Mojave National Preserve

Have you ever seen a tortoise in the wild? The days are getting warmer, and the Desert tortoises that live here at Mojave National Preserve will be waking up from their winter slumbers soon. Unfortunately, ravens (like the one on the sign in this picture) are very good at watching for tortoises. In the spring, the birds will seek out protein-rich foods for their hatchlings. Since tortoise shells don’t fully harden until the reptiles are about 5 years old, baby tortoises are ...the perfect meal for a hungry baby bird. As human populations in the desert have grown dramatically, raven populations have too. Raven predation has come to be a major conservation concern for the threatened tortoises. You can help protect tortoises by making sure you dispose of all trash properly while in tortoise habitat, especially food waste. Improper food waste disposal allows raven populations to grow unnaturally large, which puts pressure on tortoise populations. #FindYourParque #EncuentraTuParque #DesertTortoise Photo: A raven perches on top of a yellow sign that says, Watch for Tortoise. By Dave Nichols, NPS

Even your emotions have an echo in so much space. The Mojave Preserve is the third largest unit of the National Park Service outside of Alaska. Much of it is designated wilderness, where human impacts into natural systems are restrained. In the seldom-traveled backcountry of the Mojave National Preserve, you can get lost in nature, stumbling across mining ruins, old homesteads, and stunning natural features. Where is your favorite backcountry location? Photo: A landscape with green plants in the foreground and mountains in the background. By Sarah Girven.

The newest post in Joshua Tree’s #BighornBigChallenges series is up.

Could you please stop releasing balloons? What comes up must come down, and unfortunately many balloons come down here. Whereas most human trash is concentrated near roads or trails, balloons can drift into pristine wilderness areas, miles from any roads. There, the stings can entangle birds and other wildlife. They are also an unwelcome eyesore for humans seeking refuge in wilderness. They do not decompose. In the state of California, it is illegal to release metallic balloo...ns, mainly due to the power outages and fire risks they can cause when they snag on electric lines. Releasing them is punishable by fines, and repeated infractions can result in a misdemeanor. How do you like to celebrate special events without producing litter? Photos: Four separate metallic balloons stuck in plants at four separate wilderness locations in the Mojave National Preserve. NPS. #FindYourPark #EncuentraTuParque #BalloonsBlow #LeaveNoTrace

#CastleMountainsNationalMonument Day Five. In the coming years, the National Park Service will continue to protect the natural and culture resources of the Castle Mountains. There are no plans to improve the area by creating visitor centers, hiking trails, or paved roads, but the Monument is and will remain open to hiking, horseback riding, and backcountry camping. We welcome visitors to enjoy the solitude that such rugged and wild natural lands offer. To learn more about ...Castle Mountains, check out their website: www.nps.gov/camo This is the last post in our Castle Mountains series. Thanks for your engagement. #FindYourPark #EncuentraTuParque #MyPublicLands #PublicLandsCalifornia #ProtectCADesertMonuments Picture: A Joshua tree stands in the Castle Mountains National Monument with the Castle Mountains in the landscape behind it. NPS Photo

Rolling rolling rollingrolling rolling rolling Tumbleweeds are a symbol of the Old West. Movies set in the desert often feature a tumbleweed bouncing across the landscape. This can lead people to believe that tumbleweeds have always been here. However, the tumbleweed is not a desert native in fact, it’s a hitchhiker from the Ural Mountains in Russia that didn’t arrive here until the late 1800s! Now, unfortunately, Russian thistle (Salsola tragus) is widespread throughout... the Mojave National Preserve. It prefers disturbed areas, so it is most commonly found on roadsides and in the shifting sands of the Devils Playground. What do we dislike most about Russian thistle? It’s hard to choose. Russian thistle does most of its growth in the hottest months of the year, July and August, which makes removal projects especially miserable. The weed’s wind-driven rolling seed dispersal allows the plant to colonize vast areas. Tumbleweeds tend to grow in areas where the native vegetation is low-growing and modest, and the plants take up more than their fair share of water and nutrient resources. When tumbleweeds grow in thick monocultures, they reduce biodiversity of native wildflower species. In some areas, the monocultures are thick enough they can even be a fire danger. If you’re interested in invasive species removal volunteer projects (or any other volunteer projects), email [email protected]. Pictures: A bushy green Russian thistle monoculture grows on the smooth beige sand at the Kelso Dunes, by D. Kaiser, NPS and many dried, prickly, light-brown Russian Thistles ready to roll, by B. Michel, NPS. #InvasiveSpeciesAwarenessWeek #InvasiveSpecies #FindYourPark #EncuentraTuParque

