“These projects reflect the conservancy’s commitment to collaborative science-based conservation that benefits both wildlife and local communities,” CVMC Executive Director Elizabeth King said. “We are proud to support our regional partners in advancing innovative solutions for habitat protection, climate resilience and species conservation.”

In a board meeting on May 11, board members approved of three grants through Proposition 1 and Proposition 4 funding programs.

Two institutions received funding to study and support sustainability efforts for the endangered desert pupfish. A grant of $695,751 went to the Center for Natural Lands Management for its Groundwater-Surface Water Monitoring project. This project aims to study why portions of the Simone Pond have been drying over the past two years, with the information expected to help maintain habit for the species at the Thousand Palms Oasis Preserve.

The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens received a conditional grant of up to $863,450 for the Desert Pupfish Conservation Refugia project on land owned by the Torres-Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians. This project will evaluate methods to establish sustainable refuge habitat and restore functionality to former wetland cells that has conveyed water between the Whitewater River and the Salton Sea ecosystem, officials said.

The board has approved a grant of $512,000 through Proposition 4 local assistance planning grant to Mojave Desert Land Trust for its state Route 62 wildlife crossing project, which aims to advance planning for two wildlife crossings across state Route 62, a busy corridor from the Coachella Valley to Joshua Tree National Park. Organizers said the project is crucial for public and animal safety, as documented deaths of bighorn sheep and mountain lions have been reported along the highway corridor.

The post RivCo Conservancy Awards Over $2M in Conservation Funds appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

    The settlement, announced Tuesday, preserves nearly 55 acres of open space surrounding the rare Palmer’s oak in Jurupa Valley while allowing a large-scale residential and commercial development project to continue under revised conditions.

    Under the agreement, the protective buffer surrounding the oak will more than double from 450 feet to 1,000 feet. Conservation groups said the expanded buffer will help reduce impacts from nearby construction and preserve habitat for local wildlife.

    Known as the “Jurupa Oak,” the plant is not a traditional single-trunk tree but a sprawling shrub-like clone estimated to be at least 13,000 years old. Stretching nearly 80 feet across, it is considered the oldest known living plant in California and among the oldest living organisms on Earth.

    Researchers from UC Riverside and UC Davis identified the ancient Palmer’s oak in 2009 while studying vegetation in the hills overlooking what is now Jurupa Valley. Scientists determined the oak is a surviving clone from a much older population that existed during the Pleistocene era, a prehistoric period that ended more than 11,000 years ago.

    Their findings were later published in the research paper titled “A Pleistocene Clone of Palmer’s Oak Persisting in Southern California.”

    Although Palmer’s oak is native to California and not currently listed as endangered, conservationists have long argued that the Jurupa specimen is uniquely important because of its age and rarity.

    “I’m relieved that we can steer development away from an oak that’s so special it can’t be found anywhere else in the world,” said Aruna Prabhala, senior attorney for the Center for Biological Diversity. “Our goal was to minimize risk to the Jurupa Oak, and this agreement accomplishes that while improving wildlife connectivity in the area.”

    The revised agreement also reduces the overall footprint of the development project and creates an opportunity for environmental organizations or California Native American tribes to purchase an additional 54 acres nearby for conservation purposes.

    Additional environmental safeguards included in the agreement call for reduced lighting, protective fencing around the oak and the use of native plants throughout wildlife corridors designed to support animal movement across the region.

    The settlement follows legal action filed against the city of Jurupa Valley by the Center for Biological Diversity, the California Native Plant Society, the Endangered Habitats League and Friends of Riverside’s Hills.

    The lawsuit challenged the city’s approval of a major development project that included plans for more than 1,500 homes, commercial buildings, schools, parks, an equestrian center and light industrial development near the oak.

    Environmental groups argued the project failed to adequately address potential impacts to the ancient oak and surrounding habitat, alleging violations of the California Environmental Quality Act.

    “Preserving the unique Palmer’s oak and the hillside that has allowed it to survive all these millennia was our primary goal,” said Len Nunney of Friends of Riverside’s Hills. “Adding protected open space and a wildlife corridor connected to hundreds of acres of conserved land will help preserve a viable ecosystem in the area.”

    As part of the agreement, the environmental organizations agreed not to pursue additional legal challenges against the revised development proposal.

