Event
Cima Dome Joshua Tree Forest Restoration
Fee:
Free.Location:
Directions to Valley View Ranch • From Los Angeles: - Take I-15 North to Cima Rd. (Exit 272). Turn right (south) off exit. Drive for ~10.0 miles and take a right onto a gravel road which will have a “Volunteer Event” sign. Drive for about 1.67 miles until you reach Valley View Ranch. Make your way to the ranch house where I will be waiting under a white EZ-UP. • From Las Vegas - Take I-15 South to Cima Rd. (Exit 272). Follow the directions above. • From Kingman, AZ - Take US-93 North to AZ-68 towards Laughlin. In Laughlin, take NV-163 towards US-95. Drive north on US-95 towards Searchlight. In Searchlight, take a left onto NV-164 (Joshua Tree Highway/Nipton Rd.). Drive until you reach the I-15 and turn left (south). Take I-15 to Cima Rd. exit and follow instructions above.Dates & Times
Date:
Time:
Duration:
Type of Event
We will begin each day at 8 am at Valley View Ranch with a brief introduction for newcomers, tailgate safety meeting, and archeological training. By 9:00, we will begin assigning groups and planting locations. Groups will head out together to planting locations which will most likely require a little bit of driving from Valley View. If you indicated you do not have an off-road capable vehicle, you will be assigned a planting or watering site off a paved road. If you indicated you or your group might not be up for a big hike, you will be assigned to something closer to roads or other basecamp duties (building cages, preparing planting materials, etc.). When a group has finished their assigned planting, they will return to Valley View to receive a new location depending on how much time is left in the day. All groups should be back in camp no later than 5pm.
Description
In August 2020, the Dome Fire burned over 44,000 acres (~70 square miles) of one of the densest and largest Joshua tree forests in the world on Cima Dome. While assessing the damage to the forest, we noticed some areas with fairly low to moderate burn intensity with pockets of unburned islands. However, the burn intensity throughout most of the fire was catastrophic and nearly all aboveground vegetation was scorched and would not survive. We estimated that over a million trees were burned in the fire.
Cima Dome is modelled to be a climate refugia for the species. However, Joshua trees have poor seed dispersal and may only migrate about 100 feet for every 20 years. So the Mojave National Preserve is taking steps to ensure there are trees, and more specially a seed source, within the badly affected areas of the burn so they may reestablished naturally before the effects of climate change impact the recruitment and sustainability of the population on Cima Dome.
More information
Reservation or Registration: Yes
Image Gallery
NPS