As cuts hit national parks, Joshua Tree is still scarred from 2019

State of play: In southern California — where six rangers were fired from Joshua Tree National Park, sparking protests — the risks for natural spaces and the importance of a "leave no trace" ethos are not abstract.

• In 2019, a partial government shutdown left a skeleton crew of workers in Joshua Tree, vandals and foolish guests caused destruction in the park that experts expect to take centuries to regrow.
• Some of the park's namesake trees were destroyed, and off-road vehicles carved new roads through the desert.

Between the lines: March and April are the busiest time of year in Joshua Tree.

What's next: Evelynn Escobar, founder and executive director of the nonprofit Hike Clerb, said on Instagram that visitors now need to ask themselves "what would a ranger do?"

The bottom line: "The degree to which the public can equip themselves to be stewards of the parks is going to make a huge difference," said Mark Eller, a spokesman for Leave No Trace, a nonprofit that promotes environmental stewardship.