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Joshua Tree National Park Looking For Some Volunteers Who Can "Cut The Mustard"

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Sahara mustard alongside Interstate 10 in California. Photo from Federal Highway Administration.

Joshua Tree National Park is looking for some volunteers to help with the fight against non-native weeds that are creating a host of problems, and one project requires some folks who are able to both cut--and pull--the mustard. Events set for April 4 and 11 will target Sahara mustard plants.

According to a park spokesperson, "Late winter and early spring are typically the times when the desert starts to show off its colorful wildflower blooms. In recent years the profusion of yellow blossoms along park roads has often included outbreaks of exotic Sahara mustard. Sahara mustard is a non-native plant capable of crowding out native Mojave Desert annuals and creating increased fuel loads and fire danger in local vegetation."

This non-native weed is invading Joshua Tree National Park and surrounding communities, and it has the potential to do lasting harm to the native desert ecosystem. This rapidly spreading annual mustard is most successfully controlled by manually pulling plants before they are able to spread seeds across the desert landscape.  

Many of us wouldn't recognize a Sahara mustard plant, so for some photos and more information about the problems created by this pest, check out the information on the Morongo Basin Conservation Association website.

Problems with the plants aren't limited to southern California--they are also an issue in parts of Nevada. If you see Sahara mustard on your property, you are asked to remove the entire plant including root, blossoms and seeds. You'll find some tips on the best, and safest, ways to do so at this link

On the first two Saturdays in April, projects to remove the plants before they can go to seed will be concentrated in the Pinto Basin of Joshua Tree National Park. Volunteers will meet at 8 a.m. at the Oasis Visitor Center, 74485 National Park Drive in Twentynine Palms, California.

Participants need to bring water, snacks, hats, and sunscreen. Tools and gloves will be provided by the park.

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