Back to Blog
State of decay 3 trailer6/1/2023 There's the Pinion Mountain Mining District. There's the Northern Pinion Historic Mining District. There's the Lost Horse historic Mining District. We have quite a few cultural landscapes that are associated with the mining that took place in the park. It could be associated with an event in history or could be representative of a design, a theme in Joshua Tree. A cultural landscape is a place that represents an important thing in history. I'm a historical landscape architect at the park here, and I'm the lead for the Historic Preservation program. And with Joshua Tree National Park's vast history, there are quite a few cultural landscapes found within the park, but you know what? We should talk to Joshua Tree National Park's very own historical landscape architect, Genna, she's awesome and will have a lot to share on this subject. ![]() This not only applies to natural resources, but cultural and historical ones as well. It reminds me of one of those most common principles of leave no trace, which is take only pictures, leave only footprints. That's because that can, being left where it was last used provides context as to who might have used that area before. But what a lot of people don't realize is that that can has been left there on purpose. For example, visitors could potentially come across a surely useless rusty can in a seemingly random part of the park. While there is no secret treasure or map, even a simple hike on a trail found on the park map can reveal hidden stories.ĭonovan: And of course, if you do find something, you must leave it where you found it. That context is an essential part of what a cultural landscape is. ![]() They also have significance by simply being within the context in which they are found. Well, one of the amazing things about cultural landscapes is the collection of archeological evidence. Last I check, the visitor centers don't have treasure maps. Ian, you are telling me that if I go wandering through the park, I might come across some historical treasure. A common one within Joshua Tree National Park is homesteads and the large amounts of materials used in mining operations that may have been left hidden within the land where Joshua Tree National Park exists.ĭonovan: Wait a second. This evidence on the landscape can take many forms. An important sign of Joshua Tree National Park's history is the historical structures and artifacts found tucked within the rocks and the different areas of the park provide diverse resources, often causing human life to gather in areas that provide essential needs, leaving behind vast amounts of historical evidence. They map our relationship with the land, yet the subtle details are not as easy to find as one may think. Cultural landscapes may be confusing at first, but they are certainly important to the National Park Service, and that's because the spaces where the works of nature and humans combine provide a sense of place and identity. Well, sometimes it just feels like every time when I'm explained to what cultural landscapes are, there's always more to unpack. Could I drop a finger randomly on the park map and it would be part of a cultural landscape? Is Hidden Valley a cultural landscape? Skull rock, even Oyster Bar. You'd probably wonder if you missed that part of the park map.ĭonovan: I mean, even just talking about it, I'm starting to think that I might have missed one or two here and there on the park map as well. Imagine if you were told that even just driving through the park for an hour, you likely passed multiple cultural landscapes. ![]() Now, I know the idea of a cultural landscape probably sounds pretty unfamiliar to most people. Speaking of, what is remarkable is the number of cultural landscapes that reside within Joshua Tree National Park that most visitors don't know about. Through interviews and investigation, we bring you the unique details, research, and stories that make Joshua Tree National Park remark. Where Two Deserts Meet is a podcast where we investigate topics that often require a bit more detail and sometimes the help of an expert in the field to gain perspective. Ian: And we're both park rangers here at Joshua Tree National Park. We pay our respects to the people past, present, and emerging who have been here since time in. ![]() We are grateful to have the opportunity to work with the indigenous people in this place. Joshua Tree National Park acknowledges the Serrano, Cahuilla, Mojave, and Chemehuevi people as the original stewards of the land on which the park now sits. Ian: Where Two Deserts Meet is an official podcast of Joshua Tree National Park.
0 Comments
Read More
Leave a Reply. |