ABDNHA: What We Do
ABDNHA provides desert information as well as educational and recreational activities for both members and the general public, including hikes and walks, birding, tours, stargazing, bike rides, special events and an annual series of educational lectures. Our mission is to enhance the understanding, appreciation, enjoyment and conservation of the Anza-Borrego Desert and surrounding area
Educational Programs and Activities
ABDNHA offers lots of educational programs and activities for the desert lover, especially during the fall, winter and spring. We often have speakers on Friday and Saturday nights covering numerous topics about the desert and Southern California. We offer nighttime astronomy viewing sessions. We do a Desert Lecture Series with five featured talks held in the Borrego Springs Performing Arts Center or via a webinar. We offer guided hikes throughout the park and sometimes beyond, ranging from easy to moderately difficult. We even offer hikes that you can do with your dog! Our 4WD trips are a super popular way to explore the desert with other desert enthusiasts. ABDNHA’s educational programs are entirely funded by memberships, donations and sales at the Desert Nature Center.
Click here to view ABDNHA’s activity calendar.
Desert Nature Center
The ABDNHA Desert Nature Center is a combination of nature displays, information center, gift shop and bookstore. We offer many unique gifts plus books covering these popular desert topics: animals, birds, plants, wildflowers, geology, ecology, natural history, people history, native people, western fiction, and of course, local guide books and maps for exploring the desert! Browse through our caps, t-shirts, bandanas and bags. We also offer a nice selection of kids’ clothes, books, toys and games. We also provide visitor services to tens of thousands of visitors each year, answering questions and providing information about Anza-Borrego.
Click here for more information about the Desert Nature Center.
Visitor Plaza
The ABDNHA Visitor Plaza is right outside the Desert Nature Center and contains twelve interpretative panels about ABDNHA, Anza-Borrego and the desert. These educational signs cover hikes, wildlife, birds, wildflowers, photography, the Hawkwatch, what to do around town, etc. A large park map is available to see where the many points of interests are located in Anza-Borrego. (The same map is available for sale in the Desert Nature Center.)
Click here for more information about the ABDNHA Visitor Plaza.
Desert Garden
The ABDNHA Desert Garden was created as a labor of love, with many volunteers helping to keep it clean and ready for visitors. Take a leisurely stroll on the winding path through the garden to see many desert plants: cacti, succulents, shrubs, trees and wildflowers. Springtime usually finds the Desert Garden awash in colorful blooms!
Click here for more information about the ABDNHA Desert Garden.
ABDNHA Publications
You may be surprised to learn that ABDNHA has published numerous books and brochures about the desert! We also publish The Sand Paper member newsletter five times a year to members and the public with quality information written by experts in various fields that pertain to the Anza-Borrego Region. We send out a Desert Update email every other Sunday to list upcoming ABDNHA activities and help readers stay connected to the desert. Some of our most popular publications include the Weekender’s Guide and Hiking in Anza-Borrego Desert (Volumes 1, 2 and 3).
Click here for more information about ABDNHA’s publications.
School Programs
ABDNHA conducts regularly scheduled educational programs for school children within the Borrego Springs School District, from elementary school through high school.
Community Partner
ABDNHA frequently partners with other community organizations such as the Borrego Village Association and the San Diego Country Revitalization Committees to promote tourism and to help make Borrego Springs an even better place to live. During the COVID years, ABDNHA was part of a community COVID team and helped to bring vaccines to Borrego Springs. ABDNHA works closely with the Borrego Dark Sky Coalition and was a key player in getting Borrego Springs certified as an International Dark Sky Community, the second in the world. ABDNHA also provides community services, such as maintaining the Borrego Events community calendar.