Big Morongo Canyon Preserve seeks “Native Plant Team” volunteers to install new botanical garden

The Big Morongo Canyon Preserve is calling on volunteers to join their Native Plant Team this Saturday, August 2 at the Preserve’s Nature Center.

Funded by a partnership from the Mojave Desert Resource Conservation District, the Big Morongo Canyon Preserve was enabled to hire local landscape designer Svetlana Iachkova, who has since drawn up an elaborate blueprint of a new garden, complete with a wish list of 52 species of native plants with over a hundred specimens; a “shoot for the moon, land on stars” estimate for their limited funds. The Preserve’s Executive Director Kevin Wong told Z1077 the goals of this revamped botanical garden:

“We have many goals. One is for it to be informal, not a rigid botanical garden, and two: it’s for young people like the school groups that come here, to wander through, to see, touch and smell plants. And also, for young families. It’s not going to have a lot of very elaborate signage with scientific names. Hopefully colorful during the cold time of year and with elevation so it’s not all just flat –it will bring your eyes up.”

Beyond the fresh native plants, Wong said the remodeled garden will have an entryway to draw attention, an underground irrigation system, and wider trails for ADA compliance. The program is seeking interested volunteers to show up at the Preserve’s Nature Center this Saturday from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m. to get an idea of number of people who want to commit to the transplanting this coming fall. 

To register to volunteer, email director@bigmorongo.org