A fun and educational spin on classic bar trivia hits the desert tonight. Tiny Pony Tavern in Yucca Valley is hosting a special, one-night only Desert Ecology Trivia game tonight.
Organized by Sarah Witt as a capstone for her naturalist studies at UCR Palm Desert, her Desert Ecology Trivia will feature fun questions about the Morongo Basin, the national park, and the desert environment.
Sarah Witt: “This is Desert ecology trivia. We’re going to be looking at living and non-living things in this desert environment, and how they interact. We’re also looking at how us as humans are meddling with the natural environment. It’s kind of natural history, local ecology night.”
And what would bar trivia be without prizes for the winning teams? Witt has arranged desert-focused prizes from local groups that promote engagment with the desert.
Sarah Witt: “We have four local organizations that are sponsoring the event. Joshua Tree National Park Association, the Mojave Desert Land Trust, Friends of Joshua Tree, and Wandering Mojave Hiking Services are donating prizes. You’re going to learn a little about these organizations too.”
Though bar trivia is often concerned with stumping players with challenging pop-culture, sports or history questions, Witt hopes that the Desert Ecology Trivia night can provide education as well as fun, and she’s targeting the difficulty level to intermediate desert-dwellers.
Sarah Witt: “This is actually a game for anybody. I encourage anybody who is really curious about the desert, whether you just moved here or you’ve lived here a while and don’t know a lot, this is a great chance for you to get to start painting the picture of what the desert is doing.”
Witt says that the Desert Ecology Trivia is completely free, and it starts at 7 p.m. at the Tiny Pony Tavern in Yucca Valley. Get there at 6 p.m. for dinner, 6:30 p.m. to save a table, and to dress warm because it will be held outside on the patio.
