-
EartherConservationCalifornia’s Joshua Trees Become the First Plants to Receive Protections Due to Climate Change
Western Joshua trees, those strange-looking, tall beauties of Southern California, are the first-ever plant species to be protected under the California Endangered Species Act because of the threat of climate change. In a historic move this week, the state’s Fish and Game Commission voted unanimously in favor of a petition that provides the plants protected … Continued
By Dharna Noor -
EartherExtreme WeatherBe Soothed by the Peaceful Joshua Trees Covered in Snow
There are few things as soothing as desert snow, the rough and spiky landscape smoothed over by a layer of frozen flakes. That’s exactly what happened this week in Joshua Tree National Park after an extremely powerful storm ripped across the region. To get snow in this corner of the Mojave Desert, you need two … Continued
By Brian Kahn -
EartherClimate ChangeJoshua Trees Are Being Wiped Out by Climate Change
Climate change is set to kill off most of our nation’s Joshua trees by the end of the century, according to a recent study. While some Joshua trees will hang on if humans rapidly lower their carbon emissions, if no action is taken to stop climate change we’ll lose nearly all of these iconic spiky … Continued
-
Tech NewsThe Worst Pain in the World, Bendable Phones, and Joshua Tree: Best Gizmodo Stories of the Week
Ten hut, Gizmodo readers! Do you have a New Year’s Resolution you should be working on? Do not answer that rhetorical question, because yours are the feeble dreams of weaklings and mine is to whip this sorry, good-for-nothing blog audience squad into shape! ROLL CALL! Scroll on down and click those links! I don’t want to … Continued
By Tom McKay -
EartherConservationThe Joshua Tree Fiasco Is Why Parks Should Be Closed During the Shutdown
In a bizarre decision on Wednesday, Joshua Tree National Park reversed course on closing its gates, despite clear evidence visitors are destroying the park’s namesake trees, illegally camping, and off-roading. The park was set to shutter temporarily on January 10, but will now tap funds normally used for regular maintenance and improving visitor facilities to … Continued
By Brian Kahn -
Tech News
National Park Visitors Who Complain About Wi-Fi Should Be Thrown Into Old Faithful
The US National Park Service was founded 100 years ago today, at a time when less than 35 percent of Americans had electricity at home. But as the years go by, more and more visitors to the parks are demanding access to technology, including ubiquitous cellphone and wi-fi access. And we’ve got the complaints to … Continued
By Matt Novak -
Tech NewsWatch a Meteor Explode in Joshua Tree’s Night Sky
California’s desert parks provide some of the best opportunities to see the night sky as our distant ancestors did—a rich tapestry of stars, undiminished by the artificial light of civilization. Death Valley National Park, in fact, recently became the world’s largest certified International Dark Sky Park. Southern California’s Joshua Tree National Park hasn’t yet earned … Continued
-
EartherClimate ChangeEvery Weird-Looking Tree Should Get A Beautiful Time Lapse Like This
The Yucca brevifolia, or Joshua tree, only grows in the southwest U.S., mostly in the Mojave Desert, so a lot of people don’t even know about the spike-y and pipecleaner-y weirdo. And the Joshua tree population is declining due to environmental changes so filmmaker Sungjin Ahn wanted to make sure everyone could get a glimpse. … Continued
-
Tech NewsCan You Spot The 70-Year-Old Homesteader’s Shack Hiding In The Desert?
At first glance, it’s easy to mistake this clapboard box in the middle of Joshua Tree for a mirage or digital illusion. Artist Philip K. Smith III added mirrored panels to the shack’s exterior, making Lucid Stead seem to hover in the landscape like a processing glitch. At night, when the sun goes down, it … Continued
