Joshua Tree

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California Has a Plan to Save Iconic Trees

Joshua trees face multiple threats

(Newser) - The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has released a new plan to protect the state's iconic Joshua trees, which are imperiled by wildfires, human development, and climate change. The 294-page draft plan includes calls for avoiding or minimizing direct and indirect impacts from overgrazing, pesticide use, and unauthorized...

NPS: Tourists Went on Paintball Spree at Joshua Tree

German trio is accused of shooting up the national park with yellow paintballs

(Newser) - Three German tourists are personae non gratae at Joshua Tree National Park after the National Park Service says they were caught red-handed (or, in this case, yellow-handed) following a paintball vandalism spree. Citing a release , KTLA reports that a ranger making the rounds in the Southern California park on Aug....

They Ran Out of Water. He Shielded Her With His Body

Rescuers find couple huddled in Joshua Tree amid triple-digit temps last weekend

(Newser) - A couple hiking in the desert south of Joshua Tree National Park in Southern California was rescued after running out of water, authorities said. On Sunday, the man called 911 and reported that his girlfriend was dehydrated and weak, according to a statement from the Riverside County Sheriff's Office...

One Minute She Was There, the Next She'd 'Evaporated'
Remains
of Missing
Lauren Cho
Are Identified
UPDATED
Oct 28, 2021 1:08 PM CDT

Remains of Missing Lauren Cho Are Identified

New Jersey woman, 30, died after going missing near Joshua Tree National Park in California

(Newser) - Update: Remains found in in the desert of California's Yucca Valley earlier this month have been identified as those of New Jersey music teacher Lauren Cho, 30, who disappeared at the end of June. However, the cause of death has not yet been determined, reports KTLA , and the results...

Miley Cyrus Scolded Over Joshua Tree Stunt

Singer finds the 'drama' she hoped to avoid by climbing one of the the iconic trees

(Newser) - Miley Cyrus thought she could avoid "all the petty drama" from up in a tree. She couldn't have been more wrong. The pop star caused a ruckus this week in sharing two photos of herself sitting on the branch of a Joshua tree. "Looking down at all...

Joshua Trees' Recovery From Shutdown May Take Centuries

Slow-to-grow trees were chopped down, driven over

(Newser) - Park rangers furloughed during the 35-day government shutdown are back to work at Joshua Tree National Park with plenty of damage to repair. With a sharply reduced crew at work during the shutdown, "a few vandals or people acting out of ignorance" took vehicles off road, knocked over gates...

'Park Protection Measures' to Be Taken at Joshua Tree

People have been defacing trees, damaging roads

(Newser) - Joshua Tree National Park is likely closing Thursday thanks to the partial government shutdown. The Southern California park, located near Twentynine Palms in the Mojave Desert, says that—with only about eight rangers patrolling due to the shutdown—visitors have recently defaced the park's namesake trees and done damage...

Consequence of the Shutdown: Poop Problems

Some parts of Yosemite have had to close down due to human feces, urine

(Newser) - When the government shut down on Dec. 22, Yosemite National Park remained open but its bathrooms did not. Tourists haven't stopped relieving themselves, apparently alongside the road, reports the Los Angeles Times . Now, two campgrounds, the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, and Hetch Hetchy have been shut down over...

It Looks Like a Dump, but It Was Home to 3 Kids

Homeless parents charged following discovery in Joshua Tree, Calif.

(Newser) - At first glance, authorities saw what they thought was an abandoned trailer and a large plywood box amid a sea of trash in Joshua Tree, Calif. On second glance, they realized this was the shelter of three children, ages 11, 13, and 14, and their parents. Mona Kirk, 51, and...

Fees Could Double at Most Popular National Parks

Revenue increase needed for aging infrastructure: NPS

(Newser) - With the Trump administration planning to slash the National Park Service's budget, a new proposal could see entrance fees for 17 of the most-visited national parks in the country more than double during peak months. In an effort to boost revenue to pay "for improvements to the aging...

