Marcy, Camp Counselor: . . . . Tue, Nov 30, 1:39PM PST (-0800 GMT)
Welcome to Camp Internet’s ‘Desert Dig at Joshua Tree National Park’. The Camp’s Internet Digs are a great way to encourage reading, skimming, comprehension, summarizing, and writing skills. The Dig’s are very popular with Camp students, and are regular interactive features in the classroom, and at Camp Family Nights.

Marcy, Camp Counselor: . . . . Tue, Nov 30, 1:40PM PST (-0800 GMT)
Directions : Please read the questions we have posted for you, and then click on the ‘button’ links imbedded in each section that will lead you to Internet sites that hold the answers to the questions. Then return to the Chat area (use the back button in the upper left corner of your browser to return), post your answers, and move on to the next question.

Marcy, Camp Counselor: . . . . Tue, Nov 30, 1:40PM PST (-0800 GMT)
Clue : to be a success at the Dig, it is important that you post full sentences that include both the question AND the answer so the viewers know what you are responding to. For example, if the question is : What is the difference between a pictograph and a petroglyphs, a short answer like :one is painted / one if carved” will not work. It needs the full information. A better answer is : “A pictograph is painted and a petroglyphs is carved”. That conveys both the question and the answer in one easy-to-read sentence.

Marcy, Camp Counselor: . . . . Tue, Nov 30, 1:40PM PST (-0800 GMT)
Where is Joshua Tree National Park ? Click on this button to find out

Marcy, Camp Counselor: . . . . Tue, Nov 30, 1:41PM PST (-0800 GMT)
The rock formations at Joshua Tree are famous for their incredible shapes and sizes. What is the rock at this button named after ?

Marcy, Camp Counselor: . . . . Tue, Nov 30, 1:41PM PST (-0800 GMT)
Joshua Tree is a desert plant community – can you tell us the names of these two plants that grow there ? and describe what they look like too please … button

Marcy, Camp Counselor: . . . . Tue, Nov 30, 1:42PM PST (-0800 GMT)
The earliest Californians were Native Americans. Their villages that have been discovered in Joshua Trees National Park offer excellent clues to the past. Use this button to tell us what type of rock art is shown from Joshua Tree? Is it a petroglyphs (carved) or a pictograph (painted)? And what is the image of?

Marcy, Camp Counselor: . . . . Tue, Nov 30, 1:42PM PST (-0800 GMT)
Prehistoric pottery is very rare in California, but has been found at Joshua Tree National Park(JTNP). What type of ancient pottery does this button show you, and what do you think it was used for ?

Marcy, Camp Counselor: . . . . Tue, Nov 30, 1:43PM PST (-0800 GMT)
The Desert Queen Ranch is a historic site in JTNP. Click on this button to learn about the ranch. Where was the man from who homesteaded the ranch ? how did he come by his homestead rights ? What was the site used for before he began to homestead it ? And how many children grew up and were schooled there in a one room school house ?

Marcy, Camp Counselor: . . . . Tue, Nov 30, 1:43PM PST (-0800 GMT)
There are five desert oases in JTNP – what grows around them ? Where do you think the water comes from ? button

Marcy, Camp Counselor: . . . . Tue, Nov 30, 1:43PM PST (-0800 GMT)
Last clue : Name these four animals that live at JTNP – which is a mammal, a bird, a reptile, or an arachnid ? button

Timothy - Camp: . . . . Tue, Nov 30, 4:07PM PST (-0800 GMT)
An important part of every week at Camp Internet is the Expedition Briefings which go out to teachers in both the Channel Islands and BackCountry units. Take a minute to review the excellent resources in the Briefing Center for each expedition. button will take you to the Channel History Briefing Center. button will take you to the BackCountry Expedition Briefings.

Brian Bartlett: . . . . Tue, Nov 30, 4:19PM PST (-0800 GMT)
Hi Marcy and Timothy, I am here in Fontana with Ron and a bunch of Camp Outpost leaders. We just finished playing with the GPS units, and are now back inside for the open house.

: . . . . Tue, Nov 30, 4:22PM PST (-0800 GMT)
Hi, Marcy ... Ken Decroo ... we are ready to do some dig...

Brian Bartlett: . . . . Tue, Nov 30, 4:24PM PST (-0800 GMT)
Does anyone know why they are Joshua trees? My 4th graders have asled me several times, and I really don't know for sure

Marcy, Camp Internet Counselor: . . . . Tue, Nov 30, 4:41PM PST (-0800 GMT)
Hi folks - glad you are getting into the open house tonight .. we have invited a Joshua Trees ranger to join us for the session tonight, and if she is late, she will see whatever you post, so please ask away .. and enjoy the Internet Dig up above by typing a large number in the scroll back box, click the chat button, and you can get back to the Internet Dig questions ....

Timothy - Camp: . . . . Tue, Nov 30, 4:41PM PST (-0800 GMT)
Remember to use the Scroll Back box to go upto the top of the Chat to begin the Desert Dig at Joshua Tree National Park and then start entering your answers here.

