Keystone Projects
Species are not declining because they forgot how to breed, eat, or otherwise secure what they need to survive. Species are declining because of human activity and our choices. As such, because people are the problem, people need to also be the solution.
Which is what we are doing here at The Living Desert. We’re leading more than 80 conservation initiatives, here in the deserts of Southern California and around the world.
Desert Tortoise Headstarting
Mongolian Conservation Initiative
Black Mambas Anti-Poaching Unit
BCCS Workshops & Training
Habitat Restoration
Within local desert ecosystems and beyond, endangered species and their habitats are being affected by climate change, human activity, and invasive species. The Living Desert is steadfastly working to re-establish healthy habitats through a holistic, multi-faceted approach that maintains and increases the number and diversity of native plants and animals.
Urban Habitat Restoration
Salt Creek Habitat Restoration
Community Engagement
We’re addressing the root causes of why species are declining through meaningful community engagement. By providing social science training to conservationists globally and collaborating with local businesses, community leaders, and youth, we foster a holistic approach that enhances human and wildlife co-existence, ensuring a brighter future for all.
Urban Habitat Restoration
Connecting People with Nature
Citizen Science Projects
At the Zoo
Conservation is a living practice at The Living Desert, where sustainable practices are not just promoted but actively implemented. Visitors can witness our commitment to conservation firsthand through various projects within the park, such as the headstarting of desert tortoise hatchlings, rearing of desert pupfish at Sonoran Pond, transforming waste into compost, and growing thousands of plants at the Desert Plant Conservation Center to restore natural areas across Southern California.
Stories from the Field
From the Coachella Valley to Zimbabwe, Our Work and Care…
From April 14-21, Dr. James Danoff-Burg, Vice President of Conservation, and Katie Shaw, Conservation Social Scientist at The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens worked in partnership with Imvelo Safari Lodges...
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The Living Desert’s Curator of Conservation is Recognized 2025’s Nonprofit…
Each year, Palm Springs Life and SBEMP Attorneys recognize women whose leadership, accomplishments, and passions are shaping the future of the Coachella Valley. We’re proud to announce that this year’s...
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Sip to Save: How We’re Saving Species One Pint at…
Sipping a cold craft beer can be a great way to spend a hot summer afternoon — but did you know it can also help save species? Once there were...
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Pollinator Pathway Progress
By: Lou Thomas, Lead Conservation Biologist The Conservation Department is bee-yond excited to continue the Pollinator Pathway through the Coachella Valley. After building over thirty gardens in urbanized areas of...
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California Officially Recognizes World Desert Day
The idea for World Desert Day began when we realized that, unlike World Ocean Day, Global Recycling Day, or the International Day of Forests, no holidays advocate for the value of...
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Join Coyote Peterson for the International Desert Conservation Summit!
Deserts are home to some of the most unique and resilient species on Earth, but desert wildlife is in trouble. Rising temperatures and habitat loss are making it harder for...
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‘Twenty-Four and Many More: Conservation Highlights from 2024
2024 has been a year of milestones and new beginnings for all of us here at The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens. Thanks to your support, we’ve made a meaningful...
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United for the Desert: A Time to Give Thanks
As this season of gratitude approaches each year, we all pause to reflect on what we are most grateful for. At The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens, we are incredibly...
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Vegetation Plot Sampling in Ikh Nart
By: Baltasar Pimentel, Collections Gardener The Living Desert and our partners the Mongolian Conservation Initiative are passionate about protecting and conserving all aspects of the Mongolian Steppe and Gobi Desert,...
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The Desert Ghost
By: Dr. Luis Ramirez Yanez, Curator of Conservation The Sonoran pronghorn, often called the “desert ghost,” is a rare and remarkable animal found in the hot, dry deserts of the...
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The Living Desert Supports Proposition 4
This November, you’ll have the opportunity to vote on Proposition 4, an initiative that allocates a $10 billion bond package in California for safe drinking water, wildfire prevention, and protecting...
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Saving Snakes
By: Katie Shaw, Conservation Social Scientist Convincing people to change their attitudes and behaviors toward snakes can be quite challenging, which is why we need conservationists who share the same...
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An Update From our Partners: Black Mambas
The Living Desert is a longstanding supporter of Transfrontier Africa and its program, the Black Mambas Anti-Poaching Unit (BMAPU), an unarmed, all-female anti-poaching unit that works in the Greater Kruger...
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Vulture Conservation and The Living Desert
By: Jared Moeller, Animal Care Curator The Living Desert is proud to lead a long-term conservation and research initiative in Mongolia. The Ikh Nart Nature Reserve was established in 1996...
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Building Capacity with our Kenyan Partners
By: Katie Shaw, Conservation Social Scientist Samburu, Kenya is a beautiful place, home to several species that are unique to the region. But like many other places, it is experiencing...
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Celebrating World African Painted Dog Day
By: Mary Thomas, Coordinator of Conservation Biology Collaboration between partners is essential to making a conservation effort successful, especially when working with highly endangered species, like The Living Desert Zoo...
