Michael Clifford

Conservation Biologist for The Nature Conservancy

Parumph, Nevada

November 13, 2024

Strips of pink sky cradle navy blue layers of mountains below. We are gathered on a large expanse of shrubby desert, surrounded by mountains on all sides. We carefully avoid stepping on cryptobiotic soil as we make our way to the solar farm. Blocking our path is a chain link fence, within it, the navy blue of acres of solar panels facing the sky. Near the bottom of the fence is a small rectangular gap, perfectly tortoise sized.

In Parumph, Nevada, we met Michael Clifford, a Conservation Scientist from the Nature Conservancy. He tells us stories of various desert animals including the endangered desert tortoises that exist within this unassuming landscape. This stretch of desert is part of the Amargosa Watershed, a crucial watershed for endemic species such as the Devil’s Hole Pupfish, Southwestern Willow Flycatcher, and Amargosa toad. For these creatures, the introduction of recent development in the area such as large scale solar disturbs access to this crucial habitat.

With The Nature Conservancy, Michael works to limit these projects from developing on specific habitat spaces. When development is approved, he advocates for habitat mitigation strategies. With Michael’s help, the nonprofit has purchased and protected various sections of imperative habitat, including the ranch we are camping on.

As a massive influx of proposed “clean energy” solar and lithium projects pop up in this region of the Mojave, Michael is working tirelessly to calculate and advocate for the subsequent environmental impacts, as well as identify the least harmful locations for these projects. He describes the root of the dilemma as “balancing biodiversity with climate change solutions.”

by Sofia Defanti