It’s #NationalBirdDay! What’s your favorite bird? The Mojave Preserve provides habitat for many species, including all the fancy fliers featured here. Our website has a spreadsheet with all known bird species in Mojave National Preserve. Maybe you can start a life list as a #2021Resolution! Birding is a fun way to get outdoor exercise and learn about the natural world. Photos (clockwise from top left): Black-throated sparrow, Ladder-backed woodpecker, Phainopepla, and Horned lark. All by B. Michel, NPS. #BirdYourWorld #Birding #DiscoverYourPark #EncuentraTuParque

It’s 1969 and you’re at the Kelso Depot. What are you ordering? How much money do you have left over for lunch? Photo: Historic menu taken from the Kelso Depot Historic Structures Report. The first comment below has full text of the menu. #DiscoverYourPark #EncuentraTuParque

Happy New Year! We invite all of you to make a resolution to have fun outside, learn something you've always been curious about, or try a new experience. Is the Mojave Preserve part of anyone’s 2021 resolutions? Photo: The historical wooden ore cart track at the Rex Mine, with Kelso in the background. NPS.... #DiscoverYourPark #EncuentraTuParque See more

As we look up at the last full moon of the year (appropriately called the cold moon), we look forward to what next year may bring. Just as the moon constantly refreshes and renews, we can always find new opportunities for a fresh start. As you look up at the Cold Moon tonight, we hope you remember to take a few deep breaths of icy winter air and think about what new beginnings you might be looking forward to in 2021.

"You can tell me when it's over if the high was worth the pain." -Taylor Swift How many of you have looked like this while hiking the #KelsoDunes? Was it worth it? #FindYourPark #EncuentraTuParque

Oh Joshua tree, oh Joshua tree, how lovely are thy branches. #FindYourPark #EncuentraTuParque

Happy #InternationalMountainDay. We’d like to celebrate by highlighting our tallest peak: Clark Mountain, which is 7,930 feet tall. The Clark Mountain Range is sometimes overlooked because it’s separated from the rest of the Mojave Preserve by the I-15 Highway, but it’s definitely worth a visit. History or mining enthusiasts can check out the giant pit of the Colosseum Gold Mine, which was active through the 1990s. Adventure seekers with technical climbing skills can summit ...Clark Mountain, passing through the Mojave Desert’s largest grove of white fir on the way. Herpers can look for the rare and elusive Gila Monster, the only venomous lizard in the country, which has been seen a few times in the range. What’s your favorite mountain? Photo: Clark mountain partially shrouded in clouds. NPS. #FindYourPark #EncuentraTuParque

Are you getting your house ready for spooky season? Here at Mojave National Preserve, funnel weaver spiders have decorated the desert for us. Their webs look festive and are also practical for the spiders. When an insect walks or flies onto the web, the spider feels the vibrations. After capturing the insect, the spider drags it back into the hole where the spider sucks out the insect’s insides. How’s that for a haunted house? There are several species of funnel weaver s...piders in the Mojave desert, and over 1000 species worldwide. #discoveryourpark #encuentratuparque

Many of us humans have made lifestyle changes in response to the colder weather and shorter days of the winter season. Other animals in the Mojave Desert also change their behavior as the seasons change. Our bighorn sheep and mule deer populations both migrate to the high country near Halloran Summit for the winter, though they don’t occupy the same niches. Mule deer tend to prefer the gently sloping east side of the range, while the bighorn prefer the rugged west side. Migr...ation allows animals to utilize a greater variety of food and water sources. Our wildlife biologist speculates that the bighorn sheep would probably prefer to be at Halloran Summit year-round, but they need to be near more reliable water sources during the hot summer months. What lifestyle changes have you made this winter? Photo: Bighorn sheep standing on a rocky slope. By D. Burdette, NPS #FindYourPark #EncuentraTuParque

