Contributing Author: David Naylor
Transition Habitat Conservancy is celebrating its 20th Anniversary this year. Since 2005, Transition Habitat Conservancy, located in Pinon Hills, has been a vital land steward for the Mojave Desert and mountain transition regions. As an accredited land trust, the organization has protected habitats from being destroyed by over-development. Transition Habitat was initially founded to preserve land and has acquired over 10,000 acres within Los Angeles and San Bernardino County.
Another successful milestone that the organization has completed is offering its first Natural Resources California Naturalist program which took place from March through April. The certification program was focused on an “Introduction to the Mojave Desert,” which covered the geology, water resources, plants, and animals, that are vital to the Mojave Desert.
Students who signed up for the course attended weekly Zoom classes led by Transition Habitat Biologist Sarah Berryman. The students also participated in weekly field trips, learning about the desert in the wild at various locations around the vast Mojave Desert.
Here is an inside look of the program from one of the students, David Naylor, a Wrightwood resident who successfully completed the course and is now a certified California Naturalist:
“Every now and then in life an experience comes along that makes you feel privileged to have been part of something very special. The course involved a diverse collection of people from a variety of experiences and backgrounds all sharing a passion for a wondrous part of California that is too often overlooked or passed by.
The depth of experience among the course participants was such that several class members were guest lecturers to share their expertise with the group. Roy Granger the founder of Seeds of Succession in the Victor Valley spoke about regenerative agriculture in the high desert and proclaimed the many benefits of growing mesquite. Susanne Douglas, a NASA expert on geology and biology of extreme environments shared results and experience from her work in Death Valley and its surroundings.
The course included four field trips, three of which were held at nature preserves or conservation areas managed by Transition Habitat Conservancy: Puma Canyon Ecological Reserve in Pinon Hills; Fremont-Kramer Desert Wildlife Management Area near Lockhart and Harper Dry Lake; and Portal Ridge Wildlife Preserve near Fairmont and the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve. The fourth field trip to the Mojave Narrows Regional Park near Victorville was highlighted by sightings of a Bald Eagle and a guided tour by volunteers and bird watching experts from Friends of Mojave Narrows Park.
The variety of plants, animals, fungi, insects, and birds in these four areas illustrated very well the extent of the biodiversity to be found in the Mojave Desert.
Another of the course requirements was to complete some form of Stewardship Project. With presentations to the class of everyone’s projects we again all benefited from the wide range of interests represented by all the participants. Alana Dixon and Eden Pitt organized and coordinated a series of ‘BioBlitzes’ in the West Antelope Valley in which people learned how to use the iNaturalist mobile app for making and recording wildlife observations in the field. Other projects and presentations covered topics such as: desert tortoises; joshua trees; desert biocrust; ravens; seed give-aways to promote native pollinators; medicinal foods; several on native plant gardening; and several on development of instructional materials for children and adults.
Going into the course I expected that we would focus on topics that a California Naturalist with an interest in the Mojave Desert should know. However, there was at least as much emphasis on the practical aspects of what a naturalist actually does: from tools and techniques; to how to give public presentations; and of course lead nature walks. The overall result was an experience that the initial cohort will cherish for years to come.”
Transition Habitat Conservancy will be offering this course again next year. Registration will be open for adults looking to gain the knowledge and skills to help protect and preserve the unique and diverse wildlife and habitats in California. Be sure to follow them on Facebook and Instagram @transition.habitat to stay notified when registration opens.
