Our Story
Born From the Desert. Built to Defend It.
Save The Mojave started not in a boardroom, but on a trail — when a group of hikers watched a bulldozer tear through a Joshua tree grove that had stood for 500 years.
How It Started
In 2018, a small group of desert hikers, naturalists, and local activists gathered around a campfire in the Mojave. They had one thing in common: they had watched the desert they loved disappear, acre by acre, while traditional conservation moved too slowly to stop it.
Save The Mojave was founded on a simple conviction — that the people who know this land best are the ones who walk it. We don't wait for policy. We act. We document. We fight.
What Makes Us Different
Not Your Grandfather's Conservation
Traditional conservation organizations move at the speed of legislation. We move at the speed of threat. When a new solar project threatens critical tortoise habitat, we're there in days — not years. We combine grassroots organizing, legal advocacy, and direct habitat restoration into a single, relentless force.
01
Radical Transparency
Every dollar, every decision, every acre we protect — we publish it. No black boxes, no donor dinners. Just the work.
02
On-the-Ground First
We believe conservation happens in the desert, not in conference rooms. Our teams are in the field every week.
03
Community-Led
The people who live near, hike through, and depend on the Mojave lead this movement. Outside voices support — they don't direct.
The People
Founding Members
Elena Vasquez
Co-Founder & Executive Director
Former wilderness guide and environmental attorney. Has hiked every major trail in the Mojave twice.
Marcus Webb
Co-Founder & Field Director
Desert ecologist with 15 years studying Mojave flora and fauna. Knows the name of every Joshua tree he's ever met.
Priya Nair
Co-Founder & Community Organizer
Grew up in the Inland Empire with the Mojave as her backyard. Turned personal love into political power.
Join the Movement.
We are hikers, scientists, lawyers, artists, and neighbors. If you love this desert, you belong here.