Night of the Tortoises

-from the Head Curator

One of the perks of being a member of the Imperial Valley Desert Museum Society are the members-only events we occasionally hold.  Last night we held our first members-only Evening with an Expert event of the season.  David Lamfrom, Director of the California Desert and Wildlife Programs with the National Parks Conservation Association; wildlife photographer; conservation advocate; and president of the Mojave National Preserve Conservancy, came out to speak about desert tortoises and a youth program he did called Tortoises Through the Lens.

David Lamfrom signed copies of Tortoises Through the Lens after his talk

"As long as I can remember, I've been fascinated by animals: wanting to know what their lives are like, and how I could help them" Lamfrom said.  His passion and enthusiasm for the desert, protecting it, and exposing others to it, came through in every moment of his talk.  He described how, as a native of Southern Florida, he was fascinated by the beauty of the very different landscape of the California deserts- and how he was shocked by locals who not only saw no beauty in where they lived, but couldn't wait to leave it.  In 2008 he was in the first class to win a National Audubon Society Toyota TogetherGreen Fellowship and began to connect children to the desert through photography.  This became Tortoises Through the Lens: a program where kids were given cameras and taken out into the Mojave Desert to discover what they thought mattered.  After a meeting with a small tortoise, the group was hooked.  The result has been a whole new generation of "desert rats", advocating for the desert, the desert tortoises, and their habitats.  The students' photography became Tortoises Through the Lens, a book "of their eighteen-month adventure to seek out, photograph, and learn about the desert tortoises and the harsh land that they inhabit."

Marcie Rodriguez, Edgar Bernal Sevilla, Robin Dodge, David Lamfrom
& Dr. Robert Wishner with Ramses

After the talk, members shared stories about tortoises they had known as pets, as well as their experiences in the desert.  Lamfrom's experience of kids not being able to wait until they could move away was familiar to everyone in the room.  "We're not taught to love our desert" Marcie Rodriguez, IVDM Education Co-ordinator agreed with Lamfrom.  "I didn't know how amazing this place was until I came to the museum.  Now there's a place for people with a passion to come and learn and share ideas and advocate.  It's my goal to make sure no Imperial Valley student feels the way I did about growing up in the Valley."

New outdoor test panels encourage visitors to explore the lives of desert tortoises

Society Annual Meeting

-from the Curator

Yesterday 25 members of the Museum's Society attended the IVDM Society's Annual Meeting.  It was a busy day and great to see so many museum friends gathered together. The Society recognized four of its members with special certificates this year: William Pape was recognized for his exemplary support of the museum, its mission, and the Endowment Fund; George and Kathleen Willis were recognized for their exemplary support of the museum, its mission, and the Endowment Fund; and Neil Zinn, retiring from the Society's Board, was recognized for his years of service, support, and volunteering.

William Pape receiving a certificate of recognition for Exemplary Support of the Museum

After a brief business meeting the Museum's Director, Dr. Neal Hitch, took us back in time through a retrospective of how far the museum has come: from the beginning of building the Ocotillo museum to today when we have a brand-new, state of the art exhibit- the biggest goal of the Society since he was hired back in 2011.

All of this leads to the question of where the museum goes from here. What do its members want to see happen over the next 5, 10, 50 years? This meeting began the strategic planning that will occur over the next 6-8 months to answer those questions. It started with three tables set out at this meeting, each with one question on it. Everyone was encouraged to write their thoughts
 If you come through the museum over the next few weeks the tables will be up and we'd love to have your additions to this first brainstorming session. Or post a comment through this blog or Facebook and we'll add it to the table!

 Here's where the tables stand so far:

Question 1: If we focused on one program, what would it be?
-"Field trips for schools"
-"Field trips for students"

Question 2: Potential uses of new property?
-"Hiking trails with info signs"
-"Hiking with no signs (wilderness experience)"
-"Truck/Jeep display"
-"Show case drought tolerant/native plants for landscaping to transition to more sustainable, less water usage while simultaneously propagating and selling plants to visitors"

Question 3: What is the most important thing the museum will do . . . 
 . . . In the next year?
-"Get money for gardens"
-"6th grade hiking field trip"
-"Skype with a scientist"
-"Youth hike (conjunction with Jacumba hikers?)"
-"Connect/stay connected to local Kumeyaay tribes/leaders/entities, host Kumeyaay related events"
-"Become institutionalized with the Imperial Valley and Jacumba schools so that all students get a chance to come out"

 . . . In the next 5 years?
-"Plant gardens"
-"Internships with local colleges"
-"A desert oasis- palms, pools, plants, shade"
-"Southern CA colleges need to hear about IVDM for field trips/seminars/workshops"
-"Partner with San Diego universities to bring grad students out"
-"Bring more closely together Native American, Hispanic, and European cultures through the museum experience"

 . . . In the next 50 years?
-"Maintain gardens"