New Exhibit Highlights the Urgent Need to Protect Joshua Trees

California State University, Northridge (CSUN) professor Jeremy Yoder hopes a new art exhibit, “Desert Forest: Life with Joshua Trees,” at the Lancaster Museum of Art and History will raise awareness about the threats facing Joshua trees. The exhibit, part of Getty’s PST Art initiative, features diverse artwork showcasing the iconic trees, with Yoder providing scientific expertise and contributing essays that explain their ecological importance and the challenges they face due to climate change. The exhibition highlights both the beauty and the vulnerability of Joshua trees in the Mojave Desert.

Yoder emphasizes the critical role Joshua trees play in the Mojave Desert ecosystem, serving as food and shelter for various species of birds, mammals, and reptiles. In one of his essays, he explains the mutual relationship between Joshua trees and Yucca moths and outlines the trees' evolutionary history. However, climate change is making the desert hotter and drier, causing young Joshua trees to struggle and die before they can fully mature. This issue, compounded by increasing wildfires, poses a serious threat to the species' survival.

The exhibition provides a platform for collaboration between artists and scientists, with Yoder contributing data that inspired some of the artwork. Yoder hopes the exhibit will resonate with local residents, drawing attention to the need for protecting Joshua trees, which hold both ecological and cultural significance. With ongoing research, including gene sequencing, Yoder is working to better understand how these iconic desert plants adapt to changing climates in an effort to ensure their long-term survival.