Copper Mountain College is pleased to join the Morongo Basin Conservation Association’s 15th annual Desert-Wise Landscape Tour on Sunday, April 19, 2026.  The college will be open for tours from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with Jorge’s Cafe in the 300 Quad open for dining from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.  Jorge’s is a great place for lunch, snacks, and beverages here on the CMC campus in Joshua Tree.

 

Transformations: Revitalizing Disfigured Landscapes

15th Annual MBCA Desert-Wise Landscape Tour

Sunday, April 19, 2026 | 9 a.m.–4 p.m.

Across the Morongo Basin, damaged desert home landscapes are being brought back to life. This year’s Desert-Wise Landscape Tour highlights dramatic transformations—from a barren scraped lot and a burned property to a reclaimed junkyard now thriving with native plants and art.

The Morongo Basin Conservation Association (MBCA) invites the public to the 15th Annual Desert-Wise Landscape Tour, Sunday, April 19, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., featuring seven sites across Pioneertown, Yucca Valley, and Joshua Tree.

“We chose this year’s theme, Transformations: Revitalizing Disfigured Landscapes, to highlight inspiring examples of how damaged desert properties can be restored into thriving, water-wise landscapes,” said MBCA President Steve Bardwell.

Featured Transformations

Sites include a scraped lot revived with berms and drought-tolerant plantings; a property recovering from the 2006 Sawtooth Complex Fire with native plants reintroduced in collaboration with botanist Robin Kobaly; a landscape being restored by nurturing naturally emerging seedlings among desert boulders; and a former junkyard—once cleared of 7 industrial dumpster loads of debris—now transformed into an art-filled landscape and nonprofit creative space.

Demonstration Gardens

Public demonstration gardens at Joshua Basin Water District, Mojave Desert Land Trust, and Copper Mountain College highlight water-smart landscaping using native plants and efficient irrigation.

Pre-Tour Events

A botanical hike will take place Saturday, April 18 at 8:00 a.m., led by Joshua Tree resident Melanie Davis, research field ecologist and botanist at UC Riverside’s Center for Conservation Biology. Arch McCulloch, President of the California Native Plant Society – Mojave Desert Chapter, will also attend. A free Pollinator & Native Plant talk by Lisha Astorga of Desert Strawhouse Nursery will follow the same day from 4–6 p.m. at Hey There! Gallery in Joshua Tree.

A Celebration of Desert Stewardship

For fifteen years, MBCA’s Desert-Wise Landscape Tour has inspired residents to rethink landscaping in the Mojave Desert—showing how beauty, water conservation, and habitat restoration can work together. Tour sponsors include Mojave Water Agency, Twentynine Palms Water District, High Desert Water District, Joshua Basin Water District, Bighorn-Desert View Water Agency, and Golden State Water Company.

Tickets and details:
mbconservation.org/tour