A December 8 ribbon-cutting marked the official opening of the Mojave Desert Discovery Garden, a former parking lot at the Mojave Desert Land Trust headquarters in Joshua Tree transformed into a public garden showcasing the diversity of the desert’s native plants and ecosystems. It features native plants important to ethnobotany, key pollinator species and endangered species.
In 2020, the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians awarded the California Desert Land Conservancy a $12,000 grant to support the garden’s educational signage project. These panels provide visitors with information about each plant’s name; traditional knowledge of the plant’s medicinal, edible and other uses; and sustainable landscaping practices and natural resource conservation. Each sign also includes a “What Can You Do?” section with actionable steps to protect and preserve Native plants. The organization worked with San Manuel’s Cultural Resources Management team for the Serrano language inclusion in the panels, as well as the land acknowledgment.
