Sustainable & Wild

Season 3

Join Dr. James Danoff-Burg, Vice President of Conservation at The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens for a discussion of lessons learned about urban habitat creation and wildlands enrichment projects in Southern California. In an area with an ever increasing population and developed footprint, the rugged but delicate native California flora and ecosystems are constantly under threat. We are loving our wildlands to death. Come and hear how some novel and innovative approaches to how we can reverse this trend by planting native, creating natural ecosystems in urban areas, enriching and restoring wild spaces, and tending to our biologically diverse California Deserts. We can reverse the decline when working together.

Join OLT Volunteer Kurt Kosek for bird watching walks at Prescott Preserve on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month.

Birders of all ages and experience levels welcome. Walks are under 1.5 miles on dirt trails. The group meets at the old golf cart crosswalk on Farrell, just north of Mesquite. Plenty of parking on Farrell.

Connect with other Prescott Preserve’s birdies via Prescott Preserve Facebook Group.

Date: Saturday, January 10th
Time: 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Admission: FREE
Address: Oswit Canyon
Parking: Street parking available
RSVP: DavidP@OswitLandTrust.org

Now that it is cooler, this multi-year volunteer effort to clear fountain grass from the washes in Oswit Canyon resumes. Fountain grass runs wild across our desert and, when left unchecked, chokes out the native vegetation that wildlife depends on. Many volunteers say it is one of the most fulfilling projects they work on because the before and after is so dramatic! We need more volunteers to help. Please note that this is hard work using shovels and pickaxes on uneven and rocky surfaces. We also need volunteers to cut and bag seed, which is less strenuous, but you will still be working on uneven surfaces.

Date: Wednesday, January 14th
Time: 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
RSVP: DavidP@OswitLandTrust.Org
Address: Desert Hot Springs Health and Wellness Center, 11750 Cholla Dr. Desert Hot Springs, CA 92240
Parking: Available

Our First Talk in Desert Hot Springs!

Join Oswit Land Trust, Ron Berger, President of The Desert Tortoise Conservancy, and Sarah Bliss, Director of Community Conservation Initiatives with the Mojave Desert Land Trust for a discussion on saving the Mojave Desert Tortoise.

The Mojave Desert Tortoise is California’s State Reptile. It and its ancestors roamed these lands even before the Jurassic Era, surviving the dinosaurs, asteroids, ice ages, and all manner of climate events. And yet, their populations in much of their range in our state have declined by upwards of 90% in recent years. This community presentation will explore the factors driving their rapid decline and, most importantly, what residents of Desert Hot Springs – as well as those across Riverside and San Bernardino Counties – can do to help protect and restore desert tortoise habitat.

Oswit Land Trust is joining forces with the City of Desert Hot Springs on a number of projects this season, including a clean-up morning at the trailhead of Blind Canyon.

Please join us for a quick two hour improvement to the trailhead of this popular hiking spot.

Prescott Preserve has only existed for two years and has become a birding “hot spot” here in the Coachella Valley. We will discuss what birds we have been seeing at the Preserve and why this old golf course turned wildlife preserve has become so important to different bird species. Presented by Kurt Kosek, a member of the San Bernardino Valley Audubon Society and Certified California Naturalist. In addition, Kurt leads bird walks at Prescott Preserve since its inception.

All are welcome and learn more about the activities of Friends of Prescott Preserve.

Experience sustainable desert living firsthand during a Garden and Home Tour at DesertStrawHouse Native Plant Nursery. This immersive guided experience invites you into both the demonstration gardens and our straw-bale home – a space thoughtfully designed for comfort, efficiency, and harmony with the desert environment. Throughout the tour, you’ll explore native plants, pollinator habitat, water-wise landscaping, wildlife-friendly design, and practical choices that can make a home more sustainable in our region.

After the tour, guests will enjoy private access to the native plant nursery. Light refreshments will be served. This experience is perfect for anyone curious about native plants, sustainable construction, or living in balance with the desert ecosystem.

