foxpaws FALL
PALM
DESERT
•
INDIAN
2021
WELLS
W onde rfull y Wild
board of trustees
foxpaws FALL 2021
Chairman: Treasurer: Secretary:
Bill Appel * Craig McCollam * Sandra Cooper Woodson *
President/CEO & Assistant Secretary:
Allen Monroe *
Jon-Marc Blalock * Deborah Chapman Melinda Drickey Marylynn Gladstein Jim Gould Patti Grundhofer Candace Holzgrafe * H. Earl Hoover II Suz Hunt Sis Jackson Michael Kiner Jaishri Mehta Jneil Nelson Peter Scheer Michael Schreter Dick Shalhoub Sally Simonds Bill Simpkins BJ Skilling Phillip K. Smith, Jr. * Roger Snoble
Mary Lou Solomon Larry Spicer Sam Spinello Nancy L. Stegehuis * Van Tanner *
table of contents FEATURES 03 04 08 11
TRUSTEE EMERITUS Curt Ealy LEGAL COUNSEL Brian S. Harnik Roemer & Harnik, LLP
ADVISORY COUNCIL
City of Indian Wells – Mayor Richard Balocco City of Palm Desert – Mayor Kathleen Kelly and Councilman Sabby Jonathan
Bringing the Vision to Life Protecting Plants Against Poaching Donor Spotlight: The Mayer Family Foundation
* Board of Directors PRESIDENT EMERITA Karen Sausman
From the President’s Desk
12
Experiences Foster Animal Wellbeing
WHAT’S NEW 16 WildFile 18 Fall Events Calendar
ON THE COVER Black Rhino FOXPAWS EDITORIAL STAFF
City of Rancho Mirage – Mayor Ted Weill
Project Manager - Erin Scott
Coachella Valley Water District – Jim Barrett and Anthony Bianco
Designers - Tori Church, Olivia Luna
Wayne Connor Associates – Wayne Connor
CONTRIBUTORS
Greater Palm Springs CVB – Scott White and Davis Meyer
RoxAnna Breitigan Amy Crabb Dr. James Danoff-Burg Natalie Gonzalez May Guzman
Judy Vossler Carol Wright
foxpaws |
FA L L 2021
Jan Hawkins Allen Monroe Christine Montgomery Angela Woods
2
FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK The excitement is rapidly building at
The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens as construction quickly progresses on the new Rhino Savanna habitat. Every day a new part of the plan takes shape. Over the last year, the vision, represented by hundreds of pages of blueprints, has taken shape as a new venue to tell the conservation story of the endangered black rhino and other savanna inhabitants. The adolescent black rhinos, Jaali and Nia, will have 4-6 more years of growing to do until they are mature enough for us to start wishing for a baby black rhino, but they give us hope that their species can be saved from extinction. By working collaboratively with other conservation organizations in the U.S. and abroad, we can make a difference in the future for these distinctive and unique animals. The public opening of the Rhino Savanna, set for November 12, 2021, also signals the start of the next 50 years of growth and development for The Living Desert as we work to build the zoo of the future. (We are going to ignore the last year and have a do over.) Between habitat loss, climate change and the growing
Allen Monroe, President/CEO, with Jaali on the Rhino Roadtrip
human population, it is more important than ever that conservation organizations like The Living Desert are leading the way to provide educational experiences so we can all make better decisions to protect our natural resources. Although there are challenges ahead, I remain optimistic that with the support of our community, The Living Desert can prosper for another 50 years. Thank you for your commitment to our mission of desert conservation through preservation, education and appreciation. Every time you visit The Living Desert you help support these efforts. Together we can succeed in our conservation mission.
