Join The Living Desert’s Travel Club October 22 – November 4, 2023, for an incredible journey to India, a country full of cultural treasures and resplendent natural heritage. Travel into the heart of wild India through the stories of its conservationists and its most beloved resident: the Bengal tiger. This trip offers an opportunity to witness firsthand the conservation legacy of Kailash Sankhala, who founded Project Tiger in 1973, while we stay in his ecolodge, Kanha. Along with game drives to see wildlife like barasingha deer, Indian bison, langur monkeys, and sloth bear, we will be on the lookout for the elusive Bengal tiger!
For full itinerary, more information, and booking details, visit LivingDesert.org/ Travel or call Lexi Ward at (760) 340-2157.
Celebrating Our Volunteers
On a beautiful February evening, The Living Desert celebrated our beloved volunteers at the annual Volunteer Appreciation Dinner. In 2022, volunteers gave 45,000 hours to The Living Desert across 16 different areas.
Congratulations to 2022’s volunteer honorees:
Rookies of the Year: Mary Leidel; Richard Talmy
20-year Milestone Award: Dot Spear
15-year Milestone Award: Bill Blue; Nancy Gilmore; Paul Kodet; Rena Towne
Are you looking for a way to give back?
Consider volunteering at The Living Desert! There are a variety of opportunities available. Volunteers share information and stories of the zoo’s plants and animals to educate and inspire our guests to take conservation action. Active volunteers receive a number of benefits including exclusive educational opportunities, discounts, and more.
Visit LivingDesert.org/Volunteer for more information and note our upcoming Volunteer Orientation on April 22.
Bengal Tiger
Volunteer of the Year: S.P. Andrade
Volunteer of the Year: S.P. Andrade
Discover these Favorite Zoo Experiences and Tours WILDFILE
Rhino Encounter
Meet your new one-ton bestie through our new Rhino Encounter experience. This semi-private encounter will take you to an exclusive animal care area to meet one of our black rhinos — Nia or Jaali — up close.
The Rhino Care Team will introduce you to The Living Desert's critically endangered black rhino, while offering fascinating insights into the species’ natural biology, what it takes to care for these massive mammals, and an insider’s perspective about their individual personalities. You’ll walk away with life-long memories and insights into how we can collectively work to protect rhinos from extinction.
Every encounter will vary, but participants may have the opportunity to feed a rhino, watch a rhino training session, or brush a rhino. Each session accommodates up to 10 guests.
Rhino Encounters are offered:
April 1-30: 8:30 am and 2:30 pm
May 1-31: 8:30 am
June 1-Sept 30: 8:00 am
Advance reservations are recommended, as these experiences sell out. Book your spot today and learn more at LivingDesert.org/RhinoEncounter. This experience is reserved for guests over 5 years of age.
Members: $45 per person | Non-members: $50 per person
Join us for an inside look into how we zoo things here at The Living Desert! On this new 30-minute shuttle tour, you'll get a behind-the-scenes look at several animal care service areas while your guide gives you the scoop on what it takes to care for the 600+ animals at the Zoo. You'll also hear how The Living Desert is working to preserve, protect, and restore natural desert environments here and around the world and how you can help!
Tours are offered throughout the day. Visit Guest Services on your next visit to book this totally zoo-nique experience!
Members: $13 | Non-members: $15
Children 3-12 years old: $10 Children under 3 are free
Private Safari Tours
Jump on board a private safari tour and see The Living Desert in an entirely new way. Your knowledgeable guide will escort your group around the Zoo while sharing more about animals and gardens you’ll see along the way. Visit LivingDesert.org/tours or call 760-346-5694 to book.
Giraffe Feeding
Don’t miss your chance to get nose to nose with the world’s tallest animal. Offered daily from 9:00am-3:00pm through May 31.
