High Desert Museum

The High Desert Museum is located near Bend, Oregon, United States. Opened in 1982, it brings regional wildlife, culture, art and natural resources together to promote an understanding of natural and cultural heritage of North America's high desert country. The museum uses indoor and outdoor exhibits, wildlife in natural-like habitats, and living history demonstrations to help people discover and appreciate the high desert environment. The museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums.

History

The museum was founded by Donald M. Kerr, a native of Portland, Oregon. Kerr had a passion for natural history that inspired a lifelong interest in environmental issues, especially the protection of native animals. In 1974, Kerr established the Western Natural History Institute, and the High Desert Museum was an outgrowth of the institute opening in 1982. The museum was originally called the Oregon High Desert Museum; however, the name was later changed to recognize the regional nature of the high desert environment it highlights.

Desert Museum

Desert Museum may refer to:

See also

High desert

High deserts are inland high-elevation (commonly 2,000 feet (610 m) or more above sea level) deserts of the western United States, the Middle East, and other parts of the world. Examples of high deserts in North America include the Great Basin Desert and the Mojave Desert.

Places

Other

High Desert (Oregon)

The Oregon high desert is a region of the U.S. state of Oregon, located east of the Cascade Range and south of the Blue Mountains, in the central and eastern parts of the state. Divided into a southern region and a northern region, the desert covers most of five Oregon counties and averages 4,000 feet (1,200 m) above sea level. The southwest region is part of the Great Basin and the southeast is the lower Owyhee River watershed. The northern region is part of the Columbia Plateau, where somewhat more rainfall allows the largest industry on private land to be the cultivation of alfalfa and hay. Public land within the region is owned primarily by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), which manages more than 30,000 square miles (78,000 km²), including five rivers designated as Wild and Scenic.

While the high desert is somewhat dry, it is only arid relative to Western Oregon. The region averages 15 inches (380 mm) of annual rainfall; the Alvord Desert, however, gets only 7 inches (180 mm) of rain each year. Contrary to its name, most of the high desert is not dry enough to truly qualify as desert, and biologically, most of the region is classified as scrubland or steppe.

High Desert (California)

High Desert is a name used to define geographic areas of southern California deserts that are above 2,000 feet (609.9m), and below 4,000 feet (1219.2m) in altitude. The term "High Desert" is used commonly by the news media, especially in weather forecasts, because of the high desert's unique and moderate weather patterns compared to its low desert neighbors. High Desert has also been incorporated into the names of businesses and organizations in these areas. The term is used commonly to refer to Joshua Tree National Park, Twentynine Palms, and the Morongo Basin. However, the High Desert typically will be described as extending as far north as Victorville, California, and Lancaster areas, and as far northwest as Palmdale, and north to the Barstow, California desert and beyond. The term "High Desert" serves to differentiate it from southern California's Low Desert, which is defined by the differences in elevation, climate, animal life, and vegetation native to these regions. Comparison example: Palm Springs, California is considered Low Desert, at 100 feet (30.48m) above sea level. In contrast, Landers, California, is considered High Desert, at 3,100 feet (944.88m) above sea level.