Palm Springs, Calif. — Local, federal and nonprofit organizations throughout the entire range of the Mojave desert tortoise are coming together to raise awareness and promote recovery of one of the desert’s most iconic species through a series of events starting in October.
The Mojave desert tortoise was listed under the Endangered Species Act as threatened in 1990 due to habitat loss, habitat fragmentation and predation. The tortoise faces many threats, but you can be part of the species’ recovery. Learn more about actions to help them during “Desert Tortoise Week,” being celebrated Oct. 4-8, 2021.
Schedule of events: (Also available at www.fws.gov/carlsbad/PalmSprings/DesertTortoise.html)
Tortoise Table, Joshua Tree National Park
October 4 – October 8, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Visit the "Tortoise Table" outside the Oasis of Mara Visitor Center for tortoise talks and games. Spin the "Wheel of Tortoise" and learn about threats and conservation efforts.
Contacts: david_a_larson@nps.gov, michael_vamstad@nps.gov, 760-367-5522
Location: 74485 National Park Drive, Twentynine Palms, CA 92277
Open Spaces Photo Contest, Mojave Desert Land Trust
October 4 – October 8, online
Enter a photo contest for the chance to win tortoise monitoring training and an overnight excursion. Visit Instagram page, @mojavedesertlandtrust to enter.
Contact: mary@mdlt.org
Location: www.mdlt.org
Self-Guided Scavenger Hunt, Utah Department of Natural Resources
October 4 – October 8, 6 a.m. – 10 p.m. (MDT)
Join a short scavenger hunt activity in Snow Canyon State Park. Handouts are available at the park's visitor center or online at https://stateparks.utah.gov/parks/snow-canyon/events/.
Contact: snowcanyon@utah.gov
Location: 1002 N. Snow Canyon Dr., Ivins, UT 847388
Desert Tortoise Native Plant Sale, The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens
October 4 – October 9, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Create a tortoise habitat in your own garden by planting native plants.
Contact: aocanas@livingdesert.org
Location: 47900 Portola Avenue, Palm Desert, CA 92260
At-Home Desert Tortoise Paint-By-Numbers, The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens
October 4 – October 9, downloadable online
Paint the desert tortoise's landscape to life and ponder ways to help protect this iconic species.
Contact: aocanas@livingdesert.org
Location: https://www.livingdesert.org/events/upcoming-zoo-events/desert-tortoise-week/
Tortoise Scavenger Hunt, The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens
October 4 – October 9, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Self-led scavenger hunt with prizes and wildlife exhibits.
Contact: ocanas@livingdesert.org
Location: 47900 Portola Avenue, Palm Desert, CA 92260
BioBlitz 2021, Desert National Wildlife Refuge
October 9 – October 10
Become a Citizen Scientist and document species on the Desert National Wildlife Refuge.
Contacts: joshua_contois@fws.gov, 702-817-3936
Location: Desert National Wildlife Refuge Complex, Las Vegas NV
Online Fall Native Plant Sale, Mojave Desert Land Trust
October 11 – October 13, online
Order native plants online from the Mojave Desert Land Trust.
Contact: mary@mdlt.org
Location: www.mdlt.org
The Desert Tortoise, Art, and You, Mojave Desert Land Trust
October 14, 8 a.m. virtual launch
Learn more about the species through this new Desert Indoors Module.
Contact: mary@mdlt.org
Location: www.mdlt.org/desertindoors
Student Contest: Tortoise Art – Show What You Know!, Mojave Desert Land Trust
October 18 – October 21, online
Enter a Student Art Contest for the chance to win a grand prize; all entrants receive a MDLT sticker. Adults can enter their student by visiting MDLT's Instagram page, @mojavedesertlandtrust.
Contact: mary@mdlt.org
Location: www.mdlt.org
Native Planting Restoration Project, Nevada Department of Wildlife
October 16, October 23, October 30 and November 6 at 9 a.m.
The Friends of Nevada Wilderness and Nevada Department of Wildlife are holding a Native Planting Event to restore plants following a wildfire. To participate, create a volunteer account at https://nevada.volunteers.kalkomey.com/.
Contact: mhflores@ndow.org
Location: Mormon Mountains, NV
Find more desert tortoise information and events at:
Joshua Tree National Park
www.nps.gov/jotr/index.htm
Facebook: @JoshuaTreeNPS, Twitter: @JoshuaTreeNPS, Instagram: @joshuatreenps, YouTube: JoshuaTreeNPS
Desert Tortoise Council
https://deserttortoise.org
Friends of the Desert Mountains
www.desertmountains.org
Anza Borrego Desert State Park
www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=638
Marine Air Ground Combat Training Center Twentynine Palms
www.29palms.marines.mil
U.S. Army Fort Irwin National Training Center
https://home.army.mil/irwin/index.php
Be sure to call ahead for current information and follow CDC safe practices when attending in-person events.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service works with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. For more information about our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov/cno or connect with us via Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Flickr.
-FWS-
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