Joshua Tree National Park Association

The development program serves as the membership arm of the Joshua Tree National Park Association and a fundraising entity for Joshua Tree National Park. The program achieves its goals via a variety of methods, including special events, membership drives, donation boxes, private donations, and memoranda of intent. An annual work plan is authored by Park personnel each fiscal year to delineate Park needs and funding goals for that year. Programs funded range from wildlife research and preservation to the junior ranger program to the Joshua Tree climate change response program, which is aimed at preventing the decline of the Park's namesake desert plant due to changes in environmental conditions.

The desert institute is operated by Joshua Tree National Park Association (jtnpa) and serves as an extension of Joshua Tree National Park's educational program. It offers classes in cultural history, natural science, survival skills, desert naturalist studies, women's programs, citizen science, and creative arts. All programs are taught by expert instructors who provide a personal learning experience on these educational adventures. The desert institute is committed to providing a rich, inclusive learning environment aimed at inpsiring people of all ages and backgrounds to appreciate and preserve cultural resources and natural places associated with Joshua Tree National Park and surrounding public lands.