Ready for the Star Party?

If you plan on attending the Star Party and National Park Service Centennial Celebration this Saturday, November 5, 2016, see below for more information.

Timing:

We'll begin to gather at the Black Canyon Group and Equestrian Campground pavillion around 5pm on Saturday, November 5.  For those that have never camped before, it's a good idea to get to your campsite and set up your tent before sunset (around 5:40 pm on Saturday).

The Mojave National Preserve has a lot to offer, so we also encourage you to get to the Preserve early in the day and explore before heading over to the campground, or check out other areas on Sunday morning.  On the other side of the Providence Mountains from the group campground you can check out the Kelso Depot visitor center to learn about the Preserve and its history, or the Kelso Dunes to get an up-close look at the fragile dune ecology.  The Cima Dome area offers a dense Joshua tree woodland and an opportunity to hike the excellent Teutonia Peak Trail.  If you have less time, there is a nice trail that lets you explore the vicinity of the Hole-in-the-Wall vistor center near the group campground, including cool geologic formations and Native American rock art.

A bit about the location:

The Star Party will be held at the Black Canyon Group and Equestrian Camprground in the Mojave National Preserve.  Camping is free for the Star Party, and we're expecting a good turnout.  As many as 90 people RSVP'd.  If the Black Canyon campsite is too crowded for your taste, the Hole-in-the-Wall Campground is a very short drive away - about one mile.  For more information on camping in the Preserve, check out the National Park Service's website.

To get to the Black Canyon Group and Equestrian Campground (marked in the Google map, below), take Interstate 40 to the Essex Road exit.  Drive north on Essex Road until you reach the junction with Black Canyon Road.   The Black Canyon Group Campground is approximately 10 miles north on Black Canyon Road on the right side.  There is a short stretch of dirt road to get to the campground from Black Canyon Road, but it is maintained and fine for 2WD vehicles.  The Hole-in-the-Wall campground is also located along Black Canyon Road, just a bit further north on the left hand side.  In the same vicinity you will also see the Hole-in-the-Wall Visitor Center.

 

Astronomers will set up their telescopes on the cement pad in the Black Canyon Group Campground, and there is a covered pavillion next to the cement pad with picnic tables. Campers are welcome to set up tents in the open areas around the group campsite. 

Weather:

As of Wednesday, November 2, the National Weather Service is forecasting clear skies for Saturday night.  The high during the day will be 72 at the campground location, and lows that night are forecast to be in the low 50s or upper 40s.  Bring warm layers for the nighttime star viewing.

Things to Bring:

In addition to the camping gear and warm layers you would normally bring for a night in the desert, here are some other reminders:

  • Bring your curiousity and leave the grit of the city behind. 
  • Feel free to bring food to share for the potluck dinner on Saturday, but this is not a requirement.
  • Because you'll need to see where you are walking at night, bring a flashlight or headlamp. We strongly recommend red lights because they do not ruin your natural night vision.  A red light will allow you to get around the dark campground without blinding folks that are trying to enjoy the night sky in all its glory. A regular flashlight can also be converted with some red cellophane or plastic wrap covered in red marker.
  • If you plan to do some desert hiking before the Star Party or the next morning, some good walking shoes and a water bottle. 

Ain't No Party Like a Mojave Party

The Mojave National Preserve Conservancy invites you to our Centennial celebration of the National Park Service on November 5, 2016.  Our star-studded event will take place at the Black Canyon Group Campground in the Mojave National Preserve. 

If you are interested in going, let us know by RSVP'ing on our Facebook page or just let us know by sending us a quick e-mail (there is no obligation or cost, just show up if you can!). 

Although the multitude of stars visible in the night sky is a great reason to visit the Preserve, don't be discouraged if (rare) cloudy weather prevents you from seeing the stars.  These desert wildlands managed by the National Park Service offer amazing scenery, wildlife viewing, hiking, camping, and a peaceful getaway from the city.

  • Astronomers will bring high-powered telesceopes so that the public can get a close-up view of the amazing night sky, including far away galaxies and planets. 
  • Watch the sunset across the Clipper and Fenner Valleys, a desert view that stretches as far as the eye can see.
  • Learn about desert wildlife during hikes in the Preserve.  Roadrunners and jackrabbits scurry about by day among an impressive diversity of desert plant life. And for those that camp the night in the Preserve, it's not unusual to hear the song of the coyote in the distance, and the hoot of owls perched on nearby boulders at night.
  • Check out the amazing geologic formations, and Native American rock art during a quick hike around the Hole-in-the-Wall Visitor Center.

