Desert Star: An Interview with Dr. Naomi Fraga
Dr. Naomi Fraga steps into the spotlight to help folks understand and save the desert’s precious native plants.
California Desert Conservation
More than meets the eye
California’s deserts are home to the iconic Joshua tree, jaw-dropping superblooms, and important habitat like microphyll woodlands. Yet a handful of commercial interests want to position the desert as a barren wasteland, one we can afford to sacrifice to private industry.
Today, a number of factors threaten California’s desert lands, including:
- utility scale solar and wind projects,
- climate change,
- illegal off-highway vehicle recreation,
- mining,
- and ongoing attempts to drain precious groundwater and divert it to Los Angeles.
Saving what matters
Since 2016, the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP) has been a success story in collaborative regional planning, an example of what can be accomplished when conservationists, scientists, government, and industry work together. CNPS played an active role in the development of the DRECP and works with partners to protect hard-won conservation gains established in the plan. And while we’re at it, we’re working to secure additional protections for microphyll woodlands and other important areas of concern. Explore our desert content below to learn more.
Support Our Work!
Help defend California’s fragile desert ecosystems with a gift to CNPS today.
California’s Microphyll Woodlands
Microphyll woodlands are an important focus of CNPS desert conservation. Learn why in this one-minute video. Please share!
Joshua Trees in Transition
Climate change puts Joshua trees at risk.
DRECP 101
Here’s what you need to know about the groundbreaking desert plan and what you can do to help keep it in tact.
OHV reform
Damage from illegal off-highway vehicle use is outpacing California’s ability to regulate it and repair fragile ecosystems, but a CNPS-supported bill is helping.
Saving the superbloom
Places like Antelope Valley are scenes of epic wildflower displays. See how the CNPS Important Plant Area Initiative is working to protect them.
Latest news and stories
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Rare Plant of the Month: Palmer’s jackass-clover
This month’s rare plant celebrates the one-year anniversary of the designation of Chuckwalla National Monument, which is home to nearly 50 rare plants—including Palmer’s jackass-clover (Cleomella palmeri). -
Rare Plant of the Month: Panamint desert-aster
Panamint desert-aster is known to live solely in Death Valley National Park; only eight occurrences have been found in the Cottonwood Mountains in the Panamint Range.
