25 Years in Joshua Tree – Desert Institute Celebrates a Milestone Anniversary!
By Jacqueline Guevara
CWe know that lifelong learning is important to our mental health and has even been found to help preserve memory as we age. The Desert Institute is the perfect organization to support lifelong learning in southern California. Our desert is unique, and the classes give participants the opportunity to learn about and better understand how to enjoy and protect desert plants and wildlife.
“As a volunteer, I have the opportunity to stay active and support my community. I enjoy meeting the participants and learning from the instructors. It is a pleasure to keep everyone safe while they learn about our desert. I learn so much from the classes and in turn, I am able to share what I have learned with people that I come into contact with while I am out on the trails. The Desert Institute has given me an opportunity to give back to this beautiful place that has provided so much peace and joy to me.” – Pam Kersey, a volunteer since 2014 and JTNPA Board Member since 2023.
Desert Institute, the educational branch of the Joshua Tree National Park Association (JTNPA), was created in 1999 by the former Joshua Tree Chief of Interpretation and current JTNPA Board Vice President, Joe Zarki. The proposal was to create a field program for adults to be operated by JTNPA that would complementthe park’s own ranger-led interpretive activities. The program, made up of subject matter expert instructors and a cadre of dedicated volunteers, would focus on providing college level classes to park visitors similar to other programs run by national park associations at Yosemite, Yellowstone, and Grand Canyon.
Desert Institute, or DI as it is commonly known, was operated by the National Park Service in its first year, thanks to a grant from the Parks as Classrooms program. After the first year, the institute was absorbed by JTNPA as part of its educational operations, and it has continued to grow ever since. Beginning with five classes in its inaugural year, DI has grown to a Fall 2024 season roster of 39 classes, 8 lectures, and 2 family-friendly special events!
“Regular” field classes are comprised of offerings in Cultural and Natural History; Survival Skills; Earth Science; Flora and Fauna; Community Wellness; Conservation and Desert Ecology; and a myriad of Creative Courses, such as workshops on photography, art, and writing. Our Weekend Adventures include a Women’s Getaway Weekend and a Hiking My Feelings “Grateful for Joshua Tree National Park” session, and our Coming OUTdoors Hike and Mixer offers a space for our local queer community to get together and learn more about our desert environs. Other special programming features a partnership with UC Riverside Extension to offer a Desert Ecology and Conservation Certificate, which is earned upon completion of 12 units of our 400-level for-credit classes.
DI Program Manager Benazir Erdahl and Volunteers – Photo credit: Benazir Erdahl
Pam Kersey – Photo credit: Sarah Witt
No time for a full-day or multi-day experience? Catch some of our lectures! Together with the 29 Palms Historical Society, we proudly offer the Old Schoolhouse Lecture Series. These lectures take place on the 2nd Friday of the month at the Old Schoolhouse Museum in 29 Palms and start at 7:00 PM to accommodate working folks. And, in conjunction with JTNPA-funded graduate students via the Marian Huff Tremblay Science Scholarship program, we present the Slice of Science series! Join us at Mojave Flea in Yucca Valley every 3rd Thursday through December to learn about the most current scientific research happening in Joshua Tree and enjoy some free pizza to boot!
But wait – there’s more! As the icing on top of our birthday cake, we are proud to invite you as our guests to two very special events. Archaeopalooza is our yearly celebration of all things related to – you guessed it – Archaeology! This free, family-friendly event, hosted by Desert Institute and sponsored by the Society for California Archaeology, features archaeology talks, science lectures, a conservation resource fair, and a variety of games and activities. This year we are holding the event at Freedom Plaza in 29 Palms, and it promises to be a day of fun for all!
Flowers and Trail, Women’s Getaway Weekend – Photo credit: Sarah Witt
And last but certainly not least, we hope you’ll join us at our first-ever Writer’s Festival, a celebration of writers, books, readers, and ideas inspired by our deserts and Joshua Tree National Park. This inaugural event will take place at the historic Joshua Tree Retreat Center and is being curated by noted author, professor, and Mojave Desert Poet Laureate, Ruth Nolan.
As Joshua Tree National Park Superintendent Jane Rodgers recently shared, “There is no greater joy than continuous education. Amidst the daily constraints of work and busy lives, the gift of learning a new skill, a new discovery, a new idea, is a gift to yourself.” Why not celebrate our birthday with the gift of education? We’d love to have you join us in the desert, to celebrate our 25 years in the desert – and we’ll even pick up the tab for park entry!
Slice of Science – Photo credit: Bob Grubbs
Maureen and Wayne, Birds of Joshua Tree – Photo credit: Benazir Erdahl
Funded entirely by JTNPA, Desert Institute offers field classes, recreational adventures, weekend excursions, and social events that span a wide spectrum of disciplines and formats. Our programming works to articulate and animate the rich resources of not only the national park but also the surrounding desert environment and the community of people who make Joshua Tree so unique. Our vision is to provide a rich, inclusive learning environment that inspires people of all ages and backgrounds to recreate together and help steward this beautiful place for years to come. For more information, visit joshuatree.org.