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The Animal Olympics at The Living Desert
By: Dr. James A. Danoff-BurgContact: [email protected] Ah! One of my favorite and objectively greatest sporting events in the world is about to start on July 26th – the Summer Olympics! I love seeing...
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Findings and Benefits From Our Social Science Training Program
The Living Desert, partnered with Imvelo Safari Lodges, held a Building Community Conservation Success workshop with students from Lupane State University and the National University of Science and Technology in…
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Culture Informs and Enables Our Conservation Success
Respect makes everything possible. If someone were to come to our home and dictate, "This is what you must do with your home. Trust us, we know what we are…
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A Bold New Experiment in Social Science Training
Ensuring that Indigenous People and local communities (IPLC) not only participate in conservation but also lead or co-lead these efforts is crucial for ensuring that these projects are desired by…
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9-Year-Old Conservationist’s Goal of Saving The Desert Tortoise
After experiencing the wonders of desert wildlife on a field trip to The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens, nine-year-old Leighton felt a calling to make a difference. It began when...
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The Living Desert Conservation Team Seeks Public Input for 2024…
The conservation team at The Living Desert has prepared a preliminary grant application for the 2024 for the 2023 California State Parks Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division (OHMVR) Restoration Grant.…
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Step Into the Future of Desert Conservation
Step into the future of desert conservation at the exciting Third Annual International Desert Conservation Summit, hosted by The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens. This groundbreaking event unites global experts in…
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Exploring the Value of Education Impact Evaluation for Giraffe and…
We at The Living Desert are passionate about wildlife conservation, as you know. A major project of ours for the last 6 years has been to help improve and refine…
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Building Community Conservation Success in Zimbabwe: Imvelo Safari Lodges
The Living Desert’s second Building Community Conservation Success (BCCS) workshop in Zimbabwe this month was held near Hwange National Park in partnership with Imvelo Safari Lodges with students from Lupane…
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Building Community Conservation Success in Zimbabwe: Rhino Reintroduction
As we jostle and shimmy along the rutted and potholed dirt path that passes for a road here in rural Zimbabwe, the magic hour of sunlight, smiling and waving children…
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Building Community Conservation Success in Zimbabwe: Best Teaching Experience Ever.
Well! We just finished up the first of our three Building Community Conservation Success social science workshops here in Sizinda, Zimbabwe, near Victoria Falls and I am charged up! I…
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Building Community Conservation Success in Zimbabwe
Ah! It’s so good to be back! After what eventually became almost four years of COVID-related delays, I am finally able to resume what I think of as my most…
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The Monarchs Are on the Move
Western monarchs have left their overwintering sites and are out in search of food and mates. This is the time to think about whether your garden helps feed the butterflies!…
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Propagation in the Coachella Valley Preserve
In the summer of 2021, Emily Thomas and Natalie Gonzalez of The Living Desert's Conservation Department, accompanied by The Living Desert's propagator Jose Marfori, trekked through the Coachella Valley Preserve…
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An Effective Pairing to Promote Caring for Wildlife: Bush Babies…
What a marvelous day! Today was our fifth day of conducting interviews in the communities surrounding the Balule Game Reserve in South Africa, on the border with Kruger National Park.…
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Building Habitat Heroes Among Torres Martinez Tribal Youth
The Living Desert is partnering with the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians (TMDCI) Tribe and Outward Bound Adventures (OBA) to create future conservationists among TMDCI youth. This new program is…
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Where Did You Get That Plant? – The Threats of…
You may be aware that a walk through the Zoo will put you face to face with animals that are imperiled by wildlife poaching and trafficking, but did you know,…
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Monday Minute: The Sixth Extinction – Endangered Species Day
This Friday, May 21st, is Endangered Species Day! Currently, the rate at which species are going extinct is 10,000 times greater than it was prior to the 1880s. The Living Desert works to…
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Salt Creek Restoration- Plant Propagation
To begin propagating the seed collected from Salt Creek, we first determined if any seed prep would be required. We know that different species of plants depend on different environmental…
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Monday Minute: A Conversation on Desert Pupfish and the Salton…
The Living Desert partners with outside organizations for a majority of our conservation work. We would like to thank Coachella Valley Mountain Conservancy, Bureau of Land Management, and California Department…
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A Step Into Desert Plant Conservation
The preservation of desert species, animals and plants alike, is a vital part of The Living Desert’s mission of desert conservation. Nestled across from the pronghorn habitat, a new exhibit...
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The Once and Future Sonoran Pond
At full capacity, The Living Desert’s Sonoran Pond—which homes the endangered desert pupfish—could once hold more than 140,000 gallons of water over 14,000 square feet of surface area. However, years…
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A Re-Nesting Guide
By: Emma Baldwin COEXISTING WITH NATURE AND WILDLIFE COTTONTAIL RABBITS: Cottontail rabbit nests are shallow depressions on the ground, covered with soft plant material and lined with fur from the mother...
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