Today is the winter solstice the shortest day of the year. According to local lore, there is a mysterious peak within the Preserve where, on sunset during the winter solstice, lucky visitors can watch a light beam perfectly shine through a hole on the top of the rock. Where are you spending your solstice? #FindYourPark #EncuentraTuParque

Hunting season is in progress at the Mojave National Preserve. Hunting can instill an appreciation for wildlife, land, and nature. It’s a tradition passed from generation to generation. Hunters also contribute billions of dollars to conservation through revenues from licenses, federal duck stamps, and excise taxes on hunting equipment and ammunition. Mojave Preserve staff work with state governments to manage and conserve game species. During hunting season, no shooting is ...permitted within mile of dwellings, hiking trails, campgrounds, information centers, Kelso Dunes, Fort Piute, or any other public gathering areas. To ensure visitor safety, backcountry hikers exploring the Preserve during hunting season are encouraged to wear bright colors and ensure all pets are leashed. Detailed hunting seasons and regulations can be found at https://wildlife.ca.gov/regulations Edit: This photo was from the annual Youth Quail Hunt several years ago. The event was cancelled this year due to COVID-19. #discoveryourpark #encuentratuparque

Today is #NationalMinersDay, so we’d like to highlight the amazing story of wannabe miner and A+ conman B.X. Dawson. Inspired by Death Valley Scotty, Mr. Dawson claimed to have discovered an amazingly lucrative mine near Furnace Creek in Death Valley in 1905. In a nationwide campaign, Mr. Dawson urged Americans to buy shares in his mine, promising them a share of the immense profits. There was just one problem: The mine didn’t exist. In 1906, Dawson did buy a mine, perhaps to... protect his reputation in case anyone started investigating his company. The mine he bought wasn’t located in Furnace Creek, though it was 150 miles south. Just to clarify: to cover his tracks about his fake mine in Death Valley, B.X. Dawson bought a real mine, near Kelsoand named it the Death Valley Mine. The Death Valley Mine got decent returns in its first couple years of operation, so B.X. Dawson (and his brother) decided to get out when they were ahead. They skipped town with about $250,000 in 1907. The Death Valley Mine remained productive until 1931. The main manager’s residence (constructed in 1910) and several other buildings still stand at the site today. Photos: The beautiful two-story residence at Death Valley Mine, which features a row of perfectly transplanted Joshua trees as landscaping in the front. #FindYourPark #EncuentraTuParque #HistoryAllAroundUs

A foreign virus called Rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus 2 (RHDV2) has been detected in the US and is currently infecting black-tailed jackrabbits and desert cottontails here in the southwest. This disease has not been reported in the Preserve as of today, but it might already be present here. It appears to be highly contagious and there can be mass mortalities in rabbit populations. It does NOT infect humans. Further information is provided in the attached link. Please alert us of any sightings, encounters or reports of rabbit mortalities (with location information and pictures, if possible). The disease is of little threat to visitors and staff, but could lead to disruptions in our desert ecosystems, as rabbits are a major prey item.

Looking to enjoy a sunny escape? The Kelso Dunes, our most popular hiking trail, offers a chance to get your toes in the sand, even in the dead of winter. Although winter nights in the desert frequently dip below freezing (especially at high elevations), daytime winter temperatures at the Kelso Dunes are often comfortable and sunny. Have you hiked the dunes before?... Photo: M. Bristol, NPS #FindingPeace #RecreateResponsibly #FindYourPark #EncuentraTuParque

Dome Fire Update - Brief but substantial downpours after the fire have triggered a pulse of life in a small section of the burned area. As expected, many of the fire-adapted plants, like perennial grasses and resprouting shrubs, survived the fire and will do well with this flush of nutrients and available light. Recovery is less certain for the majority of the burn area that did not receive any precipitation. We will be monitoring the vegetation over the next few years to det...ermine the extent of damage to the Joshua trees and whether the native vegetation can outcompete the non-natives. Meanwhile, Joshua trees are already being grown out for us at Lake Mead National Recreation Area for targeted transplanting in the hottest parts of the burn. If you are visiting the area, please be conscious about bringing in non-native seeds in your boots and on your tires. This is a particularly vulnerable period for invasive plant invasion. (Photos by D. Kaiser) (See individual photos for plant identification)