We look forward to seeing you on November 5th, with activities planned into the morning on November 6th!

Conservancy Applauds County Decision

The Mojave National Preserve Conservancy applauds a decision by San Bernardino County Supervisors denying the environmental certification of the proposed Soda Mountain Solar project.  The solar project - proposed by Regenerate Power LLC - would destroy over 3 square miles of intact desert habitat immediately adjacent to the Preserve.

Supervisors expressed concern that the environmental analysis conducted for the project ignored input from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife regarding impacts on bighorn sheep.  The project would have also pumped millions of gallons of groundwater, threatening the viability of local groundwater-fed natural springs.  Wildlife that depend upon the springs include bighorn sheep, rare Mohave tui chub, American badgers and many birds species.

The proposed site of the Soda Mountain Solar project.  Photo by Michael E. Gordon.

The project developer is considering its options, but County supervisors rightly pointed out that the solar panel technology the company proposed placing next to the Preserve could just as easily be installed on already-disturbed lands close to our cities, on rooftops, or over parking lots.

Soda Mountain Area Targeted for Industrial-Scale Solar

The Department of Interior approved plans to build the Soda Mountain Solar project adjacent to the Mojave National Preserve, a decision most recently the focus of a critical op-ed in the Los Angeles Times.  The project would destroy approximately three square miles of intact desert wildlands, threaten an opportunity to restore a bighorn sheep migratory corridor, and rob the basin of groundwater that is needed to supply natural springs for many species of wildlife.  The project would consist of the same type of solar panel technology that can just as easily be installed on rooftops or over parking lots.

The Conservancy expressed concern about the project and co-signed a letter urging Interior to reject the project and instead designate the lands as an Area of Critical Environmental Concern.  The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors will vote this month on whether or not to certify the project and approve its groundwater well permits.  The local community of Baker is urging the County to reject the well permit. The Board of Supervisors plan to review the permit on August 23rd.

Bighorn sheep in the Mojave National Preserve use natural springs next to the proposed Soda Mountain Solar project.  The project would pump millions of gallons of groundwater for construction and to wash solar panels.

More Stars than Hollywood

Astronomers setting up one of the telescopes and waiting for the setting sun to be replaced by millions of stars.

Visitors to the Preserve had a great time at our June Star Party, with great food, company, and stars shining overheard.  Our friends at the Old Town Pasadena Sidewalk Astronomers brought some high-powered telescopes with which visitors had the chance to see the features of planets in our solar system, and far away galaxies. But the view with the naked eye is also impressive, especially as the Milky Way comes into view.  This is a special treat because nearly one-third of the world's population does not have a regular opportunity to see the Milky Way because of light pollution, according to a study.

Even deep in the Mojave, sometimes the sky does not cooperate.  We had cancelled a prior Star Party attempt because of a severe weather forecast.  But some visitors were not deterred.  Although the organized event was cancelled, they showed up and set up their tents.  Mother Nature rewarded them when the clouds broke later that night and revealed the Milky Way. But even when clouds linger a night in the Mojave is a wonderful experience.  Distant thunder, the song of a coyote, the hoot of an owl, the flutter of bats and specialized moths. The Mojave is alive at night.

If you want to experience this, stay tuned. We are planning another Star Party for the fall.

Castle Mountains Gain Permanent Protection

The Conservancy applaud's President Obama's designation in February of the Castle Mountains as a National Monument to be managed by the National Park Service.   Totalling nearly 21,000 acres, the Monument neighbors the Mojave National Preserve and protects a Joshua tree-studded landscape punctuated by the rugged Castle Mountains. 

But it is not just the strange looking Joshua trees that make this place special.  Botanists have identified 35 native grass species that make up the understory beneath the Joshua trees, a unique ecosystem in the Mojave that once hosted pronghorn antelope before they were locally wiped out in the early 1900s. One day the antelope may once again roam the area.  The Castle Mountains currently host mountain lions, bighorn sheep golden eagles, and a multitude of other wildlife.

As early as the 1980s desert enthusiasts wanted to include the area in what was to become the Mojave National Preserve. But by the time Congress finally passed legislation in 1994 establishing the Preserve, the Castle Mountains had been excluded from the conservation designation out of deference to a gold mine operator.

The gold mine will still be allowed to continue operations in the new Monument, but the mining lands will become part of the Monument once the mine is decommissioned.

The Castle Mountains can be accessed from Nevada via Walking Box Ranch Road off of Nevada State Rd 164 (Nipton Road) or from several unnamed dirt roads off of Lanfair Road in the Mojave National Preserve.