{"id":4181,"date":"2024-05-13T15:33:32","date_gmt":"2024-05-13T22:33:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/livingdesert23.wpengine.com\/?page_id=4181"},"modified":"2026-02-02T13:16:15","modified_gmt":"2026-02-02T21:16:15","slug":"mojave-maxine-emergence-contest","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.livingdesert.org\/learn\/educator-resources\/desert-tortoise-resources\/mojave-maxine-emergence-contest\/","title":{"rendered":"Mojave Maxine Emergence Contest"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Mojave Maxine Emergence Contest<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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The 2025\/2026 Contest is Now Closed<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The East Coast has Punxsutawney Phil and Groundhog Day to let them know when they can expect spring. California has Mojave Maxine, the desert tortoise, to signify that warmer weather is on the way.<\/span><\/p>

Who is Mojave Maxine?<\/strong><\/p>

Mojave Maxine is a desert tortoise that lives at The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in Palm Desert, California. Maxine and her tortoise roommates typically enter brumation around Thanksgiving. Brumation is how desert tortoises and other desert reptiles survive the cold winters \u2013 they sleep through them in their insulated, underground burrows.\u00a0<\/p>

Enter the Contest:<\/strong>\u00a0Students (grades K-12) in San Bernardino, Imperial, and Riverside\u00a0counties have the opportunity to guess when Mojave Maxine will emerge from brumation in the spring. The student whose guess is closest to the date and time when Maxine emerges from her burrow for the first time this spring will win the contest prize. In the event that two guesses are equally close, the winner will be the student who submitted their guess first.<\/p>

The Prize:<\/strong> The student who wins the contest will receive T-shirts for their entire class of up to 36 and a visit to The Living Desert, where they can meet a desert tortoise! There will be one winner. The class trip to the zoo must be scheduled within three weeks of being notified of winning, for a date prior to May 31st, 2026.*<\/p>

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*Prize includes admission to The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens and exclusive experience with a desert tortoise facilitated by a staff member. Transportation to The Living Desert is not included.<\/em><\/p>

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Before picking the date and time you think Maxine will emerge \u2013 we suggest you learn more about desert tortoises, as it will help you make an even better prediction. Good luck with your guess \u2013 and remember to always cover your trash, stay on designated trails, and please don\u2019t touch or move wild desert tortoises!<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEnter the Contest!<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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2024\/2025 Winners<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The Living Desert is pleased to announce the winners of the 2025 Mojave Maxine Emergence Contest.<\/p>\n

Congratulations to the following school:<\/strong><\/p>\n