If you have questions or would like to get involved, please contact David Paisley, Community Engagement Director, at DavidP@OswitLandTrust.org. We are always happy to speak with community groups, HOA meetings, neighborhood meetings or talk with you individually.
The restoration of Prescott Preserve is a long-term project that will unfold over many years. While full ecological recovery will take decades – allowing the land to heal and native plants to mature – the community can expect steady, meaningful progress. Over the next three years, visitors will begin to see visible improvements across the Preserve as key restoration elements take shape.
Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB) Grant
Oswit Land Trust was awarded $3.48 million from the Wildlife Conservation Board for Phase One of the Prescott Preserve Ecological Restoration. The Notice to Proceed was issued in July 2025. This funding, which will be distributed over the grant period upon completion of goals, supports major restoration tasks, including hiring staff and contractors, project planning, securing necessary permits, installing a new irrigation pump and lines, removing invasive species including Bermuda grass, planting native trees and shrubs, and seeding targeted areas of the Preserve.
Phase One focuses primarily on the western portion of the Preserve (west of Farrell Drive), with additional work planned for a smaller section on the east side of Farrell Drive along the multi-use trail.
The grant enables OLT to expand our restoration team with three dedicated staff members: a Restoration Manager, Restoration Biologist, and Restoration Assistant. In addition, we contracted with three professional teams – Studio 2nd Street, LSA, and BrightView – to carry out the majority of field work associated with this grant. All staff and contractors are now hired.
Currently, the project is in the significant planning and permitting stage, which is essential but time-intensive. The next steps will be irrigation system replacement and then removal of invasive species such as Bermuda grass. The majority of planting funded by this grant will occur during the 2026–27 planting season.
Phase One is expected to take 30 months to complete. Oswit Land Trust is also in the process of applying for additional funding for Phases Two and Three, which will expand restoration work to other areas of the Preserve, including the sections east of Farrell Drive.
Measure J Grant
The City of Palm Springs has provided preliminary approval for $234,000 Measure J award for Prescott Preserve, specifically to support native tree planting. Oswit Land Trust is currently in the contract negotiation phase for this grant. These funds will allow the purchase of trees, which will be planted by community volunteers in areas of the Preserve not covered by the WCB Phase One grant. While some trees may be planted during the 2025/26 season, most of the planting is expected in 2026/27. Currently, Oswit Land Trust is waiting for the anticipated approval of this grant.
Friends of Prescott Preserve and Pond Heroes
Friends of Prescott Preserve is a community-based committee that raises funds for initiatives not covered by grants and fosters a network of supporters for the Preserve. A related effort, the Pond Heroes project, focuses on supporting the Preserve’s ponds. To date, the committee has raised over $100,000. Initial major funding is directed toward repairing pedestrian bridges at Prescott Preserve, with bids currently being obtained for these repairs, which are expected to cost several hundred thousand dollars over three years. The aeration system currently installed in the ponds was funded by these contributions, to reduce algae growth. The roof of the pond pump house will be replaced over the next two months using these funds, in anticipation if the new irrigation system equipment.
