Desert Wildlife Center

01/06/2025

The Desert Wildlife Center is partnering with Oswit Land Trust to welcome Kian and Joel Schulman of Poison Free Malibu to Palm Springs! These dedicated advocates have worked tirelessly at the city, county, and state levels to restrict harmful pesticides that threaten families, pets, and wildlife.

Event Details:
📅 Date: January 16, 2025
⏰ Time: 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM
📍 Location: Mizell Center, 480 S Sunrise Way, Palm Springs, CA 92262
📧 RSVP/Info: [email protected]

Discover how their impactful work in Malibu, the Santa Monica Mountains, and beyond has transformed communities into safer, poison-free environments. Learn how these innovative strategies can protect our local ecosystems and create sustainable, toxin-free practices right here in the Coachella Valley.

01/01/2025

Friends of Desert Wildlife,

Some good news! The Poison-Free Wildlife Act will take effect in California tomorrow Jan. 1.

The new law bans the use of first- and second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides. These restricted chemicals are blood-thinning rat poisons that cause animals to die from internal bleeding. Owls, hawks, roadrunners, snakes, coyotes and bobcats who consume the infected rodents are also poisoned.

The law allows the poisons to be used in agricultural settings and public health emergencies only.

We thank everyone who advocated for this bill on behalf of our desert wildlife!

Photo: Eddie Black/Unsplash

12/25/2024

Wishing you and your loved ones a joyous holiday season from all of us at the Desert Wildlife Center! Whether your family walks, flies, or purrs, may this season bring warmth, love, and togetherness. Thank you for your continued support of our mission to protect and care for Coachella Valley’s wildlife. Here’s to a bright and hopeful new year ahead. 🦉🌵

12/17/2024

Some great information from our friends at Project Coyote — and the LA Times.

L.A. County is full of coyotes. Knowing what to do when you see one will better keep you, your pets and the coyote safe from harm.

12/13/2024

There is still time to RSVP to learn about desert tortoises from two brilliant experts at this FREE lecture brought to you by DWC and Oswit Land Trust!

Saturday, December 14
9AM to 11AM
Mizell Center
480 S. Sunrise Way, Palm Springs
RSVP and questions to David Paisley at [email protected]

The presentation will discuss the history of the Mojave Desert Tortoise; how its population in the deserts of California has been decimated, and how it will recover. The talk will describe exciting desert tortoise conservation progress resulting from using the latest technology combined with an understanding of animal behavior, as well as the conservation challenges confronting the tortoise’s recovery. Presented by Ron Berger of The Desert Tortoise Conservancy and Tim Shields of Hardshell Labs, Inc.

12/12/2024

Join us TODAY from 4–7 PM on NBC Palm Springs for the Tail-A-Thon presented by Silvercrest, benefiting the Palm Springs Animal Shelter and Desert Wildlife Center! Learn more or donate anytime at tailathon.org. Plus, keep an eye out for a special celebrity guest helping us make a big impact for the animals in our care!

📞 Phone lines open at 4 PM—call 760-278-7709 to donate!

Hockey fans, we’re teaming up with the Coachella Valley Firebirds tonight at Acrisure Arena! Stop by during the game to meet adorable puppies available for adoption, connect with our team, or make a donation to support local animal welfare. 🏒🐶

📺 Watch the Tail-A-Thon on NBC Palm Springs, then cheer on the Firebirds and join the fun. Let’s score big for the animals tonight!

12/07/2024

We’re here at the Indio International Tamale Festival today and tomorrow! Stop by the Desert Wildlife Center booth to say hello, learn about our mission, and discover how you can support local wildlife. 🦉🐢

Come chat with us and enjoy one of the most delicious events of the year! See you soon!

12/04/2024

The Desert Wildlife Center and Oswit Land Trust have teamed up to offer a fascinating FREE lecture focused on the Desert Tortoise and YOU are invited!

Saturday, December 14
9AM to 11AM
Mizell Center
480 S. Sunrise Way, Palm Springs
RSVP and questions to David Paisley at [email protected]

The presentation will discuss the history of the Mojave Desert Tortoise; how its population in the deserts of California has been decimated, and how it will recover. The talk will describe exciting desert tortoise conservation progress resulting from using the latest technology combined with an understanding of animal behavior, as well as the conservation challenges confronting the tortoise’s recovery. Presented by Ron Berger of The Desert Tortoise Conservancy and Tim Shields of Hardshell Labs, Inc.

The Mojave Desert Tortoise is California’s State Reptile. It and its ancestors roamed these lands even before the Jurassic Era, surviving the dinosaurs, asteroids, ice ages, and all manner of climate events. And yet, their populations in much of their range here in our state have declined by upwards of 90% in recent years. Why? And what are we going to do about it? Ron will illuminate this sordid tale for us, capping his remarks with the work being done to turn it around, much of it right here in the Coachella Valley.

Tim Shields will review the last 50 years of desert tortoise research, with an emphasis on the population monitoring work spearheaded by Dr. Kristin Berry. This will set the stage for a discussion of the application of emerging technology to previously unsolvable conservation challenges. Tim will share, in detail, several success stories concerning raven management for tortoise conservation as examples of how new gizmos can keep these ancient desert dwellers among us. He will conclude with a look ahead and how the successes with raven management offer hope for tackling another, subtler threat to tortoises: the loss of native annual plant diversity to a takeover by invasive grasses.

We hope to see you there!