Allen Monroe, President/CEO 3
BRINGING THE VISION TO LIFE: A NEW HABITAT FULL OF OPPORTUNITIES By RoxAnna Breitigan, Director of Animal Care
Rhino Habitat Rendering featuring Waterhole
foxpaws |
FA L L 2021
4
The new Rhino Savanna, set to open
November 12, was designed with a vision full of innovation and creativity for both the animals and the guests. Two years of design went into the development and planning of the habitat with the goal of creating dynamic and engaging experiences for all who encounter it, no matter the species. Traditionally in zoos, each animal species has their own habitat space. The new Rhino Savanna will not look like those traditional zoo habitats, rather it will provide a fully immersive experience giving guests and animals a snippet of what life might look like in nature. Several species will share the same habitat space creating a bio-community where plant and animal species coexist in a realistic and naturalistic environment. This practice is what we refer to as multi-species habitat management. Multi-species shared habitats are not new and can be found throughout The Living Desert; however, it is rarely done with black rhino. Black rhino are known to be more solitary; although on the African savannas, there are plenty of other animals around that they will encounter as well as their own kind. In designing this new habitat, the team at The Living Desert felt strongly that we wanted to create an entire ecosystem, rather than just highlight one piece. So, we set out to move towards a multi-species habitat management technique throughout the Rhino Savanna.
Dynamic Ecosystems Although designing these habitats is a bit more complicated, it provides a much clearer picture of how these animals might be seen in nature, while also providing the animals more dynamic and stimulating opportunities throughout their day. The Living Desert has successfully utilized this technique in other habitats at the zoo. For example, residing in the African grasslands multi-species habitat are addra gazelle, slender horned gazelle, yellow-billed stork, cinereous vultures, and a sulcatta tortoise. Each species interacts with each other, finds their favorite spots, and shares a common space. You will often see Gabe, the sulcatta tortoise, taking a soak in the pond at the same time the storks are wading. This management style provides many opportunities for the animals to have a variety of experiences throughout the day. The
When the big day arrives, each animal will be slowly and carefully introduced to the habitat and each other under the watchful eye of the animal care team.
animal care team is continuously challenging ourselves to create this style of habitat which allows the animals to utilize cognitive skills to navigate choices throughout their day, whether it be finding food, locating a cooling spot, or interacting with another animal. The Rhino Savanna’s design needed to include a variety of specialized areas based on the different species’ needs. All animals have basic needs, but each species requires those needs be met in different ways. For example, black rhino are browsers and will spend some of their day looking for trees and shrubs to pull leaves from with their prehensile lip. Comparatively, the much smaller klipspringer lives life on the rocks, quite literally, and will look for fallen leaves, fruit, and blossoms to eat. Every individual needs water so the ponds will not only be nice to take a drink, but will also provide them opportunities to cool off. While the pelicans will most likely spend much of their time in the water, the waterbuck may also be seen lounging around the banks. The design also needed to include exclusive spaces for each species to retreat from others if they feel the need. As you look out over the savanna, you will notice changes in the topography, different types of vegetation, and deliberately placed boulders and logs. These are 5
Life on the Savanna
Habitat waterhole provides a variety of experiences, as each animal will use the feature in different ways.
Future Rhino Encounter
some of the ways we have created zones within the savannas that will allow the animals to move about and each find their favorite and most comfortable spots. Guests may notice some of these features as they meander along the boardwalk, while other hidden features will also provide a variety of experience for the animals.
