ABOUT

For 75 years Anza-Borrego Desert State Park has served the people of Southern California – and the world – sharing with them the inspiration of the desert and balance to our urban and suburban lives. Anza-Borrego Foundation and Institute (ABFI, a 501c3 nonprofit organization) works to protect that balance through an innovative integrated conservation model that links conservation, science and education. It preserves the unique environment of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park and offers learning about that environment to connect everyone from children to seniors with the inspiration of the Anza-Borrego Desert.

Mission
The Anza-Borrego Foundation and Institute promote conservation in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park® and the surrounding ecological region through acquisition, education, interpretation, and scientific studies.

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
With over 650,000 acres, the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park®, located in San Diego, Imperial and Riverside Counties of Southern California, is the largest contiguous state park in the continental United States. It is equal in size to the combined acreage of all of California's other state parks. The Park has been designated by UNESCO as a world "Desert Biosphere Reserve" of unique plants and wildlife. Nearly a million visitors a year enjoy wildflower displays, the palm groves, open camping, and sweeping vistas—a landscape of solitude and peace.

History
In 1967 the California Parks and Recreation Commission asked concerned citizens to help protect the Park by acquiring inholdings (privately-owned land surrounded by park land) within its boundaries. As a committee of the Desert Protective Council , this group began the work of identifying and purchasing critical properties. In 1988, the Anza-Borrego Foundation (ABF) was recognized as an independent, charitable 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation to carry on the work begun by the committee.

Today
For many years, the mission of ABF was solely to support and acquire land for the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park® through donation or purchase from willing sellers. Once acquired, these lands are then transferred to the Park. In 2003, at the request of the Colorado Desert District of California State Parks, the Anza-Borrego Foundation, along with the Wildlife Health Center at the University of California at Davis, established the Anza-Borrego Institute to support and augment the education, interpretation, and research within Anza-Borrego Desert State Park and the other five parks that together comprise the Colorado Desert District.

These parks include:
Salton Sea Recreation Area
Picacho State Recreation Area
Cuyamaca Rancho State Park
Indio Hills Palms
Palomar Mountain State Park

As a 501c3 not-for-profit organization, Anza-Borrego Foundation and Institute is dependent upon the support of donations. To learn more about how do make a gift, please visit our How You Can Help page.

We rely on many partnerships to help us accomplish our mission. And we welcome you to contact a member of our staff if you have any additional questions. For members of the press we have a special online press kit prepared for you.