The Desert Sands & Sky Islands course focuses exclusively on the natural history of southern California’s deserts, covering a vast ecoregion that makes up one-third of the state. It explores diverse habitats, from the low-lying Colorado Desert's sand flats to the higher Mojave Desert's dramatic mountain ranges known as "sky islands." This course highlights the rich biodiversity across these contrasting desert landscapes.

Dates: September 26 - November 21, 2026

Delivery: In Person

Cost: $350

Contact: Colin Barrows, colin@cactustocloud.org & Sendy Hernández Orellana Barrows, sendy@cactustocloud.org  

Course Website

Organization Description: The desert is a place full of life! The Coachella Valley is one of the most biologically diverse areas in the world. We have plants and animals that are found only in the Coachella Valley, and no place else on Earth.

What accounts for this diversity? What makes this place so special? Let’s discover the unique wildlife, landscape, and communities of the desert, and work together to protect them!