Returning Volunteer Orientation
Orientation for Returning Volunteers, Focused on Monument Updates Welcome Back, Volunteers! As we gear up for another amazing season, we’re inviting all returning Friends of the Desert Mountains volunteers to […]

Orientation for Returning Volunteers, Focused on Monument Updates Welcome Back, Volunteers! As we gear up for another amazing season, we’re inviting all returning Friends of the Desert Mountains volunteers to […]
Join members of the Astronomical Society of the Desert for fun “sky tours” and direct observations of the night sky through telescopes and binoculars. This is a family event. Minors […]
Join us for a week of recording observations in the SRSJM National Monument’s desert, foothills and mountains. The Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains is a hotspot for biodiversity with […]
Hiking the Randall Henderson Trail makes the ideal place to talk about the Geology of the Coachella Valley. From the foothills of the Santa Rosa Mountains, we have views of […]
Grab your binoculars and join a Friends’ volunteer docent birding expert to look for our feathered desert residents. In this unique urban area, we are still able to find a […]
Grab your hiking poles and join our Friends’ volunteer docent, on the Theilman Trail. This urban hike begins with a few rolling hills, a steep ascent with some switchbacks and […]
This trail meanders through the rolling foothills of the Santa Rosa Mountains above Rancho Mirage and Cathedral Canyon. You may see a few wildflowers along the trail. There are many […]
Our Friends’ volunteer docent will take you on a guided hike through the Santa Rosa & San Jacinto Mountains National Monument! You will see excellent views of the Coachella Valley […]
Grab your binoculars and join a Friends’ volunteer docent birding expert to look for our feathered desert residents. In this unique urban area, we are still able to find a […]
Join a guided hike through the Santa Rosa & San Jacinto Mountains National Monument! You will have excellent views of the Coachella Valley and learn some of the local history. […]
Have questions about desert tortoises? Come visit our desert tortoise enclosure and learn about conservation efforts to study and protect our wild desert tortoise population in the Monument. Meet at […]
Learn about our desert through hands-on activities that explore the land, animals, and plants. After completing six challenges, you’ll earn your Junior Ranger Badge! This program is suited for ages […]
Join members of the Astronomical Society of the Desert for fun “sky tours” and direct observations of the night sky through telescopes and binoculars. This is a family event. Minors […]
Not every year in the desert produces a super bloom. So how do the seeds of these beautiful wildflowers survive years of drought as they wait for the combination of […]
Our experienced Friends’ birding volunteer docent will share interesting facts about the Coachella Valley native species and other migratory birds found in the National Monument. We begin the search for […]
Grab your binoculars and join a Friends’ volunteer docent birding expert to look for our feathered desert residents. In this unique urban area, we are still able to find a […]
Enjoy this easy hike along the hillside above Araby Wash. Explore the wonders of this critical habitat area to learn about the endangered Casey’s June Beetle and fire ecology in […]
Join our Friends’ volunteer docents for a nature walk in Blixseth Mountain Park. The Park features both native and non-native desert landscape, a wide walking path with benches for observing […]
Our Friends’ volunteer docent will take you on a guided hike through the Santa Rosa & San Jacinto Mountains National Monument! You will see excellent views of the Coachella Valley […]
We’re excited to kick off the year by gathering together with our amazing volunteer crew for some good food, great company, and plenty of laughs! Let’s celebrate all that’s ahead […]
Join us on this guided hike in the Mecca Hills Wilderness area and Chuckwalla National Monument. The Mecca Grotto hike is classified as strenuous: 5.75 miles with an elevation gain […]
Enjoy strolling the Ed Hastey Garden Walk led by Friends’ volunteer docent. It is a great introduction to learn about native plants and animals that inhabit our desert, and the […]
Grab your hiking boots and join Friends of the Desert Mountains volunteer docents on a full moon hike on the lower portion of the Chuckwalla Trail. You will experience the […]
Join Friends of the Desert Mountains volunteer docents on a full moon hike on the Jackrabbit/Bighorn Overlook trail loop. You will experience the views of our desert mountains in the […]
Roll up your sleeves and make a difference with Friends of the Desert Mountains and the City of Palm Desert at a community cleanup you won’t want to miss! We’ll kick things off at […]
As you walk the desert trails, have you noticed the holes and wondered who made them? Explore the Randall Henderson Trail with our volunteer docent leaders to learn the difference […]
Experience a hike by moonlight! See the beauty of the shadows and wash of moonlight over our mountains. We will be looking for all types of night creatures along the […]
Friends of the Desert Mountains volunteer astronomers will be setting up their telescopes and are inviting you to their “star party”. A clear night sky offers an ever-changing display of […]
Grab your binoculars and join a Friends’ volunteer docent birding expert to look for our feathered desert residents. In this unique urban area, we are still able to find a […]
Strap on your hiking boots for a full moon hike on the first mile of the Indio Badlands Trail. As we embark on this hike, the moonlight casts enchanting shadows […]