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Joshua Tree National Park in the California desert is a place known for its peaceful, relaxing and restorative atmosphere.
Unfortunately for Miley Cyrus, who visited recently, she is no doubt feeling the exact opposite of those things after she made a flora faux-pas and shared it on Instagram.
Cyrus is being roasted like a pale-skinned person in the unrelenting desert sun, after she shared images of herself climbing and hanging on a Joshua tree, the iconic plants you’ll recognize from Instagram if you haven’t had a chance to visit yourself.
Problem is, Joshua trees are delicate, fragile things, and visitors to the park are warned not to climb on them because they are easily damaged. Protecting them has become even more important as global warming has reduced their numbers.
Awkwardly for Miley, a spokesperson from Joshua Tree National Park shamed her behavior, telling local newspaper the Desert Sun:
“We would just remind (Cyrus) that she has a big following, people watch what she does, and it would be greatly appreciated by the park service and the people around the area if she would maybe curb that type of activity, especially posting it on her social media page.”
Hours after Miley’s posts became a hotbed for furious commenters, the official Joshua Tree National Park Instagram account weighed in. Although it didn’t mention her directly, it’s clear her photographs sparked the warning, which read:
“Everybody loves a Joshua tree! They’re cool, photogenic, and totally iconic.
“We want to remind all Joshua tree lovers that Joshua trees are not your typical ‘tree’. They’re members of the agave family, and more closely related to grasses and orchids than to hardwood trees like oak or cedar. They have thin, shallow roots and take a long time to get established. They can’t support a lot of weight, so climbing them or hanging things from them can be quite damaging (not to mention illegal). They’re actually protected by both federal and state laws!
“We encourage you to keep admiring, appreciating, and loving on our amazing Joshua trees — from the ground”
Look. There’s no need for Miley to be ‘cancelled’ over this. Everyone makes mistakes. But a post explaining why people visiting Joshua Tree should not do what she did, to correct her mistake, wouldn’t go astray.
I’ll wait.
