Please review our hiker info page to familiarize yourself with hiker safety rules and our hike ratings so that you can select hikes that meet your level of fitness. Unless specified otherwise in the activity descriptions below, hikes have a 15 person limit, and they begin in the ABDNHA parking lot.

In-Person Lecture

Events

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Today

  • ABDNHA Travel Series: Romania Travelogue – Beautiful Landscapes and Complex Identities

    ABDNHA Library 652 Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs, CA, United States

    Speaker: Don Barrie, ABDNHA Board Member

    Join Geologist, traveler, and photographer Don Barrie for this fascinating recap of his recent trip to Romania. Last summer, Don traveled to Romania for two weeks as a photographer for the Global Neighborhood Project, a San Diego-based organization dedicated to citizen diplomacy. During the trip, he met with students and faculty at a Hungarian-language school in Romania’s Transylvania region. He also photographed locals in a remote farming village outside Brasov, Romania, as they shared their stories and explained their way of life. For this informal talk, Don will share his photographs and his overall first impressions of this land of striking beauty and rich history. In the ABDNHA Library.  General Public: $12, Members: $10, Volunteers: $8. Register online at abdnha.org or at the Nature Center, 760-767-3098.

    $8 – $12

  • Plants of Anza-Borrego – FULL (waitlist)

    ABDNHA Parking Lot 652 Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs, CA, United States

    Leader: Don Rideout, Coordinator, Desert Botany Club

    PROGRAM IS FULL - PLEASE CALL ABDNHA at 760-767-3098 to get on waitlist

    Short Lecture and Field Trip (Easy walk, okay for all vehicles)

    An offering of the new Botany Club, these walks will focus on the plants of Anza-Borrego Desert, with locations varying depending on where we find the most interesting plants. Our pace will be generally slow, allowing plenty of time for plant identification, questions, discussion, and photography.  All levels of knowledge are welcome, including children. Meet at ABDNHA; carpool as best we can, as we head to the field trip site. No Charge. Space is limited. Register at the Nature Center or call 760-767-3098.

  • Lecture: Applied Earth Science – The Rare Earth Elements

    ABDNHA Library 652 Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs, CA, United States

    Speaker: Madhukar (Maud) Rao, Ph.D.

    Rare earth elements have been very much in the news recently, but what exactly are they?  What are they used for? Why are they so uniquely essential? Where do they come from? How are they processed? And, why does the U.S. import about 80 percent of them, despite their importance? Dr. Rao is a retired Chemical Engineer and currently serves as the Chief Strategy Officer for Workforce Development at Innovation Impact Partners, LLC. He has more than 36 years of industrial R&D experience with major chemical and semiconductor materials companies. Maud volunteers as a math and science teacher and as a docent at the San Diego Air and Space Museum, and enjoys engineering, history, and teaching. In the ABDNHA Library. General Public: $12, Members: $10, ABDNHA Volunteers: $8. Register at abdnha.org or the Nature Center at 760-767-3098.

    $8 – $12

  • SPECIAL ROCK ART WEEKEND: Dr. Whitley’s Lecture, Part 1 – Understanding Native Californian Rock Art (FULL)

    ABDNHA Library 652 Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs, CA, United States

    Speaker: David Whitley, Ph.D.

    The meanings of pictographs and petroglyphs have long been a mystery to most people, including archaeologists. The result has been a series of supposedly common-sense guesses, like “hunting magic” or “maps to water,” that were offered because people claimed Native Americans themselves did not know why these sites were made or how they were used. But the unpublished field notes of the state’s Native American tribes — the ethnographic record — some dating back to the 1870s, together with extensive published research, paint a different picture.  With substantial research to identify and compile this widely scattered information, Dr. Whitley will explain how a clear understanding of the origins, meanings, and uses of the sites results, providing a better understanding and appreciation of the remarkable artistic and intellectual record of California rock art. In the ABDNHA Library.  General Public: $12, Members: $10, ABDNHA Volunteers: $8. Register at abdnha.org or the Nature Center at 760-767-3098.

