News

Happy Labor Day Weekend!

We work every day at the preserve, including holidays, and because of our growing educational programs we are looking for a great individual who wishes to work in a nature settings with a great team of staff and volunteers. See the below ad for a part-time administrative assistant and please help us spread the word.

Our Fall newsletter has received rave reviews on the topics of the two proposed wildlife crossings in Morongo Valley, two rare plants found in or near Big Morongo Canyon Preserve, and, of course, Kaeliegh’s Korner!

Yes, it has been hot in the desert! Everyone, including the wildlife, is looking to cool off. Despite the heat, we continue to provide safe environmental education for families during the summer.

In July, we completed five sessions of Summer Science Fun! with 88 participants. Our education team designed and implemented programming for children during their summer break on the shaded porch and inside the cool, air conditioned Nature Center. Both the children and their parents felt the science experiments and craft projects were exciting and rewarding.

Thank you for supporting our 30th Anniversary fundraising campaign which was a great success! Here are wonderful comments that accompanied donations:

We love our visits out there. You guys are doing everything right!

Blessings and keep up the great stewardship.

This is one of my happy places. We are honored to support it in life and beyond, as a beneficiary of our estate!

Imagine standing quietly on a shaded boardwalk as the morning sun filters through towering cottonwoods. Birds fill the air with song. A family pauses to watch a mule deer emerge from the trees. Children excitedly discover a butterfly resting on a native wildflower. For a moment, the noise and stress of everyday life disappear.

Moments like these happen every day at Big Morongo Canyon Preserve because people like you care.

Your generosity helps protect one of California’s most remarkable desert oases while creating opportunities for thousands of visitors each year to experience nature, learn about conservation, and discover why places like this deserve our protection.

This month marks the 30th anniversary of Friends of Big Morongo Canyon Preserve. As we celebrate this milestone, we are proud of everything our community has accomplished together, and we are also looking toward the future.

Thirty years ago, in the summer of 1996, Friends of Big Morongo Canyon Preserve was founded with a simple but lasting mission: to steward Big Morongo Canyon through education and responsible visitation. As we mark this important anniversary, we invite you to celebrate with us by supporting the work that makes the preserve such a special place for our community and future generations.

This year, we’ve completed several meaningful improvements throughout the preserve. Our Native Plant Garden has been revitalized with a new landscape design, an updated irrigation system, and more than 70 new native plant specimens. The Pollinator Garden has also been refreshed with improved trails, restored garden borders, and a beautiful bench created and installed by Eagle Scout Harrison McDaniel, offering a peaceful place to pause and enjoy the surrounding landscape. Harrison’s project came to life through a connection made by Lindsay Rowe of the Audubon Society, whose partnership reflects the collaborative spirit that helps the preserve thrive.

Special thanks also goes to our dedicated volunteer garden team for reimagining the Pollinator Garden, first established in 2018, into a vibrant habitat for pollinators and a place of learning and reflection for visitors.

For 30 years, Friends of Big Morongo Canyon Preserve have been dedicated to the stewardship of Big Morongo Canyon through education and responsible visitation. As we celebrate this important milestone, we invite you to join our anniversary festivities by supporting the work that makes the preserve such a special place for our community and future generations of conservationists.

Our pollinator garden is now in “full bloom,” accompanied by a recent revitalization of the trails, refreshed garden delineators, and a beautiful new bench where visitors can rest while enjoying views of the garden and the mountains beyond. The bench was created and installed by Harrison McDaniel as his Eagle Scout project. Harrison was referred to the preserve by Lindsay Rowe of the Audubon Society, and we are deeply grateful for these supportive community partnerships.

Special thanks to our dedicated volunteer garden team for re-imagining the pollinator garden, which was first established in 2018. Their vision and hard work continue to transform this space into a vibrant habitat for pollinators and a place of learning and reflection for visitors.

We are also developing interpretive signs for the native plant garden — where 70 species were planted in fall 2025 — as well as for the pollinator garden and our Nature Center. Looking ahead to the fall season, we will add more “host” plants to the gardens. Butterfly host plants are essential because they provide the specific plants adult butterflies need to lay their eggs. Once the eggs hatch, these plants become the exclusive food source for the growing caterpillars. Without host plants, butterflies cannot complete their life cycle.

Our preserve hosts are often overlooked by the visitors to the preserve. We wish to take this moment to thank our volunteer preserve hosts who open and close the preserve gate, keep the bathrooms stocked with toilet paper, soap, and paper towels, and maintain the cleanliness of the facility. Yes, we receive written compliments on the cleanliness of the bathrooms! Tim Sizemore and LiMei Dunn recently migrating north for their summer “gig” at Wiskeytown National Recreation Area. Ray Roberts has taken their place and he is now greeting visitors, along with the birds and deer that frequent the host site. We are grateful to have a great volunteer team, which includes our preserve hosts!

Memorial Day Weekend was a busy time at the preserve, not just for the many visitors, but for the many events and programs.

Earlier this week, we attended the Conservation Lands Foundation’s Summit n Denver with 150 representatives of their Friends Grassroots Network. The Conservation Lands Foundation is the only nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting and expanding America’s National Conservation Lands, which includes the Sand to Snow National Monument, as they protect, steward, and advocate for at-risk landscapes across the western United States. Friends of Big Morongo Canyon Preserve is proud to be a member of the Friends Grassroots Network, comprised of nearly 90 community-based nonprofit organizations. At the 2026 Friends Summit, we discussed current challenges to public lands, shared resources to build resilience and capacity, and celebrated stories of success and inspiration. This year’s Summit theme was Defend What Matters: Shaping the Future of Conservation Leadership.

Celebrating Earth Month at the Preserve was full of surprises and activities.  As this is the peak month for spring migratory birds, we have been graced with Vermilion flycatchers, Summer tanagers, Hooded orioles, and a new family of Great horned owlets.  Click here to see the list of 63 recently seen birds on our Wednesday bird walks.

On Earth Day, April 22, we conducted our annual Desert Trivia Fundraiser where over 90 supporters competed. The “Trailblazer” team, consisting of Kim McClinton, Michael McClinton, Robin Kobaly, Linda Sheehan, and Doug Thompson took home the win! Throughout this wonderful evening, guests also participated in prize drawings featuring original artwork, gift certificates, Big Morongo Canyon Preserve swag, and unique experiences.

We wish to thank Lorenzo and Jasmine for their hospitality at Spaghetti Western Saloon, as they gave us the main stage for the event and participants enjoyed the wonderful dinners and the signature drink, the Vermillion. We’d also like to thank Sarah Witt for helping bring Desert Trivia to life. The creativity and care behind the questions made the evening engaging, lively, and truly memorable for all who attended.