foxpaws |
FA L L 2021
This multi-species habitat design allows the guests to feel immersed in a slice of the animals’ lives, making it that no two visits are alike with so many different happenings and opportunities throughout the day. Also included are opportunities for the animal care team to change things continuously for the animals. There are strategically placed feeding devices built into the rock-work or tucked into spots that will allow keepers to set timers for the arrival of food. The animal care team will be able to place an entire tree that can be eaten, a scratching post or sparring partner for the animals, or hang browse (tree branches) from a wobble tree that will move with the wind or the strength of a rhino leaning on it. This will encourage the animals to be on the move throughout their day to browse and forage, as they might in the wild. It allows the animal care keepers to create surprises and spontaneity for the animals and decrease the expectation and assumption of where their meals will come from. By doing so, the animal care team can provide a variety of choices that the animals can make throughout their day allowing them to utilize their cognitive skills in different ways. While we built this habitat with the thought in mind that the animals will be able to interact with each other every day and be provided a lot of opportunities without a lot of direct interaction with the keepers, we also have built in areas where they can build on the relationship needed to train them. This positive reinforcement training helps the animal care team provide optimal husbandry and veterinary care as needed. There are three barns nestled behind the scenes where animals can retreat to if needed for inclement weather or habitat maintenance, but there will also be plenty of opportunities for guests to see the keepers interact too. The animals on the savanna will continue to have excellent care from the animal care and veterinary care teams who consistently work together to provide the best life for each species. With each visit, guests may have the opportunity to see this invaluable work being done at specially designed spots throughout the habitat. Each day will be new and fresh for both the animals and guests creating the best day ever for all.
6
THE CHAIKEN FAMILY ANIMAL CARE AND NUTRITION CENTER Guests will get a behind the scenes look at the animal meals being prepared daily and what it takes for a keeper to care for the animals at the new Chaiken Family Animal Care and Nutrition Center, located in the Rhino Savanna. There is a myth that all zookeepers do is scoop poop and that could not be farther from the truth. These animal care professionals are highly educated and committed to providing a high quality of life for the animals in their care. They are highly skilled and trained in animal behavior, observations, and natural history. Guests may be able to see keepers plot the course for their day, research natural behaviors, or log daily activity movements for each species in their care. Every day the zoo feeds almost 160 species and about 600 individuals, each having unique nutritional needs that need to be met. The animal care team carefully calculates caloric needs, nutritional values, and weights so each animal is provided well-rounded, nutritionally complete meals. The new Chaiken Family Animal Care and Nutrition Center will provide the animal care team a state-of-the-art kitchen, storage, and work space.
Fresh Produce
Every day The Living Desert feeds about 760 pounds of food to all of the animals! This includes meat, rodents, and fish for the carnivores; produce, hay, browse, and grain for the herbivores; and all of the above for the omnivores.
Preparing Daily Meals
7
protecting plants against poaching
By Natalie Gonzalez, Assistant Conservation Scientist, and Dr. James Danoff-Burg, Director of Conservation
As everyone knows, we cannot conserve animals
without making certain that the plant communities on which they depend are also thriving. Since our inception fifty years ago, The Living Desert has committed equally to plant conservation as much as animal conservation. As a botanical garden, we welcome guests to experience desert plants through our 60 gardens. We also share their stories, spread awareness of the threats that desert plants face, and show how you can contribute to plant conservation. More than anywhere else on our grounds, the Desert Plant Conservation Center (DPCC) is where we do our plant conservation work. The Desert Plant Conservation Center is nestled across from the pronghorn habitat and adjacent to the carousel in Wild Americas. It is here, where you may explore and experience many of the plants you know and love from The Living Desert’s gardens and desert ecosystem in a new setting that also details our specific plant conservation efforts.
Blind prickly pear, Opuntia rufida
foxpaws |
FA L L 2021
A walk through the DPCC will highlight our active propagation efforts, including thousands of live plants that have just started their big journeys towards the desert. Staff and volunteers germinate and grow plants for habitat restoration projects including enriching desert pupfish habitats at the Salton Sea and desert tortoise habitats across Southern California. These projects ensure that 8
Volunteer watering in the Desert Plant Conservation Center
local, native animal species have the food, shelter, and habitat necessary for them to thrive. The DPCC is also where we propagate plant species for The Living Desert’s animals, to provide enriching experiences and nutritional resources, both of which are essential to our animals’ well-being. Importantly, The Living Desert is an official Plant Rescue Center as designated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. As a Plant Rescue Center, we receive and care for plants that have been recently confiscated. The DPCC allows our guests to see the effects of plant poaching firsthand – a key contribution in the effort to stopping plant poaching! While many of us may be aware that animals are commonly poached for their body parts or for use as pets, fewer may know that plants face equally dire threats. Cacti and other succulents are among the most commonly trafficked plants by poachers. For example, of the almost 1,900 cacti species, all of which naturally exist only in the Americas, about 500 of them are threatened with extinction. And half of these threatened cacti are imperiled because of illegal collecting from the wild. Similar proportions threaten the African equivalents of cacti, the 2,000 species of succulent euphorbias, and over 550 aloe species. Their uniqueness, beauty, and hardy drought adaptations make succulents highly sought after among plant poachers and the collectors that they supply around the world.
