Connecting to the Land, with our Community

UPDATE: As of April 5th, the Riverside County Public Health Department has ordered that all trails in the county shall be accessible only by members of the public within walking distance. Please limit your outdoor activity to trails in your neighborhood and continue to follow community health guidelines. Read the full order here.

Dear Friends,

We hope this letter finds you and your family in good health. It’s been a challenging week, as we’ve all been finding ways to adapt to the new realities of COVID-19, “social distancing”, and “flattening the curve.”

Our vision to share and protect the natural gifts that surround us in the Coachella Valley is about saving unique landscapes and amazing plants and animals found nowhere else on Earth, but it’s also about the health of our community. We recognize not only the intrinsic value of the desert, but the physical, mental, and emotional benefits for ourselves and our friends and families when we are truly connected to the land.

To protect our community and help stop the spread of COVID-19, last week we cancelled all of our public events for the month of March, and in response to the new shelter in place order from Governor Newsom we are cancelling the rest of our events until further notice. The Visitor Center at the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument is closed to the public, and our staff will be working remotely until further notice. 

And yet, even the shelter in place guidelines now in effect specifically consider outdoor activities such as walking around the neighborhood and going for hikes, as long as you stay at least six feet away from other people, to be an essential activity worth leaving home for. We certainly agree! The trails are open, and in these stressful times, getting outdoors and in nature is more important than ever for our health and our sanity.

So how can you continue to stay healthy while still connecting to the land in the Coachella Valley? First, follow the most up-to-date health guidelines from the appropriate authorities. Follow the same safety precautions you would normally use when venturing outdoors: check the weather, bring plenty of food and water, and stay on the trail. Now is not the time to burden emergency responders with search and rescue calls. 

Additionally, avoid heavily used trails, like the Herb Jeffries (Bump & Grind), Homestead (The Cross), or the Lykken trails, when possible. Here are some trails we like that are generally less crowded:

There is also plenty of nature much closer to home: in your yard or on your balcony, and on short walks around your neighborhood. Keep an eye out for the "urban wildlife" all around us: ants, bees, bats, butterflies, moths, backyard birds and lizards, and even wildflowers growing up through the cracks in the pavement.

Thank you for your being a part of our community. We’re looking forward to staying connected, even if we can’t see each other in person for a while. Our staff is available by email, and you can always tag or message us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. We’d love to see the ways that you find to #connectotheland while you shelter in place.

Stay well, and we'll see you (eventually!) on the trail.

Tammy Martin, tmartin@desertmountains.org

Jennifer Prado, jprado@desertmountains.org

Deb Sutley, dsutley@desertmountains.org

Colin Barrows, cwbarrows@desertmountains.org

Sendy Hernández Orellana Barrows, shernandez@desertmountains.org

Venessa Becerra, vbecerra@desertmountains.org

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