12/03/2024

This GivingTuesday, Support Wildlife in Need! The Desert Wildlife Center is building a brighter future for the amazing creatures that call our desert home. Your support helps us create a sanctuary where injured and displaced wildlife can recover and thrive.

📲 Make a difference today: https://psas.givecloud.co/product/GIVINGTUESDAYDWC2024/giving-tuesday-dwc-2024

With your donation, you’re helping to:
🌵 Renovate our facility to meet California’s wildlife care standards
🌵 Provide critical care for injured animals
🌵 Educate the community on protecting and coexisting with desert wildlife

Every act of generosity makes a ripple of change, join us in protecting our desert’s wildest residents.

11/28/2024

Whooo are we grateful for this Thanksgiving? All of you who are making the dream of the Desert Wildlife Center a reality! Thank you to all our supporters, staff and volunteers!


Photo by James Toose/Unsplash

11/26/2024

This week seems like the perfect time to learn some facts about wild turkeys. Did you know that turkeys can see better than humans, AND can see color? Or that only males gobble? Wild turkeys can fly up to 55 miles an hour in short bursts. They like to roost in trees at night to avoid predators. Male wild turkeys provide no parental care. Newly hatched chicks follow the female, who feeds them for a few days until they learn to find food on their own. As the chicks grow, they band into groups composed of several hens and their broods. Winter groups sometimes exceed 200 turkeys.Turkeys enjoy tight-knit families—not only do broods remain together for up to five months, but male siblings form lifelong social units. Young turkeys spend a lot of time playing, and adults still enjoy short flights, dust bathing, and roosting. And weird fact, you can tell a turkey’s gender by their p**p. Males p**p in a J shape and females in spirals. And the bigger the p**p, the older the bird. Fun facts to share about this majestic and beautiful bird.

11/20/2024

Desert Wildlife Friends … here is very important information about the coyote dispersal season. If you see more coyotes now, it doesn’t mean there is a population boom. Instead, young coyotes are finding their own turf. These tips can help us coexist.

Have you noticed more coyotes out and about than usual? 🐺🐺🐺 It’s dispersal season! Young coyotes are leaving their families to find their place in the world—kind of like kids heading off to college. This increase in sightings doesn’t mean a population boom; it’s simply a more noticeable part of their life cycle. Plus, with less vegetation and snow-covered ground, they’re easier to spot this time of year.

An increase in sightings is not a cause for alarm. Coyotes are naturally wary of people and prefer to keep their distance. As young coyotes explore new areas, here are some ways we can help them remain good neighbors:

✅ Secure all food sources: Feed dogs and cats indoors, secure trash bins, and pick up fallen fruit.
✅ Practice safe animal companion guardianship: Keep dogs on leash during walks, especially where coyotes are active. Territorial dogs and excessive barking can sometimes instigate an avoidable encounter.
✅ Never feed coyotes: Feeding them creates an association between people and food, which can lead to conflict.
✅ Keep an eye out: Slow down and watch for wildlife on roadways.

Coyotes play a vital role in thriving ecosystems by naturally regulating populations of rodents and rabbits, reducing the spread of disease, and supporting biodiversity. Foster by learning how to share the landscape with your wild neighbors!

11/18/2024

Wow! It was so much fun to host Desert Horticultural Society of the Coachella Valley’s Native Plant Community Celebration Saturday on our grounds! The plant selection offered by California Native Plant Society, Desert Straw House, and other local growers was incredible, and will surely be appreciated by our local wildlife. Thank you to all who participated, sharing their expertise and knowledge with our Coachella Valley community!

11/15/2024

DWC director Tracy Dawson provided staff and volunteers with an overview of wildlife rehabilitation principles and an update on our Center’s progress today at Palm Springs Animal Shelter. This was the first presentation in our monthly Rehabilitate, Liberate, Educate series. And more good news - these talks will be open to the public. Stay tuned for details on the next one!

11/15/2024

Our first night at Village Fest! We will be here every week with wildlife tips and info, along with some great merch. Come and see us, at Andreas and Palm Canyon 😀

10/22/2024

It’s almost Halloween! Here are some good tips for protecting birds if you want to decorate.

Follow these tips to ensure your spooky celebrations don't create a scary situation for birds.

10/20/2024

We are thrilled to be hosting this gathering of native plant enthusiasts! What we plant in our yards, at our businesses, in our parks, road medians -everywhere really - can either help or hinder wildlife and ecosystems. Join us on Nov. 16 and learn more!

10/01/2024

As we finally head into the fall months, it becomes safer to trim bushes and trees without harming nesting birds. Our friends at Gold Country Wildlife provided these good tips. Thank you for helping the birds!

Are you starting to think about trimming trees? The nesting season can last into September! Because of this, we highly recommend planning to trim trees in late fall and winter during the small window that isn't baby season for our wild neighbors!

By planning to trim your trees during this window, you can help reduce the 100s of babies (squirrels, birds, owls, hawks) we receive each year whose nests are accidentally cut down during tree trimming.

Even when you're trimming in "off" months, we ask that you please watch for animals that may still be living in the trees you're cutting back. Cavities can be home for some animals year-round. Of course, if you have trees that are not dangerous or a fire hazard that you can leave standing, your wild neighbors would thank you for it. What might look like a dead tree to us often looks like a perfect place to live for mammals, raptors, and some smaller birds!

Thank you for doing your part to help keep wildlife safe.