one area. The thoroughness with which they denude landscapes can threaten or wipe out entire populations of plants. In cases where plants are endemic and found in only one area or are otherwise rare, these collectors can quickly drive a species to extinction. Sadly, rarity is why many collectors are willing to pay big money, therefore continuing to drive the illegal market and threaten the existence of countless species in the wild. The Living Desert is at the forefront of stopping plant poaching. As a Plant Rescue Center, we care for the confiscated plants that were illegally collected and trafficked. We will care for these plants at least until their country of origin requests their return. At the DPCC, you can see an assortment of cacti and succulents that were confiscated from traffickers. These plants arrived to us shriveled and barely clinging onto life. With prompt potting and gentle nourishing, nearly all returned to life.
Poachers looking to profit off of this market sometimes collect thousands of plants from just Bushman's hat, Hoodia gordonii 9
Desert Plant Conservation Center
What can you do to help stop this process? Know more about the plants you purchase! Becoming a plant parent is fun and exciting as there is always a new, interesting species at garden centers or online to purchase and add beauty to your home. However, when purchasing a unique plant, always ask where it came from and how it was propagated. Avoid purchasing plants for which the sourcing is unknown and only buy those that were grown from either a seed or a cutting from plants that were already in human care. Ensuring that your plants are ethically sourced is a critical part of the plant purchasing process. Rare Rescued Plants in the Desert Plant Conservation Center
Sadly, this relatively positive survival outcome is uncommon. As cacti and succulents are typically slowgrowing plants, some may spend decades growing, just to be uprooted and tossed in a bag to begin a journey that a mere fraction of the plants typically survive. Worse, the collectors will have also depleted the wild populations faster than the native populations could possibly replace those that were stolen. To prevent these mass losses of native plants, and the resulting effects on their ecosystems, we must actively work to protect them. foxpaws |
FA L L 2021
Questioning where your plants come from and encouraging your friends and family to do the same informs shop owners that their customers care about where and how their plants are sourced. By working against illegal trafficking, you make ripples. Your ripples combine with those of others to make waves that will help to stop traffickers. Our actions can help protect the existence of threatened plant species in their natural habitats and the species that depend on them. Caring for ecosystems is a complicated process requiring the work and involvement of a large team. On your next visit to The Living Desert, please come by our beautiful and unique Desert Plant Conservation Center to learn more about how you can help plant conservation – here in the Coachella Valley and around the world. 10
donor spotlight
Herbert R. and Jeanne C. Mayer Foundation Herb and Jeanne Mayer, founders of the Herbert R.
and Jeanne C. Mayer Foundation, believed deeply in the power of education to transform lives. They saw their entrepreneurial success as a way to “pay it forward” for the greater good. Now their four granddaughters - Sarah, Katelyn, Amanda, and Rachel – cherish the opportunity to give back in a way that would “make our Nana happy.” “Our grandparents loved the desert and spent a lot of time here. It was a time of joy and relaxation,” explains Sarah. “Although we all lived in the LA area, our family loved to go ‘down on the desert’ every chance we got. One of our favorite things to do was go to The Living Desert Preserve!” “Our entire family shares a deep love of and respect for nature and animals,” says Katelyn. “These cherished memories with our grandparents shaped our lives, making us better people. The Living Desert is a perfect place for young people to learn that animals and nature are important and worth protecting.”