EVENTS CALENDAR SPRING 2023
Glow in the Park
Nightly, Now–April 30 6:30-10:00pm; last admission at 9:00pm
Glow in the Park returns with an entirely new illuminating adventure. Presented by Acrisure Arena, Home of the Coachella Valley Firebirds, Glow in the Park will feature over a hundred new lanterns adorning new pathways, this larger-than–life event will delight guests of all ages. Watch the desert come alive with animal, plant, and nature scape lanterns, immersive and engaging displays, and memorable photo opportunities.
Tickets must be purchased in advance.
Ticket Mon–Thu Fri–Sun
Adult (General Admission) $27.95 $29.95
Member Adult $25.95 $27.95
Child 3-12 $17.95 $19.95
Child under 3 FREE FREE
Advance reservations are required, and tickets can be purchased at LivingDesert.org/Glow.
Spring ZooCamp
April 11 - 13
Spring ZooCamp returns with STEM-based learning camps designed for adventurers grades K-5.
K-1ST GRADE: Birds of a Feather — Discover the many ways that birds use their feathers during this hands-on, three-day camp.
2ND-3RD GRADE: Come Fly with Me — Explore the phenomenon of migration in this three-day camp. We'll investigate why some bird species migrate and how others can survive year-round in their environments.
4TH-5TH GRADE: Let’s Get Egg-cited — The eggs of Steller's jays and robins are both a beautiful blue... or are they? In this threeday camp, we'll discover how light and color play an important part in the lives of birds.
The Spring ZooCamp sessions are three days, Tuesday – Thursday, 8:30am–12:30pm. Registration now open; advance reservation is required at LivingDesert.org/ZooCamp.
Members: $225 | Non-members: $250
APRIL
EVENTS CALENDAR SPRING 2023
Earth Day
April 22
Join The Living Desert for a day of celebration on Saturday, April 22, from 9:00am-12:00pm.
Earth Day at The Living Desert will feature ways for all of us to help promote a healthier planet through the choices we make. Fun for all ages, guests can help the Zoo fulfill our 10,000 seed challenge by stopping by the Discovery Center to propagate a native plant that supports local pollinators. Meet with many of our local conservation partners, learn about sustainable options, attend themed keeper connections, and more.
This event is free for members or with paid park admission. Learn more at LivingDesert.org/EarthDay.
JUNE
Summer ZooCamp
Select Weeks, June 7 – July 27, 2023
Summer ZooCamp returns with new programming and themes. Campers in grades K-5, will have the opportunity to explore our desert environment through various experiences, activities, encounters and more.
ZooCamp will run from 8:00am-12:00pm for 3-day sessions, Tuesday through Thursday, except the week of June 7-9, when camp is Wednesday through Friday.
Week 1: June 7-9
Week 2: June 13-15
Week 3: June 20-22
Week 4: July 11-13
Week 5: July 18-20
Week 6: July 25-27
Registration opens April 1; advance registration is required at LivingDesert.org/ZooCamp.
Members: $225 | Non-members: $250
Kids Wonderfully Wild
NAME THat POLLINATOR
Flowering plants depend on pollination to reproduce. When they search for food on flowers, these critters help the process happen as they carry pollen within a flower or between flowers of the same species. Can you match the pollinators with their fun facts?
1
While migrating across the North American continent, this fluttering insect pollinates as it travels. Milkweed is an essential food and habitat for this pollinator.
2
With the ability to flap their small wings very quickly, this pollinator appears to hover in the air.
3
Certain types of this species communicate with something called a ‘waggle dance.’ This busy pollinator also produces sweet honey.
4
There’s a true mutual benefit between this pollinator and its plant. This modest insect is the sole pollinator for Joshua trees. In return, the pollinator uses the Joshua tree as a place to lay eggs and a source of food for emerging caterpillars.
5
Although not a pollinator, this insect disperses seeds by way of digging! They collect different seeds for food and bury them in their nest, allowing seeds to germinate in a new area.
6
This pollinator is not an insect or animal at all, but a natural element that spreads pollen and seeds through the air.