The post Agreement Reached to Protect Ancient 13,000-Year-Old Jurupa Oak in Riverside County appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

“We also uphold that conservation cannot be successful without engaging people from all communities as ambassadors, advocates, and leaders,” said Belle Macatubal, Assistant Conservation Social Scientist for the Living Desert.

The Living Desert began partnering with the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians Tribe and Outward Bound Adventures in 2022 to create future conservationists among its youth. The program titled ‘Torres Martinez Youth Environmental Ambassadors’ (TM-YEA) aims to reconnect Torres Martinez youth with their ancestral land and introduce them to various conservation topics.

TM-YEA has served dozens of youth aged 12-22 over the past three years. Youth have participated in day trips and overnight camping trips, as well as cultural and conservation workshops that combine Traditional Ecological Knowledge with western science. The program is helping to create the next generation of environmental stewards.

Due to the positive implications so far, Macatubal and fellow Assistant Conservation Social Scientist Alena Lonetree are expanding the program for Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians youth. On Jan. 12, they held a focus group at the Soboba Reservation to gauge interest and explain their future plans.

Questions about accessible nature spaces and interest in spending time in nature were asked during the one-hour meeting at the Soboba Sports Complex. Participants were asked to share an important memory of taking part in an activity in nature with loved ones and why it was special.

Noyaaykit Silvas, 13, is a member of Soboba Youth Council and provided details of her current conservation involvement in her community. She recalled going up to the mountains with family and cousins as an activity she enjoyed.

Shania Guacheno, 14, shared her personal nature experiences as well as those she has experienced through her involvement with Soboba Tribal TANF. She recalled the time she was out with her uncle and papa and they encountered a rattlesnake.

The Oaks was singled out as a place they would go if they wanted to spend time in nature on the Soboba Reservation. When asked what they do in their daily lives to address environmental problems, both said they recycle whenever possible and make sure lights are turned off when leaving the room. They said they are motivated to make environmentally conscious decisions because they want to keep things clean, allowing everyone to have a positive opinion about their reservation.

When asked why they feel Native voices, particularly Native youth voices, are important in making environmental changes Shania said, “Because of our history with nature in general to preserve but back then others didn’t have the confidence to speak up.”

Lonetree explained the definition of cultural ecological knowledge as being the deep place-based understanding, practices, and beliefs Indigenous Peoples develop over generations about their local ecosystems, including relationships between people, plants, animals, and landscapes, offering sustainable stewardship for conservation and resource management. It’s holistic, interwoven with culture and spirituality, and provides vital, long-term observations for adapting to environmental change. She then asked how important it was for youth to learn about this and why.

Noyaaykit said it is important so the youth can continue on the right path and make sure everything stays healthy. Shania agreed and said one day people will just forget everything about their culture if it’s not carried on through generations.

When asked what are some of the skills they would want to learn to feel more comfortable with spending time in nature, Shania said, “I’d like the ability to build shelter and provide for myself. I would also like to learn what’s not poisonous.”

Macatubal explained more about the Torres Martinez Youth Environmental Ambassadors program saying they participate in camping, hiking, and workshop opportunities. Lonetree shared that they do many local cultural events, such as sage harvesting and basket weaving.

Shania said she would like to see Native language incorporated into the program and Noyaaykit said she would like to have visits to history museums included to learn more.

TM-YEA consistently meets at least twice a month, and hopes are that a similar program at Soboba will be just as popular. Soboba Youth Council advisor Evelyn Helms looks forward to getting more youth involved in the next meeting with The Living Desert staff.

The program brings together multiple agencies to guide local youth in meaningfully interacting with the local environment, empower them as both stewards of the environment and of their personal well-being, and instill them with experiential capital to better prepare them for success in future careers.

Similarly, although conservation has a long history of not representing the full diversity of the communities around where projects tend to be based, The Living Desert is working to diversify the field of conservation. They strongly feel that reciprocal learning must be a core part of all conservation projects as it leads to more successful conservation projects that are supported by local communities and are thus more sustainable.

Soboba youth are invited to join the Native American Youth Environmental Ambassadors to connect with the natural world, learn about different conservation topics, go on exciting field trips, and develop leadership skills. For Native youth ages 12-22 wanting to make a change in their community, email imacatubal@livingdesert.org or call/text 909-583-4176 for more information. For general information, please visit www.livingdesert.org/conservation.

The post The Living Desert seeks to recruit Soboba youth appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.