
Joshua Tree National Park
Joshua Tree National Park has a variety of meanings to the diverse groups who visit it. It is a place to reconnect with nature, push their boundaries, experience history, find inspiration, discover the night sky, and create memories. For those who choose to attend this field trip, these will all be available options! With the help of Joshua Tree’s interpretive operations branch, education team, communications branch, and park partners such as the Joshua Tree National Park Association, Sky’s the Limit, and JTLAB you will be introduced to all of the wonderful people involved in making Joshua Tree special for those visiting in person or virtually.
This six-hour field trip experience will provide conference attendees a variety of options to split off and investigate the topics that interest them. Attendees will have the choice to participate in interpretive tours of the park and historic sites for their preferred difficulty level, strenuous scrambles through the boulders, examples of virtual and in person education programs, presentations and discussions on park partnerships, and examples of the unique and diverse ways Joshua Tree is interacting with it’s visitors, and more. The trip will then end with a whole group experience of the dark night skies of the desert. This trip will be a chance for conference attendees to find their own special connections to the magical experience that is Joshua Tree National Park.
Bus departs the Westin Mission Hills at 11:00 am and returns at 8:00 pm
Bring a jacket or wear layers for cooler evening temperatures. Closed-toed shoes are a must, and hiking boots are highly encouraged for those who want to participate in rock scrambling and more strenuous hiking. Don’t forget sun protection such as hats, sunscreen, and sunglasses. Your own water bottle is a must as water stations are not available inside the national park. ADA accommodations available with advance notice.
COST: $100 (includes transportation, lunch, light dinner, and park entrance fee )
Minimum participants: 40
Maximum participants 150