Herbert and Jeanne Mayer, with Granddaughter
The Living Desert thanks the Herbert R. & Jeanne C. Mayer Foundation and their family for the generous support of Phase 2 – the Rhino Savanna. Through their generosity, The Living Desert is building on our cuttingedge and innovative efforts to ensure the sustainability of desert plants and animals around the globe. “Our grandparents, especially our grandmother, took simple things and made them special,” says Sarah. “They loved the desert and instilled the love of nature in us. We want that for all children and view The Living Desert as a place where generations can come together to experience the joy and wonder of nature.” You too can support The Living Desert with a gift of any amount online at LivingDesert.org/donate or call (760) 340-4954.
Herbert and Jeanne Mayer
11
Bennett's Wallaby
foxpaws |
FA L L 2021
12
experiences foster animal
wellbeing Christine Montgomery, Animal Care Curator of Behavior and Nutrition
As animal care professionals, we are dedicated to ensuring the animals here at The Living Desert are happy, healthy, and thriving.
One of the biggest advances in animal care over the last five decades has been the increased knowledge base of animal behavior, which directly supports improved welfare for the animals in our care. Animal welfare is a holistic term to describe an animal’s wellbeing, and a portion of welfare that continues to evolve the most has to do with how and what we use to enrich the lives of animals. Enrichment, which is loosely defined as something we provide to an animal in our care, stemmed from research of animal behaviorists in the early 1900s. In the 1960s, behaviorist B.F. Skinner, one of the industry’s pioneers in animal behavior, studied the complex mental states and psychology of animals. Skinner and his colleagues studied the effect of introducing activities to lab animals, such as food puzzles, to see if it reduced animal stress. This led researchers to discover that animals, from rats to primates, living in “enriched” environments displayed more natural and appropriate behavioral diversity. That is, the animal’s behavior more accurately depicted what they would see in their wild living counterparts when the lab animal’s environment was enriching. In 1985, the Animal Welfare Act started to include language that required facilities to provide cognitive, social, occupational, sensory, and nutritional enrichment to animals under human care in the laboratory setting. The goals of enrichment at this time was to increase behavioral diversity, reduce abnormal behaviors and increase the range of normal behavior patterns.
13
Today, enrichment is part of every AZA accredited zoo’s animal care philosophy and many other likeminded facilities. You can’t walk into a pet store these days without seeing enrichment. Anything humans give to animals to help them demonstrate species behavior is enrichment. Humans even provide humans with enrichment. Parents give their children toys, not only for mental stimulation, but to encourage behaviors such as grasping, crawling, and learning to talk. We are always looking for ways to enhance and improve our animal care. Behaviorists like Skinner have changed how zoo professionals look at animals in human care. Animal care professionals are continually monitoring the behavior of animals, so much so that many zoos have animal behavioral specialists on staff.
