The Hi Desert Nature Museum will be starting out the new year with a new exhibit of old things - namely abandoned planes, trains and automobiles by Photographer Ken Lee. The museum says the photos will take you on a nocturnal journey through secret locations hidden in the deserts of the Golden State. The exhibit opens January 6th but there will be an opening reception on Friday, January 12th from 5 to 7pm, with a presentation and a book signing by the Photographer at 6PM. For more info - check…

Today, December 21st marks the Winter Solstice - the first day of the winter and the shortest day of the year for daylight hours. The Sun was up this morning just before 7 and will settle back below the horizon around 4:47, giving us about 10 hours of daylight to get all those holiday plans done while the sun is up. Compared to last year, the weather, wind and cold feel mild - and the often-referred to bringer of rain EL NINO has yet to deliver for the hi desert. The winter solstice typically…

Listen here: Native plants are having a comeback. It’s one of those "easy sell" ideas - it's a small investment with big payoffs. Landscaping your home with plants that have probably already lived there at some point is an easy way to create more shade, hold soil during the murder winds and just create natural beauty on your property. Most areas of the Morongo Basin are at an altitude that will support most plants, cactus and other native species you can find in Joshua Tree…

The Pet over Population Coalition serves the citizens and animals of San Bernardino Counties through referrals to “affordable” spay/neuter resources to humanely and responsibly reduce pet overpopulation. If you have a pet that needs spayed or neutered and live in an unincorporated area of San Bernardino County - The County and POPCO are providing neuter vouchers to get them fixed – up to $150 for dogs or $75 for cats. You must live in an unincorporated area of the county to qualify. Call the Pet…

The Bureau of Land Management has announced that $2.5 million dollars will be invested in studying the impacts that renewable energy development has on tribal ancestral lands in Southern California The study by the BLM will identify resources of religious and cultural significance in order to avoid conflicts and better understand the impacts on tribal resources where renewable energy projects are being developed. This area is known as The California Desert Conservation Area - designated in…

Schools out for Winter break, and kids heading to the library this Saturday may be greeted by the north pole’s most famous resident. Jolly Old St. Nick is taking a break from holiday preparations to make some appearances at two of our local library branches on Saturday. His first appearance will be at the Joshua Tree library from 1 to 3PM, where he’ll be greeting library visitors and spreading holiday cheer throughout the local branch, whether you’ve been naughty or nice!. Then, using secret…

The Up Close Show with Gary Daigneault is a weekly live interview program where Gary sits down with a guest and dives deeper into a topic that can affect us here in the hi desert. Last week the Chair of the County Board of Supervisors and our local representative Dawn Rowe was on, and with temperatures dropping - Daigneault recalled last years heavy snowfall, and asked Rowe what the County has done to prepare for a possible repeat of "Snowmaggedon." Dawn Rowe: "We have done a…