ABF in Action: Mario Mouett, Retail 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 in the heart of the desert!) to protect the Park, inspire visitors, and connect our community to California’s largest state park.
This month, we’re celebrating Mario Mouett, Retail Director, whose thoughtful vision for ABF’s stores helps visitors experience Anza-Borrego in deeper, more meaningful ways. Through mission-driven merchandising, Mario turns every product into a bridge between curiosity and conservation.
“Retail can be the moment when someone falls in love with the desert. A product isn’t just a souvenir — it’s a reminder of awe, a spark of learning, and often the beginning of someone’s connection to protecting this place.”
What makes ABF’s retail stores different from a typical shop?
ABF’s stores are mission-driven, not profit-driven. Every item is curated to deepen a visitor’s connection to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park—whether through education, conservation messaging, or honoring the Park’s natural and cultural history. We choose products with meaning, not mass appeal. You won’t find generic souvenirs here; you’ll find quality items that help visitors understand and appreciate the desert.
Which products best embody ABF’s mission?
The items that tell a story. Our WPA-style prints, locally crafted wood magnets, interpretive field guides, night sky merchandise, and books on desert ecology all embody what we stand for. These products don’t just sit on a shelf—they teach, inspire, and help visitors see why this place is worth protecting.
What’s one holiday item every desert lover should have?
A beautifully illustrated desert-themed ornament or handcrafted wood magnet featuring ocotillo, bighorn sheep, or Fonts Point. Small, meaningful, and full of spirit—these pieces bring a little desert magic into the home and support conservation at the same time.
How do you choose products for the store?
I look for a blend of interpretive value, sustainability, educational potential, and mission alignment. Every item should enhance someone’s understanding or experience of the Park. I want products that are responsibly made, thoughtfully designed, and capable of creating a lasting connection—not just something trendy.
What do you wish visitors knew about how their purchases support ABF?
That every purchase directly supports the Park—funding research, trail maintenance, paleontology programs, education, outreach, volunteer efforts, and conservation projects. Shopping with ABF isn’t just retail; it’s participating in stewardship of California’s largest state park.
Can you share a customer story that stood out?
One visitor bought a Borrego Palm Canyon WPA print after hiking the trail for the first time. They described the oasis as ‘life-changing,’ a moment that made them feel small and deeply connected to the desert. Taking the print home helped them carry that sense of wonder with them year-round. That’s the power of interpretive retail—it becomes part of someone’s emotional experience of the Park.
How do you see retail connecting visitors to the bigger picture of conservation?
Retail is a gateway. When people take home something that teaches them about desert wildlife, geology, night skies, or native plants, they carry the Park’s story with them. That often leads to deeper engagement—coming back to visit, volunteering, donating, or simply appreciating the landscape with newly opened eyes.
What do you love most about running the stores?
Creating spaces where people fall in love with the desert. Designing products, supporting staff and volunteers, curating meaningful merchandise, and listening to visitor stories—all of it comes together to make the work incredibly rewarding. Seeing someone light up over a product that connects them to the Park is the best part.
Do you have a favorite item you’ve taken home?
Either a WPA-inspired print or one of our sustainably made 3-D wood magnets. Both feel like pieces of the Park—beautifully crafted, locally meaningful, and representative of the landscapes I care about most.
Why does protecting Anza-Borrego matter to you personally?
Anza-Borrego is a rare and fragile wilderness full of geological, ecological, cultural, and personal stories. Protecting it means safeguarding a place where people can find awe, peace, discovery, and connection. The landscape shapes those who spend time in it, and helping ensure its future feels both like a responsibility and an honor.
Through Mario’s leadership, ABF’s retail stores become more than shops—they become places of discovery, inspiration, and connection. Every curated product invites visitors to understand the Park more deeply and to join in protecting it.
When you shop at ABF’s stores, you’re not just taking home something beautiful—you’re supporting the Park you love.