Desert Tortoise finding and eating scattered foliage
Here at The Living Desert, one way we are evolving our animal care is to change the way the animal care team thinks about and implements enrichment. Zoo enrichment became so popular with zookeepers (and the animals), that businesses were created specifically to make enrichment devices for zoos. You can see these when a lion kicks around a giant ball or an orangutan investigates various types of natural (and man-made) bedding materials. However, with the creation of these devices, somewhere along the line zoos had unintentionally evolved their enrichment programs to be more item driven, instead of focused on behavior. In the last 10 years or so, zoo leaders have been striving to get enrichment back to its roots including the behavioral motivations behind these enriching experiences. Increasing behavioral diversity of the animals in our care goes far beyond putting a plastic ball in with a lion and calling it a day. It requires deep knowledge of animals natural history and why they do what they do. This is where zookeeping goes much deeper than putting food in – and cleaning up what comes out. One keeper is expected to know how a cinereous vulture makes a nest, what sounds a Speke’s gazelle makes when it's threatened, and what it means when a ground hornbill slaps her beak on your shoe. What behavior does an expectant bighorn sheep do that’s normal, or abnormal for that matter? A lot of this knowledge is passed from zoo to zoo, keeper to keeper, and sometimes, behavior knowledge comes from those seeing the wild counterparts do what they do naturally. foxpaws |
FA L L 2021
Abyssinian Ground Hornbill interacting with fake snake
Behaviorists within zoos are leveraging this deep knowledge of animal behavior to enhance their enrichment programs, providing richer environments for animals. The word “enrichment” has become synonymous with that plastic ball— it is an item we give the animal. However, as early behavioral scientists found out, it was animals in “richer environments” that lead to intellectual changes. Using this concept, we have changed the lens in which we view “enrichment” today. Enrichment is out, experiences are in. 14
Each species at the zoo is having a dossier developed for them when it comes to behaviors. Animal care keepers have monthly meetings to discuss natural behaviors for large carnivores, ungulates, reptiles, and even small perching birds. They write down a list of things we would expect these animals to do, including locomotion, thermoregulation, foraging, parental care and resting. Using this list, our keepers then pick one targeted behavior of the month. As an example, during one recent meeting, the wallaby keepers chose drinking as their goal behavior. Keepers then brainstormed all the routes a wallaby might take to drink water. They thought about rainstorms, puddles, streams and lakes, and what an animal needs to be successful at drinking. Things as simple as having the ability to move to a water source are brought up, leading to more complex discussions about if wallabies recognize the environmental cues of a thunderstorm, which could lead to water pooling at a site they historically have found standing water. The behavior of drinking water goes far beyond just a fun behavior to theorize about, it is something zoo professionals think we don’t see enough of in yellow footed rock wallabies, for example, which can lead to serious health consequences. So not only is drinking water
behaviorally important, zoo professionals need to see a hefty increase of this behavior in human care for these animals to thrive physically. Keepers use these discussions to develop hypotheses about the animals, and then they collect data and observations to prove or disprove the intended impacts from behavioral experiences. Part of that work includes predicting and observing whether changes to experiences affect behavior, such as whether adding dandelion greens directly to a water source or wetting down daily leaf branches will lead the animals to adapt differently. At the end of each brainstorming session, keepers select a special project for the month. One keeper chose to freeze water in a PVC pipe with a few holes in it that will drip the water into a basin slowly throughout the day. Another put a water source high on the rocks. Then, they observe the animals and how the experiences changed their behavior. Animal care keepers are becoming behaviorists, which is enhancing our knowledge of the species we care for and helps develop behavioral experiences of the future ensuring the highest level of care and wellbeing for the animals.
Next time you visit, what experiences will you see?
African Wild Dogs' regular carcass feedings strengthen pack dynamics
15
WILDFILE 2ND ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL DESERT CONSERVATION SUMMIT Friday, November 19 - Sunday, November 21, 2021 The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens is excited to host its Second Annual International Desert Conservation Summit on Friday, November 19, 2021 through Sunday, November 21, 2021. This year’s theme is “Saving African Rhinos” and the speakers are all global leaders in rhino conservation. The in-person event will be a significant gathering of experts from around the world focused on saving deserts and the animals, plants, and communities that call the desert home. The Summit Weekend will feature 10 speakers from three countries representing 9 conservation organizations. Expert conservationists will share rhino conservation stories from the field, along with success stories, key challenges, a closer look at their important work, and suggestions of how you can help. Friday Night Videos will feature work from the organizations with an opportunity to mix with these world leaders. The Saturday Summit is open to the public with the goal of welcoming everyone into the vast and fascinating world of wildlife conservation in general, and of Africa’s rhinos in particular. Summit attendees will have the unique opportunity to interact in a live question and answer session following each presentation. The Saturday night Award Ceremony will have limited dinner seating when the conservationists will each receive The Living Desert Conservation Hero Award. Sunday, Rhino Tours of the newly opened Rhino Savanna at The Living Desert will also be available.
