November 2019
Another Successful Fundraiser!
Bighorn Institute’s 32nd Annual Party and Golf Classic took place November 17th & 18th
and was a wonderful success! The two-day event was once again held at the stunning Stone Eagle Golf Club! At nearly 1,000 feet elevation, Sunday’s Annual Party guests enjoyed a phenomenal panoramic view of the Coachella Valley while indulging in a delectable dinner and drinks, as well as bidding on an array of silent auction items. The evening culminated with an exciting live auction and paddle raise.
On Monday morning, Dave Stockton and the other golf legends, Donna Caponi, Al Geiberger, and Don Pooley, gave a professional’s clinic before sending the golfers out on the course. All of the golfers enjoyed their day and we would like to congratulate this year’s winners.
Thank you to all of the participants, golf pros, donors, and volunteers who helped make this year’s fundraiser a success! A special thanks to Stone Eagle Golf Club for having us and Dave Stockton for hosting the tournament.
More Fall Lambs
We documented more fall lambs this month in the northern Santa Rosa Mountains (NSRM) and San Jacinto Mountains (SJM). There are now at least 13 fall lambs in the NSRM and 3 in the SJM. This is an extremely rare event so we’ll continue to keep close tabs on these herds. Stay tuned for the final count in December!
End of the Rut
The breeding season, or rut, is once again coming to a close and its spring lamb results
in the northern Santa Rosa’s will be most interesting since many ewes have recently given birth this fall. Soon the rams will begin to reform their bachelor groups and head out into the backcountry. The young rams, 1 to 2 years of age, will stay with the ewes during the lambing season, which will begin in January. We only have one functioning radio-collared ram in our study area from Palm Springs to La Quinta, so the majority of our ram sightings are from chance opportunities while conducting our daily fieldwork. But you, our eagle-eyed Citizen Scientists, can help us keep track of the herds by logging your sightings in our Bighorn Institute project on iNaturalist. For instructions on using the free iNaturalist app, visit our website: https://www.bighorninstitute.org/inaturalist-project
Membership Hike
Our first Member Hike of the season was a great success and we saw seven sheep! Our next Member Hike of the season will be Monday, December 16th at 8:00am. 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.
Join Bighorn Institute’s Team
We’re putting together a team of walkers and bike riders for the 2020 Tour de Palm
Springs to support the sheep! The event takes place Saturday, February 8th and there are plenty of options for all skill levels. You can walk 1 or 3 miles, sprint for 1.5 miles or bike ride 10, 28, 55 or 102 miles. If you register using Bighorn Institute’s charity code bhid20, we get 100% of the proceeds! Not a walker or biker? You can still participate by buying raffle tickets and again, we receive all proceeds from raffle tickets we sell. Walk registration is just $15, bike ride registration starts at $25 and raffle tickets are $1 each. You don’t have to be present to win the raffle prizes, just check their website after the event. So, let’s stretch out those hammies, lace up those sneakers or buckle on that helmet and let’s do this! For more information, call us at 760-346-7334 or email us at bi@bighorninstitute.org.
Need an Idea for a Christmas Gift?
Need a special gift for the person who has everything? Here are some ideas and the best part is that the proceeds go directly to helping the endangered bighorn sheep! It truly is a gift that keeps on giving. So, if you have been racking your brain, trying to think of something truly unique and memorable to get your loved one this Christmas, look no further, we’ve got you covered:
Give a gift membership to the Institute – memberships start at just $25/year, are tax-deductible & they can join our member hikes!
Adopt a Bighorn – $100 for a lamb, $150 for a ewe or ram: www.bighorninstitute.org/adopt-a-bighorn
Feed the captive herd for a week - $150
Help track radio-collared bighorn for a month - $600
To donate, please email (bi@bighorninstitute.org) or call us at 760-346-7334.
Amazon Smile
Did you know when you shop on Amazon you could be earning money for the sheep
without having to do anything extra? Just log into your Amazon account at smile.amazon.com and choose Bighorn Institute as your charity of choice. We’ll get 0.5% of every purchase you make and from now on, just shop at smile. amazon.com. Thanks for your support!
Wish List
Field receiver - $1,000 – allows us to track the radio-collared bighorn sheep