Friends of the Desert Mountains

Our program provides Coachella Valley -specific, hands-on environmental science education and field trips for local school-aged children. We are incorporating cultural components to all of our programs, acknowledging the celebrating the rich Indigenous history of our area, as well as making sure to meet the stated demands and needs of local schools for education opportunities that incorporate Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math (STEAM). As the majority of our Environmental Education programming is through educational outdoor activities, professional experienced youth educators lead children on guided hikes. We prepare children for their Natural Area visit so they will get more out of their time in nature. While continuing to provide quality outdoor programs, we will build on our previous program successes.

We focus on providing outdoor educational opportunities to children from the Eastern Coachella Valley because despite the richness of the natural resources surrounding it, the ECV is severely under-served, especially when it comes to outdoor education. We hope to inspire and empower ECV children to become the solutions to or planet’s environmental and social challenges by connecting them with joy to the land they inhabit.

Contact: Oscar Ortiz, Director of Education

Phone: (760) 568-9918

Email: oortiz@desertmountains.org

Friends of the Desert Mountains’ Explore Coachella Valley Program introduces children to the beauty and wonder of the natural world right here in the desert. Explore Coachella Valley is a growing outdoor education program that links the Next Generation Science Standards to hands-on, real-world observations of nature and natural phenomena. Our purpose is to get kids active and outdoors and engaging in scientific inquiry—all the while enjoying every moment of it! By reflecting on these positive, direct experiences with nature, kids begin to think critically about how humans and the natural environment are interdependent. Our goal is to get kids to connect with the land and all its creatures. By fostering that connection, our hope is that they will make conscious decisions that will enable both humans and the natural environment to thrive in the 21st century and beyond.