The wide variety of work that GBI has performed with the Mojave Desert Network (MOJN) in collaboration with the National Park Service (NPS) is quite impressive. This collaboration has been ongoing for years and has covered everything from data management to bat and desert tortoise monitoring, from historical preservation to sign construction. Currently, GBI is also supporting NPS’s Desert Spring and Selected Large Springs monitoring programs by conducting sampling to assess water availability and quality at spring sites within the network, which includes nine national park units and some eight million acres.
GBI Research Associate, Max Driscoll, is currently working in five of these units, working closely with a NPS crewmate to perform sampling for the NPS Inventory and Monitoring program in Death Valley National Park, Joshua Tree National Park, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Mojave Preserve, and Parashant National Monument. “Together we travel to spring sites within the national parks of the network, often camping out for 4-5 days,” Max explains. “Most of our sites are in Lake Mead NRA and the Mojave Preserve.”
Max started work on this project in November and has already made significant progress. Thirty-four spring sites were sampled before the end of the year, including 29 using the Desert Spring monitoring protocol, and an additional five large springs, including the Forty-Nine Palms Oasis spring in Joshua Tree National Park. This work helps to preserve the health and beauty of the park units within MOJN, something that Max can greatly appreciate due to his direct experiences with these stunning landscapes. He describes a particularly memorable field week during which he worked in Black Canyon on the Colorado River: “We reached these springs by boat and were graced with amazing river views every day. The springs themselves ranged from beautiful hanging gardens covered with ferns to hot water emerging from the ground into thermal pools.” He further describes his most recent venture into Joshua Tree National Park: “We hiked into remote canyons to sample oases where groves of elegant California Fan Palms grow. Both of these trips have shown me the astounding diversity in landscapes and flora that the Mojave Desert maintains.”
Max also acknowledges the professional benefits of his work in MOJN. “I can already see that this job is adding to my knowledge of ecology, especially of California’s deserts and the wetland environments within them,” he says. “I am also becoming better at backcountry traveling and logistics planning for field sampling. Lastly, I am improving my team working skills and capabilities to use and understand environmental sampling techniques and equipment. This knowledge and skills will no doubt benefit me in field working jobs and other professional opportunities in my career. Personally, through exploring the Mojave Desert at this position, I am gaining experiences that have enriched my life and reminded me of the importance of environmental preservation and stewardship.”
