During the Ninth Wildland Shrub Symposium in Las Cruces, New Mexico, May 22-24,1995, a field trip took participants to the southern end of the Jornada del Muerto Basin, an area of intensive research in desert ecology and rangeland management throughout the 20th century. The tour highlighted some of the historical studies in grazing management as well as current interdisciplinary research projects involving dozens of scientists from many institutions. Cooperating institutions and agencies include the USDA Agricultural Research Service, New Mexico State Uni­ versity, the National Science Foundation and the Environmental Protection Agency.