Oswit Land Trust acquires first grant for Prescott Preserve plans

The Oswit Land Trust was awarded its first grant for the Prescott Preserve, formerly the Mesquite Golf Club, that the organization acquired back in July. The $163,850 grant, which was awarded a unanimous vote from Coachella Valley Mountains Conservancy, will allow Oswit Land Trust to hire a habitat restoration company, LSA, and its landscape architectural design and installation partner, Brightview.

Over the next four months, these companies will perform a resource assessment for every property's plant, pond, bird and wildlife. The data from this assessment will be used to determine how the property can be designed in the best interest of the native wildlife and the public

Though the grant that Oswit Land Trust acquired will help push the planning process of the Prescott Preserve project forward, the organization has been working on revamping the space since they acquired the land.

“We started on day one. Our very first goal was to make sure that the property was more environmentally friendly and more friendly for wildlife,” Paisley Ramsted, a staff biologist for Oswit Land Trust.

Ramsted, one of the grant writers for the Prescott Preserve project, says that her team has been busy cleaning up the ponds, removing invasive vegetation and trash and repairing bridges so they are safe to walk across for future visitors.

Ramsted says that the grant will help bring Oswit Land Trust’s vision for the space to life.

“This is no longer a fever dream that we've had because we wanted to take over golf courses. This is we have a golf course, we have a team of experts behind us who have been hired to help with the planning and we are doing it and the planning symbolizes the vision sort of come to life,” said Ramsted. 

Scott Collins is the conservation ranger for the Prescott Preserve. Collins is leading the effort to turn a former maintenance building into a nature learning center for the community. 

Collins says that people from all walks of life have been offering their time and resources to bring this project to life. Collins says that Oswit Land Trust is working on expanding access to the outdoors for Coachella Valley residents and visitors.

“They'll definitely be able to come and get a hands-on feel for nature and get a connection and education, and also the sense of community,” said Collins. 

Oswit Land Trust will be hosting PowerPoint presentations over the next four months to keep the public updated on its progress and to receive input and ideas.

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