The Joshua tree is now protected

A federal court in Los Angeles ruled that the Joshua tree, in the National Park, California, must be listed as a threatened species and be protected against climate change. Protection for the Joshua tree follows the huge fire that killed an estimated 1.3 million Joshua trees in the Mojave National Preserve last May. The name of the tree comes from its shape that reminds the Bible story in which Joshua reaches his hands up to the sky in prayer.  Photo by Casey Kiernan