March 2019
It’s Not Too Late!
There are still a few spots available for our 2nd Annual Spring Fling fundraiser Thursday, April 4th! Join us at the exclusive Stone Eagle Golf Club’s Aerie Restaurant from 5-7pm for amazing views, a delicious sit-down dinner, a silent auction, and more! Plus, we’ll have a putting contest with great prizes! Tickets are $150/person, $250/couple. For more information or to buy tickets, visit our website www.bighorninstitute.org/fundraisers or give us a call at 760-346-7334. We hope to see you there!
Bonfire with the Bighorn
On March 7th, we had our Bonfire with the Bighorn and it was an evening to remember! While the wind prevented much of a bonfire, we grilled hamburgers and hotdogs, had s’mores, raffle prizes and storytelling. It was fun hunkering down with everyone out of the wind and we had great conversation with unbeatable company. Thanks to all who came out!
Lambing Update
We are still hard at work keeping a close eye on the sheep around the Coachella Valley as lambing season continues. There are now at least 26 lambs in the northern Santa Rosa Mountains near Rancho Mirage/Palm Desert and 23 lambs in the central Santa Rosa Mountains of La Quinta. We have still documented only 4 lambs in the San Jacinto Mountains near Palm Springs, which is a little concerning, but there’s still time. Lambing season extends through June so we’ll continue our intensive work looking for new lambs and checking on the health and survival of the ones already born.
Bighorn Presentations
In early March, we gave a presentation to a local PEO (Philanthropic Education Organization) group on bighorn sheep in the Coachella Valley. We also had the opportunity to give a presentation to the Coachella Valley Archaeological Society. As usual, these were both great opportunities for us to educate others about the endangered Peninsular bighorn sheep and the Institute’s conservation efforts. Would you like us to give a bighorn presentation to your group? Please give us a call at (760) 346-7334 or email us at bi@bighorninstitute.org.
Desert Bighorn Council Meeting
The 55th meeting of the Desert Bighorn Council will take place April 16-19, 2019, in Mesquite, Nevada. This year’s biennial conference theme is Beyond Borders and focuses on connectivity, disease and genetics relative to collaborative management. Desert bighorn sheep reside in 7 western states and Mexico so there will be state status reports and current research will be discussed. The meeting is open to the public; for more information visit www.desertbighorncouncil.com/meetings.
Wildflowers and Other Wild Critters
If you’ve been hiking or walking anywhere around the Coachella Valley the past couple of weeks you’ve seen the incredible display of wildflowers! This year’s superbloom is, well, SUPER! You’ve probably also noticed the influx of Painted Lady Butterflies (Vanessa cardui) and most recently, White-lined Sphinx Moth caterpillars (Hyles lineata). The butterflies are dodging windshields and it’s hard not to run over the caterpillars or step on them in the field. This year is certainly special so we hope you’re getting out there to enjoy the flowers and the bountiful beauty of our incredible desert!
Member Hike
Our March Member Hike did not disappoint as we saw a large nursery group with ewes and lambs as well as a couple of curious yearling rams at the end of our hike! We’ve had 100% success rate this season and our final hike will be a more strenuous hike than our typical venture. We will hike in the San Jacinto Mountains (location to be determined) with potential elevation gain of 1,000 ft. in less than one mile. Members need to be fit for this hike and hiking poles are recommended. Our next Member Hike will be on Friday, April 26th at 7:30am. We would love to have you join us, but space is limited, no dogs, and you must RSVP for this first come first served hike. To sign up or for more information, please call us at 760-346-7334 or email us at bi@bighorninstitute.org.
Get Your Copy!
Available at Bighorn Institute, The Living Desert and the Santa Rosa & San Jacinto Mountains National Monument Visitor Center. All proceeds benefit the Institute. Contact 760-346-7334 to pick up your copy for $20.
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