On an April Sunday morning, sleep-deprived students in Professor Donal O’Sullivan’s Questions of Civilization class boarded a bus for Joshua Tree National Park. The purpose of the trip, funded by the dean of students office and The Benjamin Z. Gould Center for Humanistic Studies, was to provide greater insight into the desert environment, and Native Americans and their adaptations to this unique habitat. Due to the early hour, most of us were somewhat less than optimistic about the prospects of actually achieving these lofty goals.

Fortunately, however, the two instructors provided by the Desert Institute were equal to the task. The Desert Institute is an educational nonprofit organization that gives courses in desert survival and natural history, some of which are available for college credit. The course taken by O’Sullivan’s class was, luckily, not for credit. This did not in any way diminish the effective job done by Lynde Phillips and William Pink. Pink, a Native American of the Pala tribe from San Diego County, was able to offer much information. Being a teacher of ethnobotany, in addition to having served on the California Desert Conservation Advisory Committee, made him a veritable fountain of knowledge for the thirsty students. Phillips, an instructor of desert survival, competently guided the group through the park, managing to safely return every last student to the bus.

Upon arrival at the visitor’s center we were greeted by these two accomplished teachers. Pink proceeded to give a presentation concerning Native Americans of California and their role in managing the regional environment. Despite an arguably groggy and somewhat unconscious audience, he managed to convey the importance of Native Americans in managing the California environment, especially before the arrival of the Spanish and European diseases devastating to Native populations. The presentation also included an engaging slide show, featuring desert flora and Native American petroglyphs. In the process we learned many useful facts, such as which plants to eat when lost in the desert and how to distinguish them from other potentially lethal alternatives. The diversity of plant life in the desert was astonishing to us all.

After this and a brief lunch, a group of more awake and aware students re-boarded the bus to head into the actual park. On the way, brief stops were made at an Indian burial ground, as well as the local reservation. As Pink pointed out, only the most useless, barren land had been allotted to the Native Americans. Even by the standards of a desert, this land was dry and unproductive.

Shortly afterward we reached Joshua Tree National Park. Following Phillips along a trail, the group was exposed to the very plants we had learned about earlier. As we continued along the trail, both Pink and Phillips continued to give us lessons in desert ecology and survival, as well as in the history of the park. For instance, if lost in the desert, walk at night to conserve water. Additionally, if you are short of water, you can follow the coyotes, that sometimes dig more than 20 feet in order to reach water. Enough similar insights were shared that, should any of the students in the group ever become lost in the desert, they would be sure to survive at least a day.

This portion of the trip, however, was about far more than simply walking along a trail and seeing various cacti. The breathtaking views along the trail were something we had been waiting to see all day. The mounds of boulders, formed by eons of molten rock oozing to the earth’s surface, was a unique backdrop to the equally unique spaces occupied by the Joshua Trees. The park is filled with vantage points offering spectacular panoramas. We were fortunate enough to have visited on a day of exemplary Southern California weather: sunny and cloudless and not too hot, making the experience even more enjoyable. The half hour of free time afforded to us in the park was undoubtedly the most enjoyable of the entire day. Having appeased our need to explore the park and all its beauties, we slowly made our way back to the bus.

We all made it back without injury or incident, thanks to our instructors and the vigilance of our teacher. The trip was an invaluable educational experience, but it was also an opportunity to visit one of the most visually stunning areas in the United States. Despite the more than one million tourists who visit the park annually, the natural environment is well maintained. Thus, applying one of the lessons of the day, we left no trace of our visit as we departed, tired once again, and returned to CMC.

Students in visiting assistant professor of history Donal O'Sullivan's Questions of Civilization class took a recent field trip to Joshua Tree National Park to better understand the desert environment and its Native American habitat. The trip was sponsored by the dean of students office and The Benjamin Z. Gould Center for Humanistic Studies.

Students (including Lukas Hamada, far right, kneeling) in a cave lined with Native American petroglyphs.

The national park's namesake, against a perfect, turquoise sky.

Students enjoying the desert oasis.