Here's how Joshua Tree stewards deal with constant vandalism

You’ve probably heard the phrase “leave no trace” when you’re camping or hiking, but lots of people visiting Joshua Tree must’ve missed the memo.

Graffiti and vandalism regularly pop up across the national park — on signs, rocks, campsites, and trees — but coordinating the clean-up can take time and a whole team of people.

Anna Tegarden, who manages Joshua Tree National Park’s science and geographic information systems, told LAist that while they have a lot of staff keeping an eye out for chalk, nail polish, and even ketchup-based designs, they need the public’s help protecting the more than 795,000 acres of natural space.

“These lands are not only for us, but they are for our future generations, and we would like for them to be in the same pristine, as close to pristine, condition that we see them in, and we try to keep them in,” she said.

Keeping the desert clean

People have used acrylic paint, stickers, and charcoal to vandalize the park, but Tegarden said spray paint is the most common offender.

A black-and-white face spray painted across several rocks in Joshua Tree National Park.

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Anna Tegarden

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Joshua Tree National Park

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If a parking lot, road sign, or other modern infrastructure is targeted, it can be cleaned up almost immediately by trail teams, but it gets more complicated with vegetation or historical structures.

“If it is on anything other than something modern, it does have to go through cultural [teams] to make sure that there's no concerns from a cultural aspect, and that can take some time,” she said.

If they’re not concerned about cleaning off a specific spray painted rock, volunteers and trained staff will suit up in full protective gear armed with wire brushes and “elephant snot” to paint over the markings.

And yes, Tegarden said the suits are as hot as they look under the summer sun.

“[Elephant snot] reacts with the paint on the rock and it starts to bubble, and it does that best when it's warmer,” she said. “So it's easier to clean up when it's warmer, it kind of sucks for the people cleaning it up.”

How the park keeps track

Joshua Tree National Park uses a database with several different attributes and metrics that helps staff map out the vandalism and prioritize their response.

For example, if a 5-foot-tall piece of graffiti is bringing in a lot of reports from visitors, that’s going to get bumped up to a higher priority. But if it's a mile out into the backcountry and way off trail, it will be a lower priority.

Volunteers or trained staff tasked with cleaning up spray paint around Joshua Tree National Park start off by using wire brushes and "elephant snot" to paint over the markings.

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Anna Tegarden

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Joshua Tree National Park

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Volunteers or trained staff cleaning off graffiti from rocks in Joshua Tree National Park with "elephant snot," wire brushes, and full suits of personal protective equipment.

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Anna Tegarden

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Joshua Tree National Park

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Each year, the park averages 250 reports of vandalism. So far this year, there have been about 113 vandalism reports.

Areas near campgrounds are where more than 86% of vandalism occurs, Tegarden noted.

Authorities are also able to increase patrols in those areas to stop vandalism in its tracks, but it also helps crews plan out the best way of cleaning up.

“If you don't clean it up quickly, more graffiti starts occurring,” Tegarden said. “Graffiti begets more graffiti.”

How you can help

You can help Joshua Tree keep its natural beauty by reporting vandalism to jotr_graffiti@nps.gov.

People have used stickers, nail polish, and even ketchup to vandalize the park, but spray paint is the most common offender.

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Anna Tegarden

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Joshua Tree National Park

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“Report it as soon as possible, and I realize most of the park has no cell phone [service], but as soon as you're going through an entrance station, you can talk to them, they can take the report and send it in,” Tegarden said.

Taking pictures is really helpful, she added, especially if you have the location turned on your phone so officials can pull more information from the metadata.

The park also puts on events for volunteer “Graffiti Busters,” which Tegarden said people can find more information on here or here.