Walking Tour of the Grounds of Marriott Hotel-Visit to Coachella Valley and Oasis Date Garden - Graduate/Undergraduate Tour - Open to All Registrants

Objective(s):
Marriott Hotel Resort includes 23 acres of landscape, 5000 trees, 1200 of which are palms, for a total of 31 tree species/varieties. Grounds were originally designed around the desert oasis concept. Ironically the hotel is becoming more “green” by converting to a desert landscape. Hotel has 27 acres of lakes, including the large one that also serves as the irrigation pond. The irrigation pond is managed as a natural ecosystem without chemicals and contains bass, carp, bluegill, and 6 other fish species. Part of our tour will include a visit to the Marriott’s golf course to view drill and fill renovation.
Bell Peppers grown under shade house in Oasis, CA. The unique climate of the low desert allows vegetable growers to meet production windows unavailable to the rest of the USA. Peppers are planted at the peak of the summer heat for late fall harvest. Coachella Valley Water District. Visit the irrigation facilities and learn about the history of irrigated agriculture in the low desert and its current challenges. Oasis Date Garden. Most of the dates produced in the USA are from the Coachella Valley. This tour includes a film on history of dates, sampling of the many date varieties, and a chance to buy date products.