Miley Cyrus angers nature lovers after posing in delicate Joshua tree

Apr 04, 2019

Nothing breaks like a heart, except maybe a fragile Joshua tree, and this week desert land conservationists and nature lovers want Miley Cyrus to know it.

What happened: Cyrus took to Instagram and Twitter this week to post two images of herself posing, sitting in and hanging from a Joshua tree.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BvwctdNhaFv/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BvxTizSgg-7/

Cyrus captioned the photos with “Looking down at all the petty drama like….” and “Monkey Bizzzzznassssss.”

The images received quick backlash from nature lovers and conservationists who say that Cyrus’ photos are “disrespectful” and “ignorant” and that the star should remove them because of the fragile nature of the Joshua tree and the example she’s setting, according to The Blast.

https://twitter.com/LSchmell/status/1113262268253331456

so happy to see someone taking advantage of the trust the national park gives their visitors. it takes years for Joshua Trees to heal from damage because of how fragile they are— but it’s okay, you got a photo out of it 🤷🏻‍♀️

— bri sears (@bsears16) April 3, 2019

https://twitter.com/praisecheezus/status/1113188986481020928

Joshua Tree National Park appeared to subtweet the star Wednesday morning, writing that the tree “has thin, shallow roots & can’t support weight w/o damage. Keep admiring & loving on our amazing Joshua trees, from the ground!”

According to USA Today, Mojave Desert Land Trust Director Geary Hund released a statement about Cyrus, saying, “We ask that Miley Cyrus consider her status as a public figure and remove this photo from her social media accounts in order to educate others and to prevent potential damage to Joshua trees.”

Joshua Tree National Park spokesman George Land said, “We don’t want to incite people to carry out some kind of threat against Miley Cyrus, or anybody else that would do that. We would just remind her that she has a big following, people watch what she does, and it would be greatly appreciated by the Park Service and the people around the area if she would maybe curb that type of activity, especially posting it on her social media page.”

Cyrus has over 90 million followers on Instagram. Her photos have received almost 2 million likes on Instagram.

About Joshua trees: According to the National Wildlife Federation, Joshua trees aren’t really trees: They’re succulents, which is what makes them so fragile.

Joshua trees grow in desert areas like the Mojave Desert and store water. They’re slow-growing and are thought to have an average lifespan of around 150 years, according to the NWF.

Because of the thinness of the tree’s roots and the length of time it takes for one to grow, they cannot bear heavy loads and risk damage as a result.

Cyrus has since disabled comments on both of the posts on her Instagram account, according to BuzzFeed.