    $8 – $12

  • SPECIAL ROCK ART WEEKEND: Dr. Whitley’s Lecture, Part 2 – European Cave Paintings & the Origins of Art & Religion

    ABDNHA Library 652 Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs, CA, United States

    Speaker: David Whitley, Ph.D.

    Few aspects of our archaeological past are more intriguing than the ancient cave paintings and engravings of France and Spain. These are exemplified by the remarkable murals in sites such as Lascaux, Altamira, and Chauvet caves, which date from roughly 14,000 to 35,000 years ago. They, and similar sites, are widely regarded as signaling both the first “creative explosion” in human history, as indicated by the earliest true masterpieces of art, as well as the origins of religious beliefs and practices.

    In tonight’s presentation, Dr. Whitley will discuss his extensive research into cave art and how he has brought two distinct sciences together to find answers. The first part begins with archaeological data that suggest when, where, and why this phenomenon may have first emerged in human history.  The second part involves investigating the cognitive sciences to understand why religious beliefs are found in every culture, at all time periods. This is not to determine the veracity of religious belief, which is a matter of personal faith, but to explain why religious and spiritual beliefs are universal to the human experience. Whether it is the result of biology or divine inspiration, aspects of human cognition have caused us to believe in gods, spirits, and spirit worlds from the earliest days of humanity. In the ABDNHA Library. General Public: $12, Members: $10, ABDNHA Volunteers: $8. Register at abdnha.org or the Nature Center at 760-767-3098.

    $8 – $12

  • Lecture: Mojave Desert Tortoises

    ABDNHA Library 652 Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs, CA, United States

    Speaker: Melissa Merrick, Ph.D, Researcher, San Diego Zoo and Wildlife Alliance
    Dr. Merrick will present an update of her presentation last year about her research of the Desert Tortoise Recovery Program at the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, highlighting a partnership with The Living Desert Zoo to raise larger, less vulnerable juvenile tortoises for release. The research focuses on various aspects of juvenile tortoises, including personality, anti-predator trainability, thermal ecology, and the impact of release-site selection on predation risk. In the ABDNHA library. GP $12, M $10, V $8. Register online or at the Nature Center, 760-767-3098.

    Register here for the program.

  • Talk & Walk: Plants of Anza-Borrego

    ABDNHA Parking Lot 652 Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs, CA, United States

    Leader: Don Rideout, Coordinator, Desert Botany Club

    Short Lecture and Field Trip (Easy walk, okay for all vehicles)

    An offering of the new Botany Club, these walks will focus on the plants of Anza-Borrego Desert, with locations varying depending on where we find the most interesting plants. Our pace will be generally slow, allowing plenty of time for plant identification, questions, discussion, and photography.  All levels of knowledge are welcome, including children. Meet at ABDNHA; carpool as best we can, as we head to the field trip site. No Charge. Space is limited. Register at the Nature Center or call 760-767-3098.

  • Lecture: Revealing the Wonders of Five Iconic Desert Plants

    ABDNHA Library 652 Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs, CA, United States

    Speaker: Botanist Kate Harper
    Discover the hidden wonders behind five desert favorites—Ocotillo, Honey Mesquite, Barrel Cactus, Creosote, and Dune Evening Primrose—with Botanist Kate Harper. Prepare to be captivated and surprised by fascinating facts and little-known secrets that will change how you see these remarkable plants. An extensive handout is included. In the ABDNHA library. GP $12, M $10, V $8. Register online or at the Nature Center, 760-767-3098.

    Register here for the program.

  • Stargazing: Cosmic Gems of the Late Winter Sky – FULL (Waitlist)

    ABDNHA Library 652 Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs, CA, United States

    Speaker: Dr. Randolph Baron
    Program is FULL - please call ABDNHA at 760-767-3098 to get on waitlist
    The seasons change, and so do the stars above. Tonight, we will talk about and then look at several different kinds of astronomical objects, from nebulae thousands of light-years away to galaxies millions of light-years away! We will first have a lecture on tonight’s targets in the sky, then go outside to have a look through the telescopes.  GP $12, M $10, V $8. Register online, visit, or call us at 760-767-3098.

