Marcy, Camp Internet: . . . . Thu, Jan 25, 8:08PM PST (-0800 GMT)
The Camp counselors usually online with this project are out in the field today celebrating the opening of the new RAIN INTERNET BUS !! and will try to log in from the bus if possible........ We are testing a new solar powered, cellular/satellite computer network so let's see if we make it online ! ............ We ask the teachers guiding the students in the chat room today to help them focus on asking good, interesting questions ... and Ranger Lorna - in addition to providing your always great answers - please feel free to ask the students what they know about desert life.

Ranger Lorna: . . . . Fri, Jan 26, 9:06AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Hi Camp Internet students. This is Ranger Lorna from Joshua Tree National park

Ranger Lorna: . . . . Fri, Jan 26, 9:08AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Marcy, I saw that you were mentioning solar power today for your bus. Joshua Tree using solar power on several things at the park!

Ranger Lorna: . . . . Fri, Jan 26, 9:11AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Students, how do you think that peopleof the past who lived in the desert used the sun?

Ranger Lorna: . . . . Fri, Jan 26, 9:17AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Joshua Tree National Park has been used by humans for almost 10,000 years. The first group to live within our area was the Pinto Culture. Our desert looked very different than it does today!

Valley View: . . . . Fri, Jan 26, 9:24AM PST (-0800 GMT)
They used the sun to tell time and the seasons.

Ranger Lorna: . . . . Fri, Jan 26, 9:25AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Thats right! They did. They also used the sun to dry there foods!

Valley View: . . . . Fri, Jan 26, 9:26AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Did they hang the food to dry it?

Valley View: . . . . Fri, Jan 26, 9:27AM PST (-0800 GMT)
What kind of foods did they dry?

Ranger Lorna: . . . . Fri, Jan 26, 9:28AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Sometimes they put it on drying racks. Other times the laid it on the a rock. They would have to turn it over every few hours so it didn't rot. They also had to stay close by to chase off the animals looking for a free meal!

Ranger Lorna: . . . . Fri, Jan 26, 9:29AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Some of the foods they dried would be meat from animals, berries, fruits, and plant fibers like yucca leaves that they used for weaving.

Valley View: . . . . Fri, Jan 26, 9:30AM PST (-0800 GMT)
What did they use for shelter? What were their main foods? What did they use for clothing?

Ranger Lorna: . . . . Fri, Jan 26, 9:35AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Shelter - The Cahuilla used wooden poles with leaves and bushes piled on top to create a upside down bowl house that they called a kish. This could be easily taken down when they moved. Sometimes they used rock shelters. Main Foods - They used alot of desert plants for food like the pinyon pine, honey mesquite, scrub oak, Mojave yucca, and many others. They also killed animals like the rabbit, insects, deer, bighorn sheep. Clothing - They used the skins of animals sometimes like making a blanket out of rabbit fur. They used alot of plant fibers like the Mojave Yucca and Parry Nolina to weave for clothing!

Ranger Lorna: . . . . Fri, Jan 26, 9:36AM PST (-0800 GMT)
The American Indians of the desert had to learn how to survive with what was available. They used the resources (things like plants and animals) wisely.

Valley View: . . . . Fri, Jan 26, 9:37AM PST (-0800 GMT)
We have to go. Thanks for answering our questions. To everyone: enjoy the chat. Mr. Jones and Room 27

Ranger Lorna: . . . . Fri, Jan 26, 9:38AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Thanks for joining in!

Ranger Lorna: . . . . Fri, Jan 26, 9:40AM PST (-0800 GMT)
For anyone else out there, the mesquite bush, the pinyon pine, and the scrub oak were the most important plant food items to the desert Indians! Does anyone know the names of the desert Indians that called Joshua Tree National Park home?

Ranger Lorna: . . . . Fri, Jan 26, 9:45AM PST (-0800 GMT)
The three groups were: the Cahuilla known as the powerful ones: the Chemehuevi known as the timid ones because of the were peaceful: the Serrano known as the mountain people. They came from the Mission Indians that ran away from the Spanish Mission and escaped to the mountains.

: . . . . Fri, Jan 26, 10:06AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Seneyda,alexis Jan/26/01 did somebody land on pluto

Ranger Lorna: . . . . Fri, Jan 26, 10:08AM PST (-0800 GMT)
No we are talking about the American Indians that called Joshua Tree National Park their home!

Ranger Lorna: . . . . Fri, Jan 26, 10:13AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Just the other day, I learned an interesting fact about the Cahuilla and their rabbit blankets. Rabbit fur tears very easily. The Cahuilla would take a strong fiber and wrap the fur around the fiber in strips. Then each of the long fiber strips, they would sow together to create a blanket! Pretty neat stuff!

: . . . . Fri, Jan 26, 10:16AM PST (-0800 GMT)
What happens to the cactus when it snows in the desert?Gibran Haro,Brenda Rangel,Marlyn Delatorre

Ranger Lorna: . . . . Fri, Jan 26, 10:21AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Snow turns into water which the cactus can absorb when it melts. Snow is not uncommon in the desert. We had several inches last week that last a couple of days. What most people don't know about cactus is that is it native to the western hemisphere and is native to every state in the US except from New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine. There are cactus found in very cold places like Alaska! It is not just a desert Plant.

Marcy: . . . . Fri, Jan 26, 10:27AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Greetings - we are live by cell nd satellite using solar power on the RAIN Internet Bus - this is great !!!!

Lois Capps: . . . . Fri, Jan 26, 10:31AM PST (-0800 GMT)
What is the weather like today? And When will the flowers begin to bloom?

Ranger Lorna: . . . . Fri, Jan 26, 10:31AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Marcy, Welcome aboard! It's been very quiet! I think the students are being desert mice today!

Ranger Lorna: . . . . Fri, Jan 26, 10:33AM PST (-0800 GMT)
It is partly cloudy today at Joshua Tree! We are expecting rain today, maybe snow! This will be good for flowers. If we don't get fall and winter rains, we won't have very many flowers. This years we are above average in rainfall. The flowers should be good but everything is late this year. Flowers should start in late Mar and go through late May.

Valley View: . . . . Fri, Jan 26, 10:49AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Valley View is back. Is anyone else online?

Valley View: . . . . Fri, Jan 26, 10:51AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Marcy, how is the van working? Are you connnected to the chat?

Ranger Lorna: . . . . Fri, Jan 26, 10:51AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Hey Valley View, welcome back!

Valley View: . . . . Fri, Jan 26, 10:52AM PST (-0800 GMT)
In Coachella, we are covered in clouds, but don't know if we will get rain.

Valley View: . . . . Fri, Jan 26, 10:54AM PST (-0800 GMT)
It is cold today.

Ranger Lorna: . . . . Fri, Jan 26, 10:55AM PST (-0800 GMT)
It is very cold in Yucca Valley at my office! It's about 42 degrees! BRRRRRRRR

Valley View: . . . . Fri, Jan 26, 10:55AM PST (-0800 GMT)
I guess if it is just Lorna and us, we will leave and take our math test.

Ranger Lorna: . . . . Fri, Jan 26, 10:56AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Good luck on your math test! Take care! And since it's almost 11, Ranger Lorna will also sign off! Great chatting with you Valley View and others!

Mr. Bartlett: . . . . Fri, Jan 26, 11:48AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Sorry we missed you. We had a great visit from Ranger Lorna last year.