Marcy, Camp Internet Counselor: . . . . Tue, Nov 30, 4:51PM PST (-0800 GMT)
Hi folks - glad you are getting into the open house tonight .. we have invited a Joshua Trees ranger to join us for the session tonight, and if she is late, she will see whatever you post, so please ask away .. and enjoy the Internet Dig up above by typing a large number in the scroll back box, click the chat button, and you can get back to the Internet Dig questions ....

Marcy, Camp Internet Counselor: . . . . Tue, Nov 30, 4:51PM PST (-0800 GMT)
Timothy - please check you email for a GPS message ...

: . . . . Tue, Nov 30, 4:57PM PST (-0800 GMT)
Hi Marcy, Ranger Lorna is on-line!

Marcy, Camp Internet Counselor: . . . . Tue, Nov 30, 5:02PM PST (-0800 GMT)
Hi Lorna - the first question above is a great one - why is a Joshua tree called a Joshua tree ?

Marcy, Camp Internet Counselor: . . . . Tue, Nov 30, 5:03PM PST (-0800 GMT)
One of our strong study areas is rock art - we have been studying Chumash and the Coso Range sites - what is there to see at JTNP ?

: . . . . Tue, Nov 30, 5:04PM PST (-0800 GMT)
The Joshua Tree was named by Mormon settlers traveling across the desert area. They saw a funny looking tree/plant that looked like the prophet Joshua from the Bible. They believed it was telling them that they had found their homeland.

Lorraine, SB Library: . . . . Tue, Nov 30, 5:05PM PST (-0800 GMT)
We read there was a river in Joshu trees like 10,000 yrs ago - and that lots of native people lived there. What have you found that proves this ?

: . . . . Tue, Nov 30, 5:06PM PST (-0800 GMT)
There are a variety of rock art, mortors, pestals, manos, and other rock grinding tools to see in the park. The best site is at Barker Dam. The rock art site here was damaged by Disney. Several of the filming crew saw it and wanted to make it noticable in the filming. To do this, they painted over the original rock art, destroying it. This happened in the 70s. Disney was fined several thousand dollars.

Edward,Ventura College: . . . . Tue, Nov 30, 5:07PM PST (-0800 GMT)
What time of year are there flowers in the desert ? does it happen every year ?

Banana: . . . . Tue, Nov 30, 5:07PM PST (-0800 GMT)
Joshua tree is found 140 miles east of Los Angeles.

Edward,Ventura College: . . . . Tue, Nov 30, 5:08PM PST (-0800 GMT)
What films has Disney made in the park ? Any Zorro ?

Mrs. Harrison, Lemon Elementary: . . . . Tue, Nov 30, 5:09PM PST (-0800 GMT)
What is the hottest recorded temperature in the park ?

: . . . . Tue, Nov 30, 5:09PM PST (-0800 GMT)
This would have been the Pinto Culture named for the Pinto Basin region of the park. The Campbells in the 1930s found several spear points and other tools along with prehistoric animal bones. The theories about the river comes from the layers of sediments in the basin area. They have been compared to other places which has helped to give an approximate time line.

: . . . . Tue, Nov 30, 5:10PM PST (-0800 GMT)
Which Native American tribes have lived in the Joshua Tree area?

: . . . . Tue, Nov 30, 5:11PM PST (-0800 GMT)
The film that Disney did at Barker Dam was Chico the Coyote. There was one starring Bill Keys from the Desert Queen Ranch about a burro. I'm sure that they have done others. The hottest temperature in the park at 29 Palms was 118 F. The basin area was probably hotter, but we don't have gauges there to measure.

Sandy: . . . . Tue, Nov 30, 5:11PM PST (-0800 GMT)
The ancient pottery found at JTNP is called ollas. I think they may have been used for storing water.

: . . . . Tue, Nov 30, 5:12PM PST (-0800 GMT)
American Indian tribes that lived in Joshua Tree would have been the Cahuilla (the powerful ones), Serrano (the mountain people), and Chemehuevi (the timid ones).

Lorraine, SB Library: . . . . Tue, Nov 30, 5:13PM PST (-0800 GMT)
In using the Camp Internet program we are seeing that life was very different 10,000 years ago - the Coso area (now desert) was grassy with lots of game .. the Channel Island were much wetter with Ironwood forests ... have you found plant fossils at the park that tell you about life 10,000 years ago - and any much older fossils - like dinosaurs or saber tooth cats ?

Ranger Lorna: . . . . Tue, Nov 30, 5:14PM PST (-0800 GMT)
The ollas were also used to storage food. Several have been found in the park with acorns, pine nuts and other food sources still in them.

Banana: . . . . Tue, Nov 30, 5:14PM PST (-0800 GMT)
the Ocotillo and the cholla cactus are two plants that grow in Joshua Tree. The Ocotillo has tall thin-like arms with red flowers. The Cholla cactus has puffy needles with much fuller branches. This is cool.

: . . . . Tue, Nov 30, 5:14PM PST (-0800 GMT)
How long has Joshua Tree been a desert?

Marcy, Camp Internet Counselor: . . . . Tue, Nov 30, 5:15PM PST (-0800 GMT)
Sandy - you are right about the ollas - if you look at their necks, they are very narrow to prevent evaporation .... the pottery skills were probably learned from the pueblos to the east and the tribes along the Colorado River.

