Dedicated to preserving the Mojave Desert’s ecosystems and the livelihood of residents and visitors in the face of construction and development, the Mojave Desert Land Trust was established in 2005. With a strategy that encompasses collaboration, funding, organization development, and education in addition to its conservation efforts, the MDLT has preserved more than 45,000 acres and removed over 50 tons of debris from the desert.
One conservation project, Quail Mountain, encompasses almost 1,000 acres that have never been developed or grazed upon. A diverse group of wildlife lives and migrates across its three parcels, including bighorn sheep and desert tortoises, among others. Another project works to preserve the area between Joshua Tree National Park and a Marine base to the north, totaling 2,750 acres of wildlife corridor. With a number of rare birds and other animals in the MDLT’s wildlife linkage campaign, the area is a key part of its efforts to preserve the desert for future generations.