On Tuesday, August 22nd, a small but dedicated work crew entered the Preserve began to “bushwhack” through the 17+ fallen trees that blocked the boardwalks to ascertain the damage, while 6-8 inches of mud was shoveled from the kiosk area and from inside the ambassador booth
The following Wednesday and Thursday, the crew continued removing branches off of the main trunks of the fallen trees, proceeding to work on Desert Willow Trail.
On Friday, California Conservation Corps arrived to cut down large broken overhead branches suspended in the tree canopy, then proceeded to cut up the large trunks that laid across the boardwalk. The team was supplied by Jihadda Govan, Manager of Sand to Snow National Monument, who visited Friday followed by Beahta Davis, Director, Regional Parks of San Bernardino County who visited Saturday. Both Govan and Davis reviewed the damage and are currently making joint decisions with Big Morongo Preserve on how to rebuild lost infrastructure. Big Morongo Preserve’s Executive Director Kevin Wong said, “We got a lot of work done in just a few days, but there is a lot of work ahead of us.”
Wong stated that until they can make the preserve safe for public work crews, they will hold off on any large work events, and that the Preserve will remain closed for at least another week. In the meantime, you can make financial contributions to the recovery effort. Friends of Big Morongo Canyon Preserve is a small 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that is supported primarily by donations.
To donate: https://www.bigmorongo.org/donate/
