What is the point of coming together to share ideas as artists and scientists if we can not then share our discoveries with the community around us. At a time when journalism is being attacked for being a bridge between people, ideas and truth, we have committed to making sure our visiting artists and scientists have meaningful ways to engage with the broader community in the high desert through conversations with various journalism outlets in the desert. 

 

Our Journalism outreach advisor, HILARY SLOANE, is that bridge for us.    She is an accomplished journalist well connected to both the desert and global community through her writing and documentary photo journalism projects.  We are so grateful for her guidance as we connect our residents with as many interested people as possible. 

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HILARY'S BIO

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WEBSITE

https://hilarysloanephotography.com/Selected-Work-/thumbs

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ABOUT

Hilary is a local radio journalist and documentary photographer in the Joshua Tree area.  Hilary is our journalist in the High Desert who helps highlight our rotating visiting artists so the public and the artist can learn from each other and connect in a meaningful way.

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professional journey began in Hollywood, where she spent over three decades working in film and advertising as a producer and wardrobe stylist. Eventually drawn away from that fast-paced world by a longing for deeper connection and purpose, she relocated to the Mojave Desert in 2009—a place that offered silence, stillness, and space.

 

A longtime Society of Environmental Journalists member, Hilary has been a documentary photographer, writer, and short-term host in Joshua Tree since 2012. She contributed photography to the Mojave Desert Land Trust and wrote community profiles and features for the Hi-Desert Star. Her award-winning photography has been featured in solo and group exhibitions, often reflecting the quiet resilience of people and landscapes shaped by time. View Hilary's photography work here.  

Hilary is also a writer and on-air contributor for Z107.7FM, Joshua Tree’s community news station. Through her work there, she covers local events, profiles community members, and brings attention to regional stories that might otherwise go untold. Whether behind the mic or in the field, she brings curiosity, empathy, and a journalist’s eye to every story—capturing the unique spirit of the desert and the people who call it home. You can read her published articles here.

 

Rooted in a deep belief that stories can heal, connect, and transform, Hilary has followed her calling worldwide. Volunteering with a UK-based nonprofit, she traveled to Borneo and Tanzania to document conservation and education efforts in rural communities. In 2015, she produced and recorded a podcast episode titled Hip Hop Speaks Many Languages, featuring interviews with two international hip-hop artists and a Los Angeles nonprofit that connects music with at-risk youth.

 

Hilary is the creator and host of Driftwood Conversations, a podcast that invites conversation and connection. Individuals and friends she has met around the world, share a casual conversation about their work, their lives, challenges and where they get their resilience to continue going forward. These stories of transformation, resilience, and purpose are guided by the belief that we are all shaped by unseen currents and inner callings, and the most powerful force for healing is community. Whether through photography, journalism, or podcasting, Hilary's work seeks to answer a single, sacred question: how do we stay open to wonder—and one another—in a world that often demands we close ourselves off?