MBCA’s Ruth Denison Conservation and Environmental Scholarship is made possible through a generous bequest from Ruth Denison. Ruth was the first Buddhist teacher in the United States to lead an all-women's retreat for Buddhist meditation and instruction. Her Dhamma Dena Desert Vipassana Center is located in Joshua Tree. Ruth was a long-time supporter of MBCA, the Morongo Basin’s oldest conservation organization.

Ruth Denison's bequest fulfills one of MBCA’s longstanding goals to increase the organization’s support of environmental education for local students who plan to attend a university or college and prepare for employment in careers related to environmental or conservation work.

Applications will be accepted from seniors in February and March of their graduation year for the $500 scholarship, to be awarded in May. Details and an application form will be published on the MBCA website and advertised to the community by February 1 of each academic year. The minimum requirements are that student applicants must be Morongo Basin residents, high school graduates, and have a GPA of at least 3.25. Below are photos of MBCA President Sarah Kennington with the 2017 and 2018 Denison Scholarship winners.

2017 Winner Nicole Serrano	2018 Winner Morgan Novak