THE
ANZA-BORREGO FOUNDATION
www.theabf.org
Considered by
some to be a hostile wasteland, the desert to me holds a special
charm. I grew up spending weekends camping under the stars, hiking
the canyons and watching the sun set.
Almost the entire
southeast quarter of California is desert. Plants and animals living
there are superbly adapted to life with little or no water. Mesquite,
for example, can have roots over 100 feet long to reach water when
available. Spring flowers bloom after winter rains in an array of
brilliant colors. Mammals and reptiles seek shelter in underground
burrows during extreme heat, emerging as the temperature drops.
The magnificent bighorn sheep climb the rocky mountain faces with
ease. The desert is abundant with amazing life forms.
My interest
in the desert lead to my joining the board of the Anza Borrego Foundation
(ABF). Their mission is to promote conservation in the Anza-Borrego
Desert State Park and the surrounding ecological region through
land acquisition, education, interpretation and scientific studies.
Since its founding in 1967, the ABF has acquired and transferred
to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park over 35,000 acres of in-holdings
(private parcels surrounded by park land) and other park resource
properties. At just over 600,000 acres, the park is one of the largest
state parks in the nation and annually attracts nearly one million
visitors.
In 2003 ABF
expanded its conservation mission with the creation of the Anza-Borrego
Institute. It provides school camps, workshops, tours, and community
programs on a broad range of topics. For participation contact www.theabf.org.
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