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Monday 8am - 4:30pm Tuesday 8am - 4:30pm Wednesday 8am - 4:30pm Thursday 8am - 4:30pm Friday 8am - 4:30pm

Coachella Valley Mountains Conservancy

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Coachella Valley Mountains Conservancy

Protecting Our Natural and Cultural Resources

05/29/2026

Some good news heading into the weekend 🌴🐟🦁

The Coachella Valley Mountains Conservancy Board has approved more than $2 million in conservation funding to support wildlife protection, habitat restoration, and climate resilience projects across the Coachella Valley region.

This funding will support:
🐟 Protection of endangered desert pupfish habitat at Thousand Palms Oasis Preserve led by Center for Lands Management
💧 New efforts to create sustainable desert pupfish refuge habitat in partnership with the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians and The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens
🛣️ Planning for two wildlife crossings along State Route 62 to improve safety for both wildlife and motorists led by Mojave Desert Land Trust

These projects are collaborative, science-based investments in the future of our desert ecosystems and communities.

“We are proud to support our regional partners in advancing innovative solutions for habitat protection, climate resilience, and species conservation.” — Executive Director Elizabeth King

Thank you to all of our partners helping move this important work forward.

Image Credits: 1) Image of mountain lion member of the San Gabriel-San Bernardino Mountains population impacted by potential wildlife crossing/Image by Dan Potter; 2) Image of bighorn sheep family/Image by Oswit Land Trust; 3) Image of desert pupfish/Image by CVMC Photo Contest Participant

05/21/2026

🌄 Big news from CVMC! Our quarterly newsletter is launching soon, and you can be among the first to receive it.

Get the latest on conservation projects, trail improvements, habitat restoration, community programs, and more. All happening right here in the Coachella Valley and surrounding mountain regions.

📬 Sign up today → link in bio

05/01/2026

Badlands Trailhead Improvements Grand Opening! 🎉🌄

Our goal as a Conservancy is to invest state funds locally here in the Valley and make the outdoors accessible to everyone. The grand opening of improvements to the beloved Badlands Trail in the City of Indio is exactly why we do what we do.

We were proud to celebrate the Conservancy funding this project, alongside dozens of local hikers and the City of Indio, and exciting upgrades, including:
• More than 30 new parking spaces
• 45+ newly planted trees
• Solar-powered lighting
• Landscaping enhancements
• A new walking path for improved access
• 27 new carbonite signs installed by Friends of the Desert Mountains volunteers

Community members like Wendy and Daisy traveled from North Shore to join the ribbon cutting, sharing that the new improvements make the trail even more inviting. About half of the attendees lived in the neighborhood, while others came from across the region to experience the trail.

This is a win for the Valley. Thank you to the City of Indio for helping make it possible!

See you on the trails!

04/30/2026

🌎🌳 Earth Day + Arbor Day 🌎🌳 What a day at Ruth Hardy Park!

Conservancy staff and Board Members joined the City of Palm Springs to celebrate Earth Day and Arbor Day. We shared Native Plant Guides funded by the Conservancy and developed by Friends of the Desert Mountains and chatted about trails with the community.

A special highlight from the day: Conservancy Board Member and City of Palm Springs Council Member Grace Garner and community members rolled up their sleeves and planted trees to invest in Palm Springs' greener future! 🌱💚

04/27/2026

Wellness Check on Conserved Lands 🌄🦌

The Conservancy spent a great morning with our partners at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife inspecting our conserved lands. Together, we visited three guzzlers that provide vital water sources for desert wildlife, big and small! We were even spotted by a curious baby bighorn lamb before a nearby ram encouraged it to move along.

Along the way, we saw frogs and bees enjoying the water and took in incredible views of quieter areas that support habitat for 27 protected species.

Did you know the Conservancy directly owns over 5,000 acres of land and co-manages more than 106,000 acres with our partners? Monitoring the health of these lands is a big part of what we do. Challenges for land management include lack of funding, illegal dumping, litter, and off-trail use that harms sensitive wildlife. Hot tip: Always bring water to hydrate and trash bags/gloves to help pick up litter along the way.

What are you doing today to be a responsible land steward?

04/21/2026

Every Day is Earth Day at CVMC! 🌄

The Coachella Valley Desert and Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority had a great site visit up to Shumway Ranch, owned by the Coachella Valley Mountains Conservancy and co-managed with the Desert Recreation District.

This former ranch, surrounded by acres of land conserved through the efforts of the Conservancy and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, serves as a hub for youth outdoor activities and connection to nature.

Want to learn more or get involved?

Send us an email at [email protected] or message us directly!

Do you recognize any native plants in the photos? 🌿

Photo Description: (L-R): CVMC Associate Director Diana Rosas, CVMC Executive Director Elizabeth M. King, CVMC Board Chair Debora McGearry, along with Desert Recreation District Assistant General Manager Troy Strange and Luis Espinoza at Shumway Ranch with the Santa Rosa Mountains as a backdrop.

04/17/2026

🌴 Field Day at Hidden Palms 🌴

CVMC’s Project Coordinator, Max Ochoa, joined our partners at UC Riverside’s Center for Conservation Biology (UCR-CCB) for a day of field surveys at Hidden Palms, one of the Coachella Valley’s rare and remarkable California fan palm oases.

