The Big Morongo Canyon Preserve is a 31,000 acres (130 km²) native plants

California native plants

California native plants are plants that existed in California prior to the arrival of European explorers and colonists in the late 18th century...

 habitat

Habitat

* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...

 and wildlife preserve located in the Little San Bernardino Mountains

Little San Bernardino Mountains

The Little San Bernardino Mountains are a short mountain range of the Transverse Ranges, located in southern California in the United States. They extend for approximately 40 mi southeast from the San Bernardino Mountains through San Bernardino and Riverside Counties to near the northeast...

 of the Transverse Ranges

Transverse Ranges

The Transverse Ranges are a group of mountain ranges of southern California, in the Pacific Coast Ranges physiographic region that runs along the Pacific coast from Alaska to Mexico in North America. The Transverse Ranges begin at the southern end of the California Coast Ranges and lie between...

, in the transition zone between the higher Mojave Desert

Mojave Desert

The Mojave Desert occupies a significant portion of southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona, in the United States...

 and lower elevation Colorado Desert

Colorado Desert

California's Colorado Desert is a part of the larger Sonoran Desert, which extends across southwest North America. The Colorado Desert region encompasses approximately , reaching from the Mexican border in the south to the higher-elevation Mojave Desert in the north and from the Colorado River in...

 section of the Sonoran Desert

Sonoran Desert

The Sonoran Desert is a North American desert which straddles part of the United States-Mexico border and covers large parts of the U.S. states of Arizona and California and the northwest Mexican states of Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur. It is one of the largest and hottest...

.

The Preserve is in San Bernardino County, California

San Bernardino County, California

San Bernardino County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2010 census, the population was 2,035,210, up from 1,709,434 as of the 2000 census...

 between State Route 62

California State Route 62

State Route 62 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California.-Route description:This route is part of the California Freeway and Expressway System and is eligible for the State Scenic Highway System...

—Morongo Valley

Morongo Valley, California

Morongo Valley is a census-designated place in San Bernardino County, California, United States. The population was 3,552 at the 2010 census, up from 1,929 at the 2000 census.-Geography and climate:...

 to the east and Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree National Park is located in southeastern California. Declared a U.S. National Park in 1994 when the U.S. Congress passed the California Desert Protection Act , it had previously been a U.S. National Monument since 1936. It is named for the Joshua tree forests native to the park...

 to the west. Admission is free. The natural spring

Spring (hydrosphere)

A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...

 fed desert oasis

Oasis

In geography, an oasis or cienega is an isolated area of vegetation in a desert, typically surrounding a spring or similar water source...

 here is one of the 10 largest Cottonwood

Populus fremontii

Populus fremontii, the Fremont cottonwood or Alamo cottonwood, is a cottonwood poplar native to western North America, in California and east to Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico, and south into Sonora in northwestern Mexico...

 (Populus fremontii) and Willow

Salix lasiolepis

Salix lasiolepis is a species of willow native to western and southwestern North America, in the United States from central and southern Washington and southwestern Idaho south to California and Texas, and in Mexico from the Baja California peninsula east to Coahuila and south to Jalisco. The name...

 (Salix lasiolepis) riparian habitats in California.

Education

The United States Bureau of Land Management created the preserve in 1982. Its stated aims are to educate the public about its purpose in protecting vulnerable wildlife and ecosystem

Ecosystem

An ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving , physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water and sunlight....

s. Volunteers host educational opportunities including bird walks and group hikes. Public outreach programs and field trips are available.

While the preserve is known amongst bird watchers

Ornithology

Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the study of birds. Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and the aesthetic appeal of birds...

, many other organisms make their home within the preserve.

Hiking

The preserve has several short trails that are under a mile long, and one longer trail that is approximately five miles long. An information kiosk is located at the trail head just off the parking lot. Facilities include a nature education center, restrooms, and a wheelchair-accessible trail of half a mile.

See also

• Joshua Tree National Park wiki-index
• North American desert flora
• Colorado Desert index
• Mojave Desert index

External links

• Joshua Tree region Bird Checklist; with seasonal info.
• Big Morongo Preserve hiking
• Friends of the Big Morongo Canyon Preserve