By Lance Cpl. Norman Eckles
Marine Corps Logistics Base, Barstow
California is home to some of the country’s most well-known features: Los Angeles, the Redwoods, and the Golden Gate Bridge, but it is also home to the Mojave Desert. To the naked eye, it seems as if there were just blankets of sand piled upon one another, but the Mojave has its own secrets.
At the Victor Valley Museum in Apple Valley, visitors learn about the animals that used to inhabit the High Desert and some that still live in this barren landscape. The museum is also home to the history of the High Desert, where visitors can learn about the fault lines that cause earthquakes, and much more.
The museum was established in 1992 and lasted for a decade, according to the San Bernardino website, www.co.san-bernardino.ca.us. The museum then reopened in 2010 with the help of then San Bernardino County First District Supervisor, Brad Mitzelfelt.
“In the museum we have multiple exhibits on the animals that used to live in the desert,” said Rhonda Almager, facility manager of the museum. “The museum has the Victorville Mammoth that was found while construction workers were breaking ground for new development housing.”
All the animals in the exhibit are 100-percent real, but are taxidermied so they are preserved for long periods of time, according to Almager. The museum showcases more than 25 animals that visitors can learn about such as coyotes, snakes, mice, birds and lizards, all indigenous creatures of the High Desert.
The museum holds lectures and events to inform the community and visitors about the unique features found in the Mojave region, she added.
“The museum is very helpful and informational,” said Almager, “but don’t go through it in 20 minutes because you will not learn anything. We are based on the theme ‘Discover your Backyard.’
“When you are looking through your backyard at home, do you just scan it or do you actually take the time to learn about it? That’s the same mentality you have to have here.”
Almager said the museum is an ideal place for family and group outings.
“There are many picnic tables for groups or families to relax and have lunch, we also have a picnic area in the garden here,” she said.
Victor Valley Museum employees are all volunteers. These volunteers ensure visitors are taken care of and assisted throughout the museum, she said.
Volunteers do not make a profit for their hard work; however, there is a cover charge of $5 for adults, $4 for active duty service members, and $2.50 for children under five, according to the San Bernardino website.
The staff at Victor Valley Museum encourages everyone to come and learn about the High Desert and what has happened in it.
For more information about the museum, contact the main museum in San Bernardino at 909-307-2660, ext. 229.