These groundwater-fed habitats are more than just iconic desert landscapes. They support rich biodiversity, hold deep cultural significance for Indigenous communities, and provide critical refuge for wildlife throughout the valley. Monitoring their health is essential to long-term conservation.

The UCR-CCB team walked us through their survey methodology, from measuring palm canopy and documenting fire impacts on trunks to recording vegetation health, flagging plant specimens, and identifying native and invasive species in and around the oasis. Every data point collected contributes to the biological baseline that guides adaptive management decisions across the region.

The scientific data gathered on days like this helps ensure that conservation planning remains grounded in real, on-the-ground conditions.

For CVMC, days like this are a reminder of why strong partnerships matter. The work the Conservancy funds is only as strong as the science behind it, and that science starts in the field. CVMC is proud to have awarded multiple grants to CCB to advance understanding of this unique region.

A huge thank you to the UCR-CCB team for welcoming us into the field and sharing their expertise.

📸 Max Ochoa, CVMC

03/26/2026

How do we plan for a more climate-resilient Coachella Valley?

In partnership with the UC Riverside Center for Conservation Biology, the Coachella Valley Mountains Conservancy supported the Desert Climate Resilience Initiative for the Coachella Valley, a project advancing science, community engagement, and climate planning across our region.

Through this initiative, researchers worked to better understand:
🌱 how native plant communities may shift under future climate conditions
🌍 which areas may serve as climate refuges for biodiversity
🌿 how desert landscapes store carbon and why that matters for resilience

This work led to the development of the PARC Toolkit, a climate mapping tool designed to help inform conservation, land management, and long-term planning in the Coachella Valley. Visit the link in bio from to learn more about the Desert Climate Resilience Initiative and explore the PARC Toolkit.

Just as importantly, this initiative connected research with community. Through workshops, public presentations, educational materials, and outreach in underserved communities, the project helped make climate science more accessible and grounded in local knowledge.

We are proud to support work that brings together science, community partnership, and stewardship to help shape a more resilient future for the Coachella Valley.

Thank you to our local partners featured here:

Photo descriptions:
Image 1: Fieldwork — learning directly from the land.
Image 2: Indoor Plant Workshop — hands-on learning connects people to the plants and ecosystems of the Coachella Valley.
Images 3–4: Classroom and lecture — Outreach & Engagement Lead Danelle Angeline Baronia and Dr. Lynn Sweet share insights from the field, building understanding through science and education.
Images 5–7: Outreach & Engagement Lead Danelle Angeline Baronia presents the Desert Climate Resilience Initiative at the 2026 California Native Plant Society Conference.
Image 8: Outreach table and community engagement — connecting with the community through outreach, partnerships, and accessible science.
Images 9–10: Communication across barriers — GIS Specialist Luis Barrios helps break language barriers through Spanish-translated lectures and educational materials.
Image 11: Community — building connections that make conservation meaningful and fun.

03/20/2026

🌼 Celebrating Community, Conservation, and Connection at the Wildflower Festival 🌼

The Coachella Valley Wildflower Festival brought together thousands of community members for a day filled with nature, education, and celebration in the heart of Palm Desert. 🌿

The Coachella Valley Mountains Conservancy was proud to be part of this incredible event, connecting with residents, partners, and visitors who share a commitment to protecting our desert landscapes.

From engaging booths and native plant displays 🌱 to hands-on learning opportunities and family-friendly activities, the festival highlighted the importance of environmental stewardship and the beauty of our local ecosystems.

In celebration of Women’s History Month, we were especially glad to see women’s leadership and collaboration in action, with Executive Director Elizabeth King, board leadership, and partners across the valley coming together to support conservation and community engagement.

Events like this remind us that protecting our natural spaces is a shared responsibility, and a shared joy.

Thank you to Friends of the Desert Mountains for hosting another successful Wildflower Festival and to everyone who stopped by to connect, learn, and celebrate the desert we call home.

🌸 Let’s continue working together to preserve and expand access to the outdoors for all.

Photo Description: Partners celebrate the wildflower festival together.

03/11/2026

Land Return Alert -
656 Acres of Land Returned to the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians
In partnership, the Coachella Valley Mountains Conservancy, Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, and Friends of the Desert Mountains announce the return of 656 acres of ancestral lands in upper Palm Canyon to Tribal stewardship.
This landscape holds deep cultural, spiritual, and ecological significance. Conserved in 2018 with funding from the Coachella Valley Mountains Conservancy, the land protects important watershed resources and provides habitat for the Peninsular Ranges Desert Bighorn sheep and other desert wildlife.
Returning land to Indigenous stewardship supports the long tradition of Tribal care for these lands since time immemorial, strengthening cultural connections while ensuring the continued protection of this remarkable landscape.
This transfer builds on recent partnerships that have returned more than 1,200 acres to the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians since 2023, demonstrating how collaboration can advance conservation, Tribal sovereignty, and California’s 30x30 goals.

Conservation

Address

42-600 Cook Street Suite 219
Palm Desert, CA
92260

Opening Hours

Monday	8am - 4:30pm
Tuesday	8am - 4:30pm
Wednesday	8am - 4:30pm
Thursday	8am - 4:30pm
Friday	8am - 4:30pm

Website

https://cvmc.ca.gov/, https://linktr.ee/cvmountainsconservancy

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