    Register here for the program.

  • Lecture: Beauty of the Universe – The Astrophotography of Michael Scott Poirier

    ABDNHA Library 652 Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs, CA, United States

    Speaker: Michael Poirier 
    Michael Poirier’s presentation will include many images of galaxies, nebulae, planets, and other celestial objects taken from his observatory in Borrego Springs and other locations in Southern California. He will also give a brief explanation on how he captures and processes these images.

    Michael says he still doesn’t know what he wants to be when he grows up. Educated in the U.S. and Switzerland, he served as a commissioned officer in the United States Navy before embarking on a successful career as a biotech executive and entrepreneur. Through it all, he has always been interested in astronomy.  “My interest in astronomy began when I was a teenager. One night, I looked up at the stars through binoculars and noticed that one was a large, fuzzy blob. Later, I found out that it was the Andromeda Galaxy. Ever since then, I have become passionate about it and have focused on astrophotography.”  GP $12, M $10, V $8. Register online or at the Nature Center, 760-767-3098.

    Register here for the program.

  • Lecture: Native American Life, Use of Native Plants

    ABDNHA Library 652 Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs, CA, United States

    Speaker: Cathy Chambers, Volunteer
    Many hundreds of years ago, there was nothing close to a store in all of North America. The people living here before that time needed materials for clothing, storage containers, food, tools, and other essentials to build living structures. All of these materials were gathered and processed into the items they needed. Groups traded with each other for what they needed, offering what they had in surplus in exchange. In this presentation, you will see and handle samples of plants and the objects made from them that were used in everyday life in the surrounding desert. Cathy Chambers is a lifelong naturalist who studied ethnobotany for her personal and professional development, starting her career decades ago here in Anza-Borrego. GP $12, M $10, V $8. You can register online or at the Nature Center, 760-767-3098.

    Register here for the program.

  • ABDNHA Desert Lecture Series: Pursued by a Mountain Lion

    Featured
    Borrego Springs Performing Arts Center 590 Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs, CA, United States

    Speaker: James W. Cornett, Desert Ecologist, Author

    While hiking alone in the Baboquivari Mountains of southern Arizona, Jim Cornett came face to face with a mountain lion that had stalked him down a mountainside. The confrontation lasted nearly forty-five minutes, with the cougar lunging at Jim several times, in an attempt to get him to turn and run. Join Jim as he recounts the frightening experience and explains what he did right and what he did wrong in his encounter with the largest of resident American felines. Along the way, Jim will describe the natural history of mountain lions, the threat they pose to humans (real and imagined), and their future in an increasingly urban world. Free for ABDNHA members, all others $10 at the door of the Performing Arts Center. Seating is first-come, first-served.

  • Lecture: “I May Still Be Speaking” – Indigenous Oral Tradition of Northern Baja California

    ABDNHA Library 652 Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs, CA, United States

    Speaker: Michael Wilken-Robertson, Anthropologist
    Indigenous people of northern Baja California share ancient cultural and linguistic ties with other Yuman groups of southern California and Arizona. Over the millennia, native peoples developed richly elaborate cosmologies in which the earth, sky, plants, and animals were infused with spirit; these narratives were passed along through myths, legends, stories, and song. In this lively talk, we will hear examples of storytelling from the Kumeyaay, Paipai, and Kiliwa peoples that Wilken-Robertson has worked with for over 40 years in Baja California. The narratives will be considered in their cultural context to help us better understand the meanings embedded in them and why the particular narratives passed down for generations remain compelling to listeners today.

    Anthropologist Michael Wilken-Robertson has developed lifelong collaborative relationships with native artists and traditional authorities to foster cultural revitalization and sustainable community development in northern Baja. He has taught in the anthropology department at California State University, San Marcos. His fascination with native plants and the natural landscapes of the Californias have inspired him to explore the many ways that humans have interacted with their environments, from the ancient past to the present. Michael resides in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico. In the ABDNHA Library. GP $12, M $10, V $8. Register online, or call us at 760-767-3098.

