Listen now: Restoring Nature & Resisting Land Grabs

Hey there, desert defenders!

We’ve got two brand-new episodes fresh out of the oven that the Mojave Desert seems to have become in the last two weeks, and you won’t want to miss either of them. But first!

Help us get to El Paso!

We’d love to bring 90 Miles from Needles to the 21st Annual Chihuahuan Desert Fiesta in El Paso this September 27. It’s a celebration of desert life, culture, conservation, and community—hosted by our friends at the Chihuahuan Desert Education Coalition. We want to be there with a table, some swag, and our mics—but we need a little help getting there.

After all, the show is about bringing desert people together to protect the places we love, from Lancaster, California, to Big Bend National Park in Texas. We share so many of the same struggles and face the same misconceptions by outsiders about what the desert is. And the more we stand together, the stronger we are. If you go to https://90milesfromneedles.com/elpaso you'll find out how you can help make this trip happen. We're trying to raise 850 bucks to cover travel and lodging, and we're already almost halfway there.

Chip in to support the trip!

Season 4, Episode 19: “Finding Nature’s Refuge in Salt Lake Sprawl” 

We head to Utah’s Salt Lake Valley, where conservation advocates are working to restore pieces of nature amid ever-encroaching development. It’s a story about resilience, hope, and finding wildness where you least expect it.

Season 4, Episode 20: “You Can Help Save Public Lands from Privatization”

Senator Mike Lee is back at it with another bill that would sell off your favorite hiking spots to the highest bidder. We break down what’s going on, why it matters, how Lee is rewriting his horrible plan as ferocious opposition blocks his path, and how you can fight back without even putting on sunscreen.

Whether you're a certified desert rat or just biome-curious, we think you’ll find these episodes packed with insight, activism, and hope amidst the doomscrolling.

100th Episode approaches!

And speaking of hope! The Mike Lee Has A Bad Idea episode is the 95th full-length episode we’ve published since 90MFN launched in January 2022. We are thinking we ought to do something special for our 100th episode, which will be in mid-August. We’re working on brainstorming ideas as you read this, but we’d love to hear from you if you have great ideas about how we should celebrate. (Hell, we’ll even be glad to get mediocre ideas!) Let us know what you think: you can just reply to this email to get to us.

‘Til that next watering hole,
The team at 90 Miles from Needles, The Desert Protection Podcast