Sustainable & Wild

Season 3

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.

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: 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

1800

Community members

Sustainable & Wild

FEBRUARY

MARCH

THANK YOU!