    Register here for the program.

  • Talk & Walk: Plants of Anza-Borrego

    ABDNHA Parking Lot 652 Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs, CA, United States

    Leader: Don Rideout, Coordinator, Desert Botany Club

    Short Lecture and Field Trip (Easy walk, okay for all vehicles)

    An offering of the new Botany Club, these walks will focus on the plants of Anza-Borrego Desert, with locations varying depending on where we find the most interesting plants. Our pace will be generally slow, allowing plenty of time for plant identification, questions, discussion, and photography.  All levels of knowledge are welcome, including children. Meet at ABDNHA; carpool as best we can, as we head to the field trip site. No Charge. Space is limited. Register at the Nature Center or call 760-767-3098.

  • Lecture: Native Bats of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

    ABDNHA Library 652 Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs, CA, United States

    Speaker: Don Endicott
    Don is a volunteer naturalist with a special interest in bats and bat research. He records bat echolocation sounds and submits them to the San Diego Natural History Museum's acoustics collection, as well as for research and analysis in commercial bat software. Don began conducting this acoustic research on the park's bat population in early 2020, following a fire in Borrego Palm Canyon. If time and conditions permit, he will lead the group outdoors after the lecture to see if he can detect the calls of active bats. At the ABDNHA Library. GP $12, M $10, V $8. Register online, or call the Nature Center at 760-767-3098.

    Register here for the program.

  • Lecture: Swainson’s Hawk Incredible Migration

    ABDNHA Library 652 Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs, CA, United States

    Speaker: Hal Cohen, Hawkwatch founder
    Learn about the Swainson's Hawk and its incredible 6,000-mile migration from Argentina to the skies above Borrego Springs, on its way to Alaska. Hal will share highlights of this migration, hawk natural history, hawkwatch history, and invite your participation in the hawkwatch. Following the talk, interested participants are invited to attend the evening watch (one hour before sunset to dark). ABDNHA Library. GP $12, M $10, V $8. Register at abdnha.org or call us at 760-767-3098.

    Register here for the program.

  • Lecture: Plant Sex – Everything You Didn’t Know to Ask about Sex in the Desert

    ABDNHA Library 652 Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs, CA, United States

    Speaker: Botanist Kate Harper
    Is there such a thing as ADULT botany?  Botanist Kate Harper says there is as she explains in her presentation how human sex and plant sex have surprising comparisons – and even more surprising differences! Come experience a racy romp through the world of plant sex. An extensive handout is included. In the ABDNHA Library. GP $12, M $10, V $8. You can register online or at the Nature Center, 760-767-3098.

    Register here for the program.

  • Lecture: Dudleya, California’s Unique Succulent

    ABDNHA Library 652 Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs, CA, United States

    Speaker: Jeff Moore, Author, Owner of Solana Succulents 
    Dudleya are beautiful succulents native to California, with some occurrences in northern Baja, Mexico, and Oregon. Jeff’s presentation will cover most of the currently described species in California and Baja, following the flow of his new book, co-written with Jeremy Spath and Kelly Griffin.

    Dudleya are found in some of the most stunning locations along the California coast—complete with cliffside backdrops and vast ocean vistas, and their photographs are breathtaking, as Jeff will share during the presentation. Jeff first became interested in Dudleya when he saw some at the San Diego County Fair in the early 1980s. He began selling them in his spare time, which eventually led to the opening of Solana Succulents in 1992. GP $12, M $10, V $8. Register online or at the Nature Center by calling 760-767-3098.

    Register here for the program.

  • Lecture: What’s Up with the Hawkwatch?

    ABDNHA Library 652 Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs, CA, United States

    Speakers: Tracee Geernaert and Candice Hess, Hawkwatch Leaders
    Come to the ABDNHA Library to see and hear what’s new in 2026 for the Swainson’s Hawkwatch. Hear about peak counts, which occur mid-March, and we are hoping for a great year. Our early bloom bodes well for lots of insects, also known as “hawk food.” We will bring photos, anecdotes, and lots of laughs from the field!