Hiker Murder-Suicide May Have Been Act of Sympathy

Woman's uncle says family holds no grudges

(Newser) - The uncle of a young woman killed in an apparent murder-suicide in Joshua Tree National Park says she may have been killed out of compassion. Investigators believe Joseph Orbeso, 21, shot 20-year-old Rachel Nguyen before turning the handgun on himself. The bodies were found in an "embrace" last week...

Twist in Case of Missing Hikers Found 'Locked in Embrace'

Police believe it was a murder-suicide

(Newser) - Southern California authorities say the deaths of a young woman and man who vanished in Joshua Tree National Park over the summer were a murder-suicide, the AP reports. The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department said Friday that the bodies found Sunday were identified as 20-year-old Rachel Nguyen and 22-year-old...

Bodies Believed to Be Missing Hikers Found in Embrace

Hiker's dad says he believes bodies are those of his son and his girlfriend

(Newser) - The father of a missing California man said he believes the bodies of his son and his son's girlfriend have been found in Joshua Tree National Park, near the area where they vanished while hiking three months ago . Officials did not immediately confirm the identities of the two adults...

Couple Has Been Missing for 6 Days in Sweltering Park

Their car was found in Joshua Tree National Park on Friday

(Newser) - Long-term survival in Joshua Tree National Park is "not impossible but highly improbable," a spokesperson is warning six days after a couple vanished inside the park's boundaries. Joseph Orbeso, 21, and Rachel Nguyen, 20, of Orange County, Calif., haven't been seen or heard from since setting...

Withering in Relentless Drought: the Joshua Tree

Drier than usual conditions in desert mean seedlings aren't taking root

(Newser) - The latest casualty in California's ongoing and massive drought comes from a rather arid place to begin with: The iconic Joshua tree, which grows only in the Mojave desert, is in trouble, reports the Los Angeles Times . "For Joshua trees, hotter, drier conditions are a problem—but a...

Marine's Wife Missing in Joshua Tree Park

Pregnant Erin Corwin, 19, vanished June 28

(Newser) - Search teams have been scouring the area in and around Joshua Tree National Park for more than a week looking for the pregnant wife of a Marine. Erin Corwin, 19, disappeared on June 28 after saying she was going to look for places she could take photos in the vast...

Joshua Tree Canyon Closed Over Unusual Graffiti

Rangers say social media could be fueling vandalism

(Newser) - Some 300 acres of California's Joshua Tree National Park are closed to visitors thanks to a rare spate of graffiti. First, park rangers closed an area surrounding a historic dam following the discovery of carved graffiti. Then, this week, the popular Rattlesnake Canyon was closed after words—including "...

Heat Kills Tourist Couple in Joshua Tree Park

European couple dies after car becomes stuck on dirt road

(Newser) - Authorities in California have stepped up heat warnings after a couple died of exposure in Joshua Tree National Park. The bodies of Dutch music promoter Augustinus Van Hove, 44, and his German girlfriend, Helena Nuellett, 38, were found along a park road after a day in which temperatures soared as...

Joshua Tree Losing Its Trees
 Joshua Tree Losing Its Trees 
climate change
Mar 27, 2011 4:56 PM CDT

Joshua Tree Losing Its Trees

Scientists blame climate change

(Newser) - By the end of the century, Joshua Tree National Park will have no more Joshua trees, according to a study by US Geological Survey scientists. The spiky trees, iconic in Southern California deserts including the national park named after them, will probably disappear from 90% of their current range in...

Lost Hiker, 64, Recounts 6-Day Ordeal in Desert

He moved as little as possible during the day

(Newser) - A 64-year-old man who survived for six days after getting lost in California's Joshua Tree desert says he survived by staying in shade during the day and walking during the cold nights. Edward Rosenthal said he intended a short walk but got distracted when he took a wrong turn and...

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