ABF in Action: Jaime Purinton, Communications & Marketing Director
ABF in Action is our monthly spotlight series highlighting the people who bring Anza-Borrego Foundation’s mission to life. Each month, we introduce you to a member of our dedicated team—the people working behind the scenes (and out in the desert!) to protect the Park, inspire visitors, and connect our community to California’s largest state park.
This month, we’re featuring Jaime Purinton, Communications & Marketing Director, who leads our communications and marketing strategy to inspire people to discover, experience, and protect Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Through strategic storytelling, advocacy campaigns, media relations, digital communications, and audience engagement, Jaime helps shape how people connect with the Park and our mission. Every campaign, photograph, video, and story is designed to build lasting relationships that inspire stewardship and conservation.
What do you love most about telling ABF’s story?
I love changing the way people see the desert.
So many people grow up believing deserts are empty, lifeless wastelands. In reality, the Park is one of the most biologically diverse places in the world, filled with incredible wildlife, resilient plants, fascinating geology, cultural history, and some of the darkest night skies anywhere.
A huge part of my job is helping people discover that. Every photo, story, video, email, or social media post is another opportunity to replace misconceptions with wonder. And when someone comments, “I had no idea,” or tells us they finally visited because of something they saw from ABF—that’s the best part of what I do.
I also read almost every comment people leave. I get to witness people sharing their memories, their excitement after seeing bighorn sheep for the first time, or the moment they fell in love with the desert. Those conversations remind me that we’re building a community, not just sharing information.
Can you share a campaign you’re especially proud of and why?
I’m incredibly proud of our advocacy campaign around the proposed Golden Pacific Powerlink transmission project.
It is helping people understand why this landscape matters and is connected to the whole in the first place. We have been creating educational resources, answering difficult questions, sharing science, and helping people feel empowered to participate in protecting a place they love.
Conservation succeeds when people feel connected enough to speak up, and it is inspiring to watch thousands of people become advocates because they understand what is at stake.
How do communications connect people more deeply to the mission?
People protect places because they feel something. Communications create that emotional connection. I tell stories about volunteers, park staff, blooming wildflowers, desert wildlife, and the people whose lives have been changed by spending time here.
Once someone feels connected to Anza-Borrego, protecting it becomes personal instead of abstract. That’s where lasting conservation begins.
What’s the hardest part of getting the word out, and how do you overcome it?
Attention is probably our biggest challenge. We’re competing with thousands of messages every single day, so we have to earn people’s attention instead of demanding it. I always ask myself, “Would I stop scrolling for this?” If the answer is no, I rethink it.
The stories that resonate most are the ones that make people feel something. That’s what I try to create.
How do you measure success in your role?
I absolutely pay attention to the numbers—website traffic, memberships, donations, event registrations, email engagement, media coverage, and social media analytics all matter because they tell us whether we’re reaching people.
But some of my favorite measures of success can’t be captured in a report.
It’s reading a comment from someone who says they finally visited Anza-Borrego after following us online. It’s hearing that someone became a member after attending their first program. It’s watching people who once knew nothing about the desert become passionate advocates for protecting it.
Those are the moments that remind me why the work matters.
What do you wish people understood about the importance of marketing in conservation?
In conservation, marketing is really about helping people care.
People won’t protect something they don’t know exists, and they won’t fight for something they don’t feel connected to. Marketing creates that connection. It helps people understand why a place matters long before they’re ever asked to donate, volunteer, or take action.
In many ways, conservation begins with a story.
What motivates you to keep pushing forward when campaigns are tough?
I remind myself that every campaign has the potential to reach someone whose life will be changed by this place.
Maybe it’s someone who decides to visit for the first time. Maybe it’s someone who becomes a volunteer. Maybe it’s a child who discovers a love of nature that shapes the rest of their life.
You never really know which story will inspire someone, so it’s always worth continuing to tell them.
What’s your favorite place in Anza-Borrego to disconnect and recharge?
One of the most unforgettable moments I’ve ever had was standing alone in Henderson Canyon at sunrise during a wildflower bloom.
The light slowly spread across thousands of flowers, birds were beginning to wake up, a pack of coyotes howled, and there wasn’t another person around. It was completely quiet except for the sounds of nature.
I remember standing there with tears in my eyes because it felt almost impossible that a place this beautiful could exist in the desert.
That’s the feeling I hope our work helps other people experience. Once you’ve had a moment like that, you never look at the desert the same way again.
What would you say to someone who’s just discovering ABF for the first time?
I’d tell them to come experience the desert with an open mind.
Whether they join a hike, attend a stargazing program, volunteer, or simply explore on their own, give themself permission to slow down.
The more time you spend here, the more you begin to notice, and before long, you realize it’s one of the richest, most inspiring landscapes you’ll ever experience.
We’re here to help people make that connection because once they do, they almost always want to help protect it.
Why does protecting Anza-Borrego matter to you personally?
Anza-Borrego has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. I’ve been coming here since I was a baby, so this isn’t just a place I work—it’s part of who I am.
Some of my earliest memories are here, and over the years the desert has become a place where I find perspective, peace, creativity, and awe. It’s where I go when I need to reconnect with myself and remember what really matters. Every visit teaches me something new about resilience, beauty, and the incredible diversity of life that exists in places so many people mistakenly think are empty.
That’s one of the reasons I’m so passionate about telling its story. I want others to experience what I’ve been fortunate enough to experience my entire life and to discover that this isn’t a barren wasteland, but one of the most extraordinary landscapes in the world.
My passion is protecting a place that has shaped me, and ensuring future generations have the opportunity to create their own memories, find their own sense of wonder, and fall in love with the desert just as I did.
Through Jaime’s work, communications become a bridge between people and place. Every story, campaign, and conversation helps more people discover the extraordinary beauty of Anza-Borrego, deepen their connection to the desert, and become advocates for its future.
Follow us on social media, share our stories, become a member, or join us for a program. Every connection helps ensure Anza-Borrego Desert State Park continues to inspire and thrive for generations to come.