We wanted to introduce the new superintendent for Mojave National Preserve and Castle Mountains National Monument, Mike Gauthier. Last winter and early spring, Mike served as the acting superintendent at Mojave and we’d like to welcome him back. Mike is a veteran park ranger who for the last three years was the superintendent of Nez Perce National Historical Park, Big Hole National Battlefield, and Whitman Mission National Historical Site. He has previously worked at Olympic,... Mount Rainier, Denali and Yosemite national parks. Over his 30 plus year career he has been as a wilderness ranger, firefighter, fee collector, custodian, climbing ranger, search and rescue coordinator, legislative specialist, and chief of staff. Mike joined the National Park Service in 1985 and holds a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Washington, Seattle. He enjoys writing, climbing, whitewater boating, and photography. It is a gift to live and work in the Mojave Desert, said Gauthier. The preserve and monument embody a raw, vast and intricate landscape filled with rich and complicated stories, wilderness exploration, outdoor recreation and more. The unique management challenges of the two units fascinate me, and I look forward to working with our partners, friends and NPS staff to help preserve and prepare these two units for their next century of stewardship. Mike succeeds Todd Seuss, who transferred to the agency’s Natural Resource, Stewardship, and Science Program as Biological Resource Division Chief in February.

This week we bid a very fond farewell to Ranger Annie, our Lead Interpretive Ranger, social media magician and Night Sky teacher extraordinaire. Annie is leaving Mojave National Preserve for Big Bend National Park in the Chihuahuan Desert, where she will be Supervisory Interpretive Ranger. Many of you know Annie from her frequent posts on our social media pages, where she has informed, educated and inspired countless digital visitors with her posts about the natural and cultural history of Mojave National Preserve and the stories of America's National Parks and the National Park Service. Please join us in wishing Ranger Annie the very best as she embarks upon her new adventure at Big Bend.

Happy Birthday to us! What's your favorite National Park Service site?

Mojave National Preserve is part of the Basin and Range Dark Sky Cooperative. The BRDSC will be hosting a virtual star party on September 5. You'll meet some special guests, learn how to navigate the sky, and see some beautiful images. Click below for information on how to join. #findyourpark #findyourdark #RecreateResponsibly

When the Dome Fire broke on August 15th from lighting, the Mojave National Preserve responded with every available resource they had to contain and suppress this fire. The Preserve has only a small contingent of suppression resources and was supported by the Bureau of Land Management and San Bernardino County Fire. Because of the numerous fires throughout the state, additional resources were limited or experienced long travel times to the location. Read More about the challenges of the 2020 suppression season. https://go.usa.gov/xfhT2

Despite the hot and humid temperatures, firefighters were able to increase containment of the #DomeFire to 93% with the acreage remaining at 44,273. Today fire personnel will continue mop-up operations and begin their suppression repair activity where possible while strengthening containment. For more information, please visit inciweb at https://go.usa.gov/xfSAS

#GoodNews Yesterday, crews aided by some precipitation managed to bring the containment of the Dome Fire to 74% with the acreage remaining at 43,273. Today, crews will continue building containment lines on the last sections of un-controlled fire.

For information about air quality and smoke impacts from the #DomeFire, please visit, https://fire.airnow.gov/#

|Update| The #DomeFire is now 43248 acres and is 5% contained. Firefighters from the Cal. Incident Management Team 12 will be aggressively working today to build containment line on the ground and in the air. For more information, please visit inciweb at https://go.usa.gov/xfuVQ

FIRE UPDATE: The Dome Fire is now estimated to be 40,000 acres. Kelso-Cima Road, Cima Road, Ivanpah Road, and Morningstar Road are all closed. Teutonia Peak trail and the nearby campsites remain closed. Additional crews are working on the ground and in the air today.

UPDATE at 9:10 PM: Ivanpah Road, Cima Road, Morningstar Mine Road, and Kelso-Cima Road are closed due to fire activity. If you're travelling through on I-15, please detour through Baker. Kelbaker Road is open. The Dome Fire is now estimated at more than 5000 acres. The fire is currently burning in the area of Cima Dome. The Teutonia Peak Trail and primitive campsites in the area are also closed. Crews are currently working on the ground and in the air. Please check here and on our website (https://www.nps.gov/moja/planyourvisit/conditions.htm) for the most current information.