Sahara Mustard: Hold the Mustard Campaign

The MBCA is working with Joshua Tree National Park staff to mobilize for this year’s “Hold the Mustard” campaign. We invite you to attend a presentation by JTNP’s Josh Hoines at 7 pm this Friday February 10 at the Old Schoolhouse Museum in 29 Palms.  Josh’s topic is “Flowers versus Weeds: A Race For Resources” and he’ll discuss current threats to wildflowers at Joshua Tree National Park by invasive species, with Sahara mustard prominently featured. We’ll pick up the $5 lecture fee for the first 20 members to join us in launching our campaign on Friday.  An MBCA representative will be at the check-in desk.

The Old Schoolhouse Museum is located at 6760 National Park Drive in 29 Palms.  Interested parties can meet with Josh at 5 pm for a no-host dinner at the 29 Palms Inn.  Contact Marion to RSVP for the dinner at 760.361.1202 or desert29palms@yahoo.com.

And there’s more!  Please join a “Hold the Mustard” work party on one or both of two Saturdays, February 18 or February 25.  We’ll work with park staff to pull mustard in high priority areas surrounding the park.  We’ll notify you of the specific meeting locations and times in the week prior to the event.

We have already had several sightings of mature, blooming Sahara mustard plants along Morongo Basin highways this year.  While we expect we’ll have a breather, with lower populations of mustard expected because of low precipitation, this gives us a great opportunity to regain control of this invasive, and to learn about a new, related species of mustard before it, too, takes over our beautiful desert lands.  Please let us know of any colonies of mustard that you see within the basin so that together we can ‘Hold the Mustard’!

Hope to see you at one or more of these events.