Cacti of Joshua Tree National Park

Learn about the cacti of Joshua Tree National Park in this part lecture and part treasure hunt that is all about Cacti!

Melanie Davis lives in Joshua Tree and is a research field ecologist and botanist at UC Riverside's Center for Conservation Biology in Palm Desert. She has been working in the California deserts since 2017, and her field research takes her to remote corners of the Colorado, Mojave, and Sonoran deserts to study the effects of climate change and human disturbance on desert ecosystems and the distribution of rare native plants.

Have you ever wondered how many types of cacti we have in Joshua Tree? Would you be surprised to learn that the answer is 15? This course is part lecture and part treasure hunt. It will spend an evening on Zoom, where Melanie will teach the class everything she knows about cacti—from where and how to find them to evolution and field identification. 

The following day, the class will take place in Joshua Tree National Park, where we will locate and identify all 15 species using common field identification techniques. The field exploration will take students to locations throughout Joshua Tree National Park to see all 15 species in their natural habitat. This course will begin in Joshua Tree and end at the park's south boundary. Carpool options can be arranged, but students are responsible for transportation, meals, and lodging. 

Photo credit: Bob Grubs, Desert Institute Volunteer