The Mojave Desert Discovery Centers are ATM-like kiosks that feature an interactive CD-Rom web site, videotape presentations about the desert and its wildlife, and customized maps and brochures to guide visitors to featured desert attractions. The first phase of this innovative approach to environmental education includes three Mojave Desert Discovery Center kiosks in California located at:
Implementation of the Mojave Desert Discovery Centers culminates five years of work and study. The initial concept of a traditional educational visitor center evolved into the new approach of using several multimedia interpretive kiosks located at high traffic areas that effectively allow the Committee to reach more desert users. "The Mojave Desert Discovery Centers offer a unique way for the Committee to fulfill one of its major goals: to provide information and education to the public on the threatened tortoise and its habitat, and on the associated plants and animals that share its desert ecosystem," says Executive Director, Michael J. Connor. "The Desert Tortoise Preserve Committee has leveraged technology to reach out to diverse audiences throughout the Mojave Desert," says MDDC Project Manager Jun Y. Lee. "Unlike traditional visitor center concepts, the Discovery Centers are mobile and can be deployed in areas where recreational visitors congregate." "We estimate that more than 500,000 people per year will interact with the Discovery Centers at the initial locations," says Min Yang, AIA, of the design firm Project: Architecture. The Mojave Desert Discovery Centers program was made possible by a significant contribution from the late Joan Leslie Kelly and the generous support of members of the Desert Tortoise Preserve Committee. |
The Desert Tortoise Preserve Committee has launched a Mojave Desert-wide
outreach program called the Mojave Desert Discovery Centers (MDDC).