Joshua Tree National Park Association (JTNPA) is thrilled to announce the recipient of the 2024 Minerva Hoyt California Desert Conservation Award: Laraine Turk. This prestigious award recognizes individuals and organizations for exceptional achievements in conservation leadership, protection, education, and stewardship benefitting California’s desert environments. The date and location of the award ceremony will be announced shortly.
Since moving to Joshua Tree in 2002, Laraine Turk has been involved with nearly every environmental organization and effort in the Morongo Basin. Her extensive involvement includes the Mojave Desert Land Trust, The Wildlands Conservancy, Friends of Big Morongo Canyon Preserve, Joshua Tree National Conservation Historic Reserve Group, Morongo Basin Conservation Association, California Desert Coalition, Morongo Basin Dark Sky Alliance, San Bernardino County Third District Dark Sky Committee, and Project Bobcat. She also served ten years as secretary for the Joshua Tree National Park Association Board.
Laraine was a founding board member and secretary of the California Desert Coalition, which formed in response to the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power’s Green Path North proposal to bring 500kV transmission lines through the Morongo Basin and surrounding preserves. Laraine served as an officer until the project was defeated after nearly five years of dedicated effort.
She currently serves as a board member of the Morongo Basin Conservation Association, where she has been active for more than 18 years. She served as president from 2010-2013 and as secretary since 2014. Laraine has been active on MBCA’s Desert Wise Living Landscape Tour Committee since the program began 14 years ago. Originally focused on drought-tolerant landscaping, the program has expanded to promote sustainable desert living practices, including solar energy, permaculture, water use, and architecture. Through her leadership of MBCA’s Scholarship Committee, 12 local students have each received $1,000 scholarships since 2022 to support environmental education and stewardship.
As a member of the Morongo Basin Open Space Group, Laraine contributed to the 2010 Conservation Priorities for the Morongo Basin report, a foundational document outlining key conservation goals, including the formation of the Sand to Snow and Mojave Trails National Monuments.
Laraine has provided long-term volunteer support for groups working on conservation issues including light pollution, wildlife conservation, drought-tolerant and native landscaping, and preservation of desert landscapes from incompatible development throughout the Morongo Basin, Coachella Valley, and the Mojave and Colorado Deserts. Her efforts with the Morongo Basin Dark Sky Alliance from 2010 to 2013 and the Third District Dark Sky Committee from 2017 to 2019 helped Joshua Tree National Park achieve its Dark Sky designation and contributed to the passage of a new Light Trespass Ordinance for San Bernardino County.
From 2014 to 2016, Laraine was appointed to the Bureau of Land Management’s “Connecting People to the Desert” committee. She is a graduate of the Environmental Leadership Academy sponsored by California State University, San Marcos, and the Climate Stewards program sponsored by the University of California.
Beyond her environmental work, Laraine is involved in and supports a wide range of community organizations, including the Copper Mountain College Foundation, 29 Palms Art Gallery, local historical societies, Morongo Basin Literacy programs, and several artist-in-residence programs. Outside of the desert region, she serves as President of the Orange County Chapter of the American Research Center in Egypt.
Laraine Turk joins a distinguished list of past awardees who have made significant contributions to desert conservation: 2004 – Susan Luckie Reilly; 2005 – Larry & Donna Charpied; 2006 – David Myers, The Wildlands Conservancy; 2007 – John Wohlmuth, Coachella Valley Association of Governments; 2008 – Mark Jorgenson, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park; 2009 – Dianne Feinstein; 2010 – Owens Valley Committee; 2011 – Elden E. Hughes (posthumously awarded); 2012 – Steve & Ruth Rieman; 2013 – Dee & Betty Zeller; 2014 – Desert Protective Council (Terry Weiner); 2015 – Nancy Karl; 2016 – Cindy Zacks; 2017 – Pat Flanagan; 2018 – Robin Kobaly, The Summertree Institute; 2019 – David Lamfrom, National Park Conservation Association; 2020 – Dr. Cameron Barrows; 2021 – Frazier Haney; 2022 – Idavid Graficks; and 2023 – Joan Taylor.
