2 minute read
FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK
ONE OF THE FEATURES that makes The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens unique from most other zoo and conservation organizations is that we focus our education mission on just one of the earth’s major biomes, the deserts. It might surprise you to learn that deserts make up about one-third of all the Earth’s landmass. And while the dictionary definition of a desert says they are unoccupied and devoid of life, I can assure you that is inaccurate.
In the United States, the desert southwest, including the Coachella Valley, has some of the highest species diversity of any other part of the country. That means there are more unique types of plants and animals per area that need our help in telling their conservation stories.
Deserts are also defined by their relative lack of water, generally receiving fewer than 10 inches of precipitation a year. That is why Antarctica is technically considered a desert by biologists. So, deserts can be hot or cold, but they are always dry.
The Living Desert has recently begun conservation work in one of the colder deserts. Located in Mongolia is the Gobi Desert and the Ikh Nart Nature Reserve. This little slice of desert is home to a wide variety of amazing desert animals such as the argali sheep — which are even larger than our bighorn sheep — Siberian ibex, two species of gazelle, wolves, lynx, foxes, and many species of reptiles and birds.
Joining our Living Desert team will be Gana Wingard, a native of Mongolia, who spent her career working and conducting conservation research in Ikh Nart Nature Reserve. This partnership is a perfect fit with our community-based conservation approach to work with the indigenous pastoralist communities and protect not only their way of life but the plants and animals that call this area home.
Hot or cold, low or high, the deserts of the world are at risk if we do not step up and show we care. By being a member of The Living Desert and supporting our conservation missions, it shows you care.