Ranger Lorna: . . . . Tue, Nov 30, 5:16PM PST (-0800 GMT)
Several saber tooth cats, camals, giant beavers, gaint ground sloths and other bones have been found. Some plant life has also been discovered. We don't have any dinosaurs bones though. This was simular to a semi-tropical rainforest 10,000 years ago. One major change was the creosote bush which arrived from South American 10,000 years.

: . . . . Tue, Nov 30, 5:17PM PST (-0800 GMT)
How fast do joshua trees grow?

Ranger Lorna: . . . . Tue, Nov 30, 5:18PM PST (-0800 GMT)
Starting about 10,000 years ago, the area started to change. The creosote bush flourished. The change started, but it was slow.

Marcy, Camp Internet Counselor: . . . . Tue, Nov 30, 5:18PM PST (-0800 GMT)
Lorna - what are those great rock formation in the Park made out of ? The Santa Barbara area has some sandstone that is similar but not in such regular shapes ...

: . . . . Tue, Nov 30, 5:18PM PST (-0800 GMT)
How many other places are joshua trees found in?

Ranger Lorna: . . . . Tue, Nov 30, 5:19PM PST (-0800 GMT)
Joshua Trees grow very slow. After about ten years, they grow about an inch per year. This can change based on the weather and other conditions. They are a slow growing plant. The last 2 years has really helped us to understand the Joshua Tree better.

: . . . . Tue, Nov 30, 5:20PM PST (-0800 GMT)
What were the main food sources for the Native Americans in that area?

Ranger Lorna: . . . . Tue, Nov 30, 5:21PM PST (-0800 GMT)
First, the Joshua Tree is found only in the MOjave Desert region which includes parts of California, most of Nevada, northern Arizona and southwestern Utah. THe rocks at Joshua Tree are monozogranite. They are not sandstone put an igenous rock formed underground.

Ranger Lorna: . . . . Tue, Nov 30, 5:23PM PST (-0800 GMT)
The American Indians of the desert lived off the plants and animals in the area. Plants sources would have been the nuts or fruits of the Fan Palm, Pinyon Pine Tree, Mesiquite bush, Joshua Tree seeds, Mojave Yucca seeds. Among many others. The animals would have been mule deer, bighorn sheep, jackrabbit, cottontail rabbit,lizards, snakes, etc. A favorite was the chuckwalla.

: . . . . Tue, Nov 30, 5:23PM PST (-0800 GMT)
How old are those igneous rocks? Are they igneous?

Paradise Home School: . . . . Tue, Nov 30, 5:24PM PST (-0800 GMT)
TO: Range Lorna - Is there much impact today on the Joshua Tree area from southern california urban area like L.A.? Is there a plan in place to take into account increased visitor numbers, etc.

: . . . . Tue, Nov 30, 5:24PM PST (-0800 GMT)
Are there many coyotes there?

: . . . . Tue, Nov 30, 5:25PM PST (-0800 GMT)
Are the rocks granitic?

Ranger Lorna: . . . . Tue, Nov 30, 5:26PM PST (-0800 GMT)
They were formed about 100 million years ago underground. As the ocean crust was pushed under, molton lava was pushed up and it cooled forming the rock we have today. The light colored rock. THe ground above was eroded away, leaving us with the monozogranite.

Ranger Lorna: . . . . Tue, Nov 30, 5:29PM PST (-0800 GMT)
There is a huge amount of impact from the LA, San Bernardino, Riverside area. We have the worst air quality of all national park in the US. It comes through the Banning pass and cooks in the park. As for limiting number of visitors, the new backcountry management plan only limits the number in a group to go into the backcountry and wilderness areas. There are areas that are impacted by visitors not staying on the trail and we are working on ways to decrease this.

Ranger Lorna: . . . . Tue, Nov 30, 5:31PM PST (-0800 GMT)
As to coyotes, we have a good number of coyotes in the park. Several have bad behavior due to people feeding them. They beg for food along side the rock. 5 have been hit by cars in the last year and a half. The beggers are not healthy. They are skinny, very dark, and very slow moving.

Ranger Lorna: . . . . Tue, Nov 30, 5:36PM PST (-0800 GMT)
Anymore questions?

Timothy - Camp: . . . . Tue, Nov 30, 5:37PM PST (-0800 GMT)
Ranger Lorna - from your description of the environmental impacts on the Park it seems 'Virtual' visits will be of great value in the future. Does the Park, in planning for the future, take into account making visiting the park on-line more possible?

Ranger Lorna: . . . . Tue, Nov 30, 5:39PM PST (-0800 GMT)
We are looking at! As park people, we would love to have people visit the real thing, but we understand that this may not be possible. We are looking at doing a "real time" photo at Keys View to see the visability or lack of.

Timothy - Camp: . . . . Tue, Nov 30, 5:47PM PST (-0800 GMT)
Ranger Lorna: Thank you for an excellent chat tonight. When Camp Internet makes it's Expedition to the Park this spring we'll gather some excellent digital video and create photo Expedtion Field Journals that we can share with you.