Palm Canyon is an integral ancient trail that has offered refuge from the summer heat of the desert floor in pre-contact and historic eras, and now the Agua Caliente share this place with the public for all to enjoy the natural beauty of their homelands.
For centuries the Agua Caliente people have relied on Palm Canyon for many of its natural resources, spiritual localities, and as a pathway to the pinon pines and to mountain relatives.
In partnership with the Tribe, Friends of the Desert Mountains will lead a first of its kind Natural Resources Survey project for the 17-mile stretch of Palm Canyon Trail. It will consist of three (3) seasonal surveys of the Palm Canyon Trail, utilizing the iNaturalist observation platform.
Volunteers will focus on mapping the general biodiversity presence along the entire Palm Canyon Trail through individual observations (i.e., plants, animals, birds, bugs, reptiles). The surveys will be a combination of organized teams and individual BioBlitz style ultimately covering the entire trail.
PROJECT REQUIREMENTS: Ability to walk on and off trail, trail is 17 miles long, please indicate your hiking ability when registering so we can put you in appropriate locations. Ability to take pictures that include gps coordinates, willingness to sign up for an account on iNaturalist, install the app and upload pictures when you have internet access. Attend one training session, either on 10/21 or 10/25.
PLEASE BRING YOUR PHONE WITH YOU TO TRAINING. IF POSSIBLE, INSTALL THE iNATURALIST APP.
Questions? Contact Dallas Willams at 760 568-9918 or email dwilliams@desertmountains.org
VOLUNTEERS: Please register below.
To learn more about volunteering with us, go to www.DesertMountains.org/portal to complete an application and read the handbook describing all our opportunities.