DesertStrawHouse Native Plant Nursery is located in Sky Valley, just east of Desert Hot Springs. RSVP is required as space is limited. To register and receive more information, please email David Paisley at DavidP@OswitLandTrust.org

An additional community cleanup day is scheduled for our Happy Valley property in Indio Hills. In November, we removed tons of debris thanks to community volunteers, Urban Conservation Corps and the Southern California Mountains Foundation. Now we need to do some detail work along Dillon road, removing blown trash and some smaller dumping sites. Specific instructions will be sent to community members and volunteers signing up for this cleanup day.

The Natives Plant List You’ve Been Waiting For!

Prescott Preserve is excited to welcome back Restoration Biologist Jose Mendoza for a lecture focusing on the California native plants that are central to the ecological restoration of our unique site, a former golf course in Palm Springs now being transformed into a flourishing nature preserve. Jose will showcase the specific native species being used in the project, including those grown from seed and cuttings at the Prescott Preserve native plant nursery.

The lecture will delve into the ethnobotanical significance of these plants, their critical relationships with local wildlife, and their overall ecological benefits. Furthermore, we will highlight how these beautiful and resilient plants can be incorporated into your own landscapes and home gardens, helping to support local biodiversity and conserve water. Join us to learn how you can contribute to the restoration effort by bringing a piece of Prescott Preserve into your own backyard!

Date: Thursday, February, 12, 2026
Time: 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM
Admission: FREE
Address: Mizell Center, 480 S Sunrise Way, Palm Springs, CA 92262
Parking: Available
RSVP: DavidP@OswitLandTrust.org

The presentation will discuss endangered Peninsular bighorn sheep ecology, the issues they have overcome as well as challenges they face now and in the future. We will look at Bighorn Institute’s 40-year history, its recovery efforts for the species and how the community can get involved. Presented by Aimee Byard, Director of Operations and Biologist for Bighorn Institute and has been with the Institute for 25 years.

Join OLT Volunteer Kurt Kosek for bird watching walks at Prescott Preserve on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month.

Connect with other Prescott Preserve’s birdies via Prescott Preserve Facebook Group.

Date: Thursday, March 12, 2026
Time: 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM
Admission: FREE
Address: Mizell Center, 480 S Sunrise Way, Palm Springs, CA 92262
Parking: Available
RSVP: DavidP@OswitLandTrust.Org

Join Noelle Ronan, a wildlife biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Palm Springs Office, for a presentation that explores the unique life history of burrowing owls, covering topics such as nesting and winter ecology, diet, home range size, habitat associations, burrow use, behavior, and pairs with young. The presentation will review some study techniques and provide a summary of conservation status and protection efforts. Ms. Ronan will share examples from field experience and her perspective as a burrowing owl specialist and wildlife biologist.

Noelle Ronan works on threatened, endangered, and at-risk species. Noelle is a species expert on burrowing owls and has worked on the species since 1997 conducting research and monitoring population demographics in natural and urban habitats in central and southern California, the front range in Colorado, and eastern Washington. As the Burrowing Owl Species Lead for the Palm Springs Fish and Wildlife office, Noelle coordinates with agency and non-agency partners on conservation concerns of burrowing owl populations state-wide.

Join OLT Volunteer Kurt Kosek for bird watching walks at Prescott Preserve on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month.

Connect with other Prescott Preserve’s birdies via Prescott Preserve Facebook Group.

THANK YOU!

Thank you to everyone who participated in the inaugural season of Palm Springs: Sustainable & Wild. The program’s goal was to produce a series of lectures, events, guided hikes, films, and workshops to enhance our community’s understanding of our native environment.

Thank you to the City of Palm Springs for funding the season through their annual Event Sponsorship program.

We are happy to report that Oswit Land Trust produced 32 events between October and April, attended by 1,800 community members.

Special thanks to our partners:

Now we start planning for year two.

Look for new events and calendar updates to start in October 2024.

If you or your company has an interest in environmental education, please consider sponsoring the 2024/25 season. Contact David Paisley at DavidP@OswitLandTrust.org for more information.

Events

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Community members

Sustainable & Wild

JANUARY

FEBRUARY

MARCH

THANK YOU!