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Tortoise Tales: Newsletter of the
Hi-Desert Nature Museum
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 Yucca Valley High School Art Show
This exhibition highlights the finest work of some of this community's rising talent from Yucca Valley High School. Curated by YVHS art teacher Bruce Hamilton, the show displays a variety of subjects in different art forms such as drawing and painting. (Shown here, owl painting by Sammy Morris)
On Display April 27 - June 6
Opening Reception Friday, April 30,
4:30 - 6:00 p.m., FREE to the Public
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 Earth Day Conservation Fair
The museum's much anticipated Earth Day Fair will feature live music, dancing, artists, and vendors in a family-oriented environment. Nature organizations attending include Joshua Tree National Park, Big Morongo Canyon Preserve, Andromeda Society, Unique Garden Center, and many more. Southern California Edison's Energy Bus will join the festivities, along with more than 20 local artists displaying jewelry and artwork inspired by our desert environment. A face painter and kid's hands-on crafts will be available for our younger visitors.
Entertainment Schedule:
9:00 a.m. Vela Sector Sound System, A true variety show, from vedic chant to classical piano, and from African high life to eco-conscious folk music.
10:15 a.m. Jewels of the Desert, Bellydance Troupe
10:45 a.m. Will Thoren, Didgeridoo, percussion and various other instruments
12:15 p.m. Strawberry Butterfly, Tribal Dance
12:45 p.m. Ritmo Loco, Afro-Cuban Quintet
Saturday, April 17th, 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
FREE to the Public!
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 Art Seminars in May
The Hi-Desert Nature Museum is pleased to host a series of art lectures organized by Ray Yeager and presenting talented local artists discussing their work and art processes.
Saturday, May 1st
Suzanne Ross, "Paper in the Arts" and
Tobi Taboada, "The Art of Paper Making"
Saturday, May 8th
Ray Yeager, "The History of the Art of Assemblage"
(Shown here "Mechanical Head" by Raoul Hausman, 1920)
Saturday, May 15th
Dimitri Kirillov, "Photography - Window Into Nature"
All programs begin at 1:30 p.m. and are
FREE to the public
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Mojave Desert Land Trust Spring Celebration!
The Mojave Desert Land Trust will be holding a Spring Celebration at the Hi-Desert Nature Museum. Learn how the Mojave Desert Land Trust is working in your backyard to preserve the desert. A wildlife presentation will be given by local photographer David McChesney. This event will also serve as the official kickoff for the "Here Today, Here Tomorrow" student essay contest.
Thursday, May 13th,
5:30 - 8:00 p.m.
Click here to visit the Mojave Desert Land Trust web site
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 1st Wednesday History Program - 29 Palms
Join us as we present Sallie Brown and Dick Moran discussing the early history and settlers of Twentynine Palms. Sallie is a longtime member of the Morongo Basin Historical Society and Dick of the Twentynine Palms Historical Society. Their research and intimate knowledge of the early Morongo Basin communities and the founding settlers will provide surprising and interesting viewpoints. A unique feature of the presentation will be an audience participation segment.
Wednesday, May 5, starting at 5:30 p.m.
$5 donation to the MBHS at the door
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In 2010 the Chinese lunar calendar moved into the Year of the Tiger. Unfortunately, the plight of the wild tigers doesn't call for much celebration. Three subspecies have been driven to extinction in the past century alone and experts estimate there are as few as 3,500 tigers left in the wild. Tigers increasingly compete with expanding human population and industry for land and food, and many are killed by poachers who sell their skins and body parts. The good news is that together we can secure a future for these magnificent big cats. Many countries with tigers have passed laws against killing them, in addition to prohibiting the sale of products made from tiger parts. International projects exist that help protect wild tiger habitat. Zoos help tigers through breeding programs and educating the public about these cats.
There are currently six subspecies of tigers, found in areas of Asia, India and Russia. Tigers are stalk-and-ambush hunters, and their stripes make excellent camouflage in the long grass. Tigers are patient hunters and can move slowly and quietly, stalking their prey for 20 to 30 minutes. A tiger's large canine teeth and powerful jaws are used to grab prey by the neck and suffocate it. One average sized tiger can eat up to 60 pounds of meat at a single time.
Did You Know?
* Tigers are diurnal, with peak periods of activity at dawn and dusk.
* Tigers do not purr. In fact, purring is one of the attributes used to separate small and large species of cat.
* A tiger's saliva is antiseptic, and comes in handy when a tiger cleans its wounds.
* Most tigers have more than 100 stripes, and no two tigers have the same stripes.
* The roar of a tiger can be heard from a mile away!
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| Visit the Museum
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The Hi-Desert Nature Museum is located in the Yucca Valley Community Center Complex at 57116 Twentynine Palms Highway. The museum is open Tuesday - Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Admission is free; donations support the educational mission of the museum. The Hi-Desert Nature Museum is operated by the Town of Yucca Valley.
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| For more information on our programs and events contact the museum at (760) 369-7212 or visit our web site at www.hidesertnaturemuseum.org
To view a full schedule of Yucca Valley events, sports programs and recreation classes visit the Town's web site at www.yucca-valley.org | |
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