Miley Cyrus joined a group that is becoming increasingly reviled among people who care about preserving the iconic succulents that give Joshua Tree National Park its name.
The 26-year-old singer and actress, wearing a floral onesie, recently visited the high desert park east of Los Angeles, as her Instagram account shows. She also apparently thought, like some other tourists, that it would be fun to climb one of the parks famously distinctive trees and pose for photos that she would share on social media.
A post shared by Miley Cyrus (@mileycyrus) on
Looking down at all the petty drama like….
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But many among her 90 million followers were horrified by her two tree-sitting photos, which gained a combined 4,300 comments. People called her “ignorant,” “vain,” “selfish” and “shameless” for climbing and potentially damaging a species that is protected under state law.
“Joshua trees are dying out because of their fragility, and folks climbing on them isnt helping curb that. Delete this before more damage is done,” wrote one person.
“You have successfully thumbed your nose at the environment and the earth we all share together,” wrote another.
“Please stop posting these, all you are communicating is that your vanity is more important than the fragile ecosystem you are using as a backdrop,” posted yet another person.
Others gave Cyrus the benefit of the doubt, saying she may have meant no harm. But they pointed out that her celebrity could give other tourists the wrong idea that it is fun, cool and even glamorous to climb the trees.
“It is so damaging to these plants to climb them. Even more so when you do it because you influence so many others,” someone wrote.
Many in the Joshua Tree community likewise raised concerns over Cyrus photos, which received a combined total of 1.6 million likes, the Palm Springs Desert-Sun reported.
Joshua trees arent actually trees, but are succulents that are native to the Mojave desert, according to the National Wildlife Federation. Known officially as Yucca brevifolia, the plants are protected under state law, while federal laws prohibit damaging national park wildlife and plants, the Desert-Sun reported in January.
Geary Hunt, executive director of the Mojave Desert Land Trust, told the Desert-Sun that Joshua trees have a shallow root system and that additional weight can damage tree branches.
“We ask that Miley Cyrus consider her status as a public figure and remove this photo from her soRead More – Source
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