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This Instagrammer is unapologetically shaming people into protecting California's Joshua Trees.

This Instagrammer is unapologetically shaming people into protecting California's Joshua Trees.
Photo by Diego Delso / Wikimedia Commons

Joshua Tree National Park, an 800,000-acre nature preserve located about 130 miles east of Los Angeles, made news earlier this year as a victim of the 35-day government shutdown.

During the shutdown, many of the park rangers and staff were furloughed, leaving a large portion of the sprawling park unattended. This opened the pristine landscape to vandalism, camp fires, and illegal off-roading.

A few of the park’s iconic Joshua trees were destroyed during the shutdown as well.

Even though the shutdown is over and the park is fully staffed, the massive reserve is still susceptible to damage created by its visitors and their pets.

The park's namesake are its spiky trees with whirling branches that resemble vegetation in a Dr. Suess book. Joshua Trees can live to about 150 years, but some of the park’s largest trees may be much older.

Although they are called trees, the Joshuas are actually succulents with shallow root systems, so they're easily be damaged by people climbing, hanging, or pulling yoga poses on their limbs.

To help preserve the National Park’s fragile desert environment, an Instagmmer by the name of @JohsuaTreeHatesYou (JTHY) has been calling out tourists who disrespect the park rules via the “gospel of shame.”

JTHY’s favorite targets are tourists striking yoga poses while trampling on the delicate landscape in an attempt to spirituality signal their way into Instagram likes.

"Gone are the days of climbers and hikers who are familiar with nature and experience it to get away from the world, and without leaving a footprint," the anonymous Instagrammer told Upworthy via email.

"This new era of tourists come for the fashion show and Instagram likes," they continued. "They couldn't care less about destroying the place they claim to have had a 'magical' experience" in."

Although some may disagree with JTHY’s condescending, aggressive tone, we can all agree the Instagrammer is doing right by calling attention to the importance of preserving this delicate ecosystem.

After dutifully shaming Instagrammers for their photos in the comments section, JTHY will often educate them on the Joshua Tree:

Yucca brevifolia is a plant species belonging to the genus Yucca. It is tree-like in habit, which is reflected in its common names: Joshua tree, Yucca Palm, Tree Yucca, and Palm Tree Yucca.

Joshua Trees only grow in one place on Earth- the Mojave Desert (southeast California, Nevada, Utah and Arizona.) The root system of a Joshua tree is incredibly shallow. Repeated abuse by tourists, (over three million visitors a year,) is slowly causing their demise, bringing them closer to being added to the endangered list. Joshua trees take roughly 60 years to mature, and can live up to 500+ years! The trunk consists of thousands of small fibers, and lacks annual growth rings. Its top-heavy weight is a recipe for disaster due to its shallow roots.

Hanging, climbing, sitting, swinging, standing, leaning, touching, hugging, supporting your yoga poses, hanging hammocks (or anything else,) on these PROTECTED succulents- (Joshua trees are not actually trees,) are all violations of County and City law…Not to mention incredibly dangerous for the Joshua trees themselves. Any sort of weight or pressure on the branch of a Joshua tree can cause it to break or fall over completely. See a dead one? Leave that alone as well. Dead trees become habitats for local wildlife whether they are still standing or on the ground.

Please be mindful and refrain from contributing to their extinction - you are NOT the ONLY person thinking it may be a “good idea” to use a Joshua tree as an Instagram photo prop!

Here are just a few of JTH's posts along with their comments.

"Just get over yourself already. A protected plant is actually more important than your