California Desert and Mountain Wilderness Campaign
 

Get Involved with Your Wilderness

Jump to a section

• Join Us
• Take Action
• Upcoming Events
• Recent Events

Write your Representative!

Join Us!

Fill out the form below and we’ll keep you informed about upcoming events, outings, and what you can do to help protect your natural heritage. Fields in red are required.

First name:
Last name:
Email Address:
Phone Number:   
Address:
City:
State:
Zip Code:
Comments:
 

Take Action

We have an historic opportunity to protect Riverside County’s natural treasures, from the South Fork San Jacinto to Beauty and Cahuilla Mountains to additional areas in Joshua Tree National Park, but only with your help.

Write your Congresswoman!

Hearing from local residents keeps elected officials dedicated to preserving Riverside County's wild places. Your voice makes a difference! So take a few minutes to write a letter using the suggested points below, or View a list of proposed places]

  • Wilderness designation will protect habitat for the endangered bighorn sheep and desert tortoise, as well as populations of mountain lion, badger, and mule deer.
  • Wilderness designation will ensure that southern California’s unique landscapes, filled with chaparral, black oak, juniper and pine woodlands, and the famous Joshua Tree forests, remain just the way they are.
  • Thank you for your leadership and commitment to preserving our wild heritage.

    • Send your letter by mail, fax, or the web:

    We are working hard on keeping an up-to-date database of all support, so please send us a copy of the letter as well via fax (909.946.1855), email (lwilliams@calwild.org), or snail mail (167 N. Third Ave, Suite M, Upland, CA 91786).

    If you have additional questions or would like to volunteer, please contact Wendy Sparks (951)659-0629 or wendy@desertmountainwild.org.

    Wilderness Events: Talks and Meetings

    Join us for events supporting wilderness in your community. Listen to passionate and well-informed speakers, and meet other great people like yourself.

    To host a presentation for your organization or group of friends about wilderness in Riverside County contact Wendy Sparks wendy@desertmountainwild.org.

    Saturday September 20th HOT Days COOL Rivers - Family Walk

    Back by popular demand, this lovely hike is fun for the whole family! Join us for a walk along two of our areas most scenic waterways: North Fork of the San Jacinto and Fuller Mill Creek. We’ll learn about the ecology of the endangered mountain yellow legged frog, look for birds and fish, and find out how local Native Americans depended on the river for survival. After the hike, we’ll eat lunch together at another one of the proposed wilderness areas. Afterwards, families can enjoy the nearby town of Idyllwild.

    This hike is for very beginning hikers, and young children are welcome to come along. We will be walking on a narrow, yet relatively flat and even trail that is easy on the feet but not stroller accessible. This is a mini-hike, and will end around noon. We’ll meet at 10:00 in the Idyllwild Elementary School parking lot located at 26700 Hwy 243 in Idyllwild, and then caravan over to our hiking locations. A Forest Adventure Pass will be required for parking, and a day pass costs $5.00. A limited number of free passes will be available on a first-come, first served basis. Bring water, a hat and sunscreen, as well as a snack and lunch. If you are planning on joining us, please leave a message in advance at wendy@desertmountainwild.org or (951) 659-0629.

    Wilderness Under the Stars: A Family Star Party

    You are invited to join us this August for an evening star party in Idyllwild! We’ll use telescopes to look for planets, view constellations, and enjoy the glittering skies over our proposed wilderness areas. The specific date, location and time will be available in our next newsletter!

    Coming Soon...

    Stay tuned for two new exciting hikes. We will be holding a photography hike to the Beauty Mountain proposed wilderness and an evening hike with a bat biologist to learn how to look for and identify bats in the Cahuilla Mountain proposed wilderness. Please contact Wendy for the latest information on these hikes.wendy@desertmountainwild.org

    Recent Talks and Meetings

    April 19 - Yucca Valley Earth Fair

    The California Desert and Mountain Wilderness Campaign joined the town of Yucca Valley and the Hi-Desert Nature Museum for an Earth Day Celebration on Saturday April 19th. The Campaign hosted a table, passing out information on the local legislation that would protect wilderness in Joshua Tree National Park and around Riverside County. Throughout the day, more than 130 local residents wrote to Rep. Bono-Mack encouraging her to get the legislation passed this year!

    February 6 - Community Meeting

    More than fifteen local residents gathered in Autumn & Jeff’s house in Hemet for a wilderness evening. After some snacks, a bit of wine, and admiring the beautiful new waterfall and pond Jeff had built in their backyard, we got started with the presentation. We saw beautiful pictures of the local proposed wilderness areas, learned a bit of the history of the Wilderness Preservation System, and found out that cats can legally swim in wild and scenic rivers (though they may not like doing so). At the end of the meeting everyone selected how they would like to help preserve local wild places, including hosting more house parties, writing a letter, or joining for a hike. The California Desert and Mountain Heritage Campaign would be happy to bring a party to you, as well! We’ll supply the refreshments and the presentation – all you need to do is send us an email at info@desertmountainwild.org or give us a ring at (760) 920 – 3391.