys the scenic view of Whitewater River in Sand to Snow National Monument.

08/10/2026

While conducting late-season scouting efforts in the drainage basin between the P***n and Coxcomb mountains, MDLT’s Seed Bank Technicians wandered into a vast system of low-lying dunes with one goal: to find cool endemic plants.

In the distance, the team caught a glimpse of a few shrubs dotted in yellow that seemingly multiplied into hundreds as their eyes focused in on the horizon. From afar they seemed to look like your standard issue Cleomella arborea; but upon closer inspection, the fruits were strikingly different.

Seed Bank Technician Kyra Santa Cruz introduces us to one of California's rare Cleomellas in this month's rare plant highlight: https://www.mdlt.org/blog/rare-plant-highlight-cleomella-palmeri

08/06/2026

Western Mojave residents: Have you been interested in volunteering for MDLT but unable to make it to new volunteer trainings in Joshua Tree? We're coming to you!

Join us Tuesday September 8 from 2-4pm at the Apple Valley Conference Center (14975 Dale Evans Parkway in Apple Valley) to meet our staff and learn about volunteer opportunities at MDLT's nearby preserves. We hope to see you there! RSVP:
https://www.mdlt.org/events/new-volunteer-training-09082026

Address

60124 29 Palms Highway
Joshua Tree, CA
92252

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm

Telephone

+17603665440

Website

https://www.mdlt.org/

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