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Day Six – Back to School

By Jonathan Shafer / Joshua Tree National Park

March 22, 2012 -

If anyone had told me a year ago that I would spend spring break 2012 planting seedlings on a burned out hillside, yanking weeds from a sandy desert basin, or counting turtles in Southern California, I would probably have been skeptical.

Day Five – Desert Hide and Seek

By Jonathan Shafer / Joshua Tree National Park

March 22, 2012 -

What weighs five pounds, looks like a pair of pie plates, and likes to hide next to Yuccas, under bushes, and in holes? Answer: the desert tortoise.

Day 4- Mustard is the Enemy (or Weeding the Desert)

By Jonathan Shafer / Joshua Tree National Park

March 16, 2012 -

Looking out over what, to the casual viewer, appears to be a desolate wasteland, we were tasked to remove an invasive plant known as Sahara Mustard from the desert. Introduced accidentally when Mediterranean date trees were transplanted to California, the plant interferes with native plant and animal life by consuming scarce resources and disrupting the region’s food-chain.

Day 3 – On Top of the World

By Jonathan Shafer / Joshua Tree National Park

March 15, 2012 -

Stocked with water and snacks to fortify us on the 1.5 mile (1000 foot vertical) climb, we set out on the trail at a fast clip. Stopping only twice to catch our breath, the first 10 of us reached the summit after a 45 minute hike. With a clear 360 degree view, we were able to see miles of Joshua Trees and rock crags stretching into the distance.

Day 2 – Holes With a View

By Jonathan Shafer / Joshua Tree National Park

March 15, 2012 -

Step One: Dig a Hole.
It sounds simple, but, here in the desert, the ground fights back. Using tools ranging from a pick-axe, to shovels, to our gloved hands, we worked steadily to provide these seedlings with permanent homes.

Day 1 – What Would Smoky Make of This?

By Jonathan Shafer / Joshua Tree National Park

March 15, 2012 -

Supplied with picks, shovels, and breaker bars, our group broke into 2-3 person teams to dig holes in which the seedlings will, hopefully, grow. While this task might sound simple to those familiar with lush, eastern forests, Joshua Tree is…different.

Day 0 - Welcome to Joshua Tree (or, J. Tree…we’re on a first name basis now)

By Jonathan Shafer / Joshua Tree National Park

March 15, 2012 -

Not having seen one myself, I was excited to hear Tyler say that, “just over that next pass, you will see Joshua Trees.” Though we were driving through suburban sprawl, sure enough, as we crested the ridge that Tyler had pointed out, it seemed as though we had ridden into a Dr. Seuss book.