Black Rhinoceros
ANIMAL AND TRAIN ADOPTS SUPPORT THE LIVING DESERT’S MISSION Share your love and passion this holiday season! Fill someone’s holiday with rhinormous good cheer with a gift from The Living Desert! Your gift of a symbolic animal adoption or train adoption is a gift that gives back too! Visit LivingDesert.org/Adopt or call (760) 346-5694 Ext. 2164 for more information.
foxpaws |
FA L L 2021
Adopt an Animal
16
UNFORGETTABLE ADVENTURES AWAIT The Living Desert’s Travel Club offers extraordinary trips around the world; each one custom-designed to highlight the breathtaking beauty of the destination. Each trip is led by Allen Monroe, President/CEO of The Living Desert. Space is limited. Learn more about these trips at LivingDesert.org/Travel
Polar bears in the Arctic
Greenland and the Canadian High Arctic September 7-26, 2022 A once in a lifetime opportunity to the realm of the polar bears, this epic voyage explores two of the Arctic’s most memorable places.
Botswana October 1-12, 2022 Discover adventure wrapped in luxury with visits to numerous National Parks for extraordinary wildlife experiences.
Tanzania June 6-16, 2023 At Heaven’s wild refuge discover infinite beauty and the thrill of spotting wildlife like hippos, rhino, giraffe, lion, cheetah and more.
India - Fall 2023 For more information or to join our Travel Club, please call (760) 340-4954 or email Travel@LivingDesert.org.
Elephants in Botswana
Calling all
volunteers Do you enjoy sharing your love of The Living Desert with others? Do you have some extra time to give? You’re invited to learn more about the unique opportunities available with becoming a volunteer at The Living Desert. Our beloved and incredible volunteers support The Living Desert in a variety of ways, including guest service, education programs, and animal care. To learn more about volunteer opportunities, visit LivingDesert.org/Volunteer or call (760) 346-5694 ext. 2503. 17
foxpaws |
FA L L 2021
18
EVENTS CALENDAR FRIDAY, 1 Seasonal Hours Change 8:00am - 5:00pm Hiking Trails & Carousel Reopen WEDNESDAY, 6 Volunteer Orientation
NOV 2021
OCT 2021
FA L L 2021
SATURDAY & SUNDAY, 30, 31 Howl-O-Ween
FRIDAY, 12 Rhino Savanna Ribbon Cutting and Grand Opening FRIDAY - SUNDAY, 19, 20, 21 International Desert Conservation Summit TUESDAY - THURSDAY, 23, 24, 25 Fall ZooCamp
DEC 2021
NOVEMBER, 23, 24, 26, 27 WildLights 6:00pm - 9:00pm
WildLights
DECEMBER, 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 WildLights 6:00pm - 9:00pm ZooCamp
MONDAY - WEDNESDAY, 20, 21, 22 Holiday ZooCamp, Session 1 MONDAY - WEDNESDAY, 27, 28, 29 Holiday ZooCamp, Session 2
Ribbon Cutting and Grand Opening NOVEMBER 12, 2021 Visit LivingDesert.org Stay tuned for more information. 19
NON-PROFIT ORG. US POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO.149 PALM DESERT, CA
47900 Portola Ave. Palm Desert, CA 92260
Have you heard the scoop?
MEMBERSHIP MATTERS We want to thank all of our new and renewing members who have supported us this past season. Year after year, your membership provides The Living Desert with a reliable and renewable source of income. You help give our animals and gardens the best possible care and help support our mission of desert conservation through preservation, education and appreciation. Observing some of the world’s endangered desert plants and animals in a natural setting is truly a unique experience. In the coming season, we hope you can enjoy the many valuable member benefits that come with being a member of The Living Desert.
Not a member yet? Join today!
Great White Pelican
