Take a tour of the Ed Hasty Trail with John Purcell and you won't miss things like the shot glass-sized nest of the local Costa's hummingbird — containing two chicks no bigger than jellybeans — hidden among the desert flora.
The executive director of the Friends of the Desert Mountains pointed out his personal favorite elephant tree — rubbing its leaves between his thumb and forefinger to release a scent reminiscent of Baja, Mexico, where it prevails. You won't find the tree naturally occurring north of the remote Martinez Canyon near Thermal.
Guided hikes were just one of many offerings at the eighth annual Coachella Valley Wildflower Festival benefiting Friends of the Desert Mountains' conservation of the Santa Rosa & San Jacinto Mountains National Monument.
"There's so much more to the desert than what there appears to be," said Jim Kregear from Rancho Mirage, who came with his wife Carol Kregear. "Events like these raise awareness about the beauty of the environment and preserving the desert. We've had a great hour-and-a-half on a walking tour, visiting various booths and taking pictures."
Travel Channel’s “Sand Masters” Rusty Croft and Kirk Rademaker sculpted a jackrabbit -- their second work in a natural setting and first in the desert -- out of 50 tons of sand
What began as talks and a bus tour has blossomed into an all-day affair with 18 exhibitors and 16 vendors — Friends of the Desert Mountains' "gift to the community that supports" it every first Saturday in March, Purcell said. The monument also happens to be celebrating its 15th year anniversary.
Volunteers cleared dead debris from the desert lining the Ed Hasty Trail in preparation for the festival and brought in fresh, native plants donated by The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens, nearby cities and landscapers. The effort to create a demonstration garden of plants of the monument would've cost thousands of dollars otherwise.
Purcell hopes to eventually see the Ed Hasty Trail's dirt paths paved to be fully accessible to the handicapped.
"Money's tough this year. Major sponsors have been reticent to support us because the event is not within city limits, but our conservation areas are valley-wide," Purcell said. "Still we've had about 1,750 to 2,000 visitors today, making this our biggest event in six years."
Part of the draw was undoubtedly Travel Channel's "Sand Masters," Rusty Croft and Kirk Rademaker, who sculpted a giant jackrabbit for the festival with 50 tons of sand by their estimate.
The work — which featured miniature hikers, including Purcell, scaling the rabbit, as well as a smaller cougar and the indigenous, endangered flat-tail horned lizard — was the Sand Guys' second work in a natural setting and first in the desert.
Croft said the pair was influenced by the monument's "inspiring landscape."
"We looked at where we were making the sculpture, and we were like, 'Oh wow,' driving up here. I love being out here," Rademaker said. "We've been embraced by everybody, and you get a solid feeling of community. You don't always get that."
The jackrabbit took one day of shoveling and two full days of carving to finish, Croft said. Rademaker said it would still be standing when the Sand Guys return next year.
A first-ever festival trail run took 20 runners 35 to 55 minutes to finish, Purcell said, though it was just a fun run. The event focused on hikes this year with assistance from the Clinton Health Matters Initiative.
"We came for a hike, but they stopped when it got too hot," said Kerry Marcus of Palm Desert, who came with his wife Norma Marcus. "I liked the wildflower display with specimens you can now identify when you're out on your own."