    The Hawkwatch update will also include a talk by visiting wildlife biologist Lizzi Weisman who is part of one of the longest-running raptor studies in North America, the Butte Valley Swainson’s Hawk project. She will discuss their study of the ecology of Swainsons hawks in Butte Valley to determine how their reproductive success is related to the quality of the habitat they choose for their nests. Register online or call 760-767-3098. GP $12, M $10, V $8.

    Register here for the program.

  • Lecture: Burrowing Owls Acoustic Research

    ABDNHA Library 652 Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs, CA, United States

    Speaker: Samantha Lima, Ph.D.
    Sam is a postdoc at the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, where she conducts research on burrowing owls. Tonight, she will introduce bioacoustics and its application in species monitoring and explain the work of SDZWA to monitor these charismatic birds using passive acoustic methods. Additionally, she will include a demonstration of the equipment and engage in discussions about acoustic fieldwork. GP $12, M $10, V $8. Register online or at the Nature Center, 760-767-3098.

    Register here for the program.

  • Talk & Walk: Plants of Anza-Borrego – CANCELLED

    ABDNHA Parking Lot 652 Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs, CA, United States

    Leader: Don Rideout, Coordinator, Desert Botany Club
    *** THIS PROGRAM IS CANCELLED DUE TO EXTREME HEAT ***

    Short Lecture and Field Trip (Easy walk, okay for all vehicles)

    An offering of the new Botany Club, these walks will focus on the plants of Anza-Borrego Desert, with locations varying depending on where we find the most interesting plants. Our pace will be generally slow, allowing plenty of time for plant identification, questions, discussion, and photography.  All levels of knowledge are welcome, including children. Meet at ABDNHA; carpool as best we can, as we head to the field trip site. No Charge. Space is limited. Register at the Nature Center or call 760-767-3098.

  • Program: The Trail Less Traveled – Baja

    ABDNHA Library 652 Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs, CA, United States

    Speaker: Alan Ehrgott

    Author Alan Ehrgott’s (The Elusive Conquest of Queen Califa) fascination with Baja started in the 1970s when he hiked the entire 1050 mile length of the peninsula, following a mix of the Camino Real, the old route established by the Spanish that led from mission to mission, as well as the far more rugged route through Baja’s mountains, where isolated ranches continue to exist today. While things are far more developed along the heavily travelled Mexico Highway 1, life in the isolated ranches have changed far less. In his presentation, Alan shows parts of his original journey, and tells the story of the natural and cultural history of Baja, including the existential conflict between native tribes, Spanish conquistadors and Jesuit Priests, and he highlights points of interest such as the UNESCO Indigenous giant rock murals in the Sierra San Francisco. In the ABDNHA library. Register online or call 760-767-3098. GP $12, M $10, V $8.

    Register here for the program.

  • ABDNHA Desert Lecture Series: Bobcats in the Neighborhood

    Featured
    Borrego Springs Performing Arts Center 590 Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs, CA, United States

    Speaker: Andy Blue
    Andy Blue discusses a fascinating animal, the bobcat, found both in the wild and in our semi-rural community of Borrego Springs. Although bobcats are more numerous than many realize, they are more secretive than their fellow upper-tier predator, the coyote.

    Andy has been a powerhouse in the zoological community for many years, working in Russia, Ukraine, Iraq, Cuba, Southeast Asia, and Latin America. He started at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park at age 16 and became a curator. He has served as Zoological Manager at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and as director of the Ramona Wildlife Center. Currently, he is the Campus Director at the San Diego Humane Society. The highlight of his job is returning rehabilitated animals to the wild. General Public: $10 at the door; Members: no charge. Seating is first-come, first-served.

  • Botany Club Meeting

    ABDNHA Library 652 Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs, CA, United States

    Leader: Don Rideout

    Since it is too darn hot to hike, let's have an indoor meeting. Don will give a Powerpoint talk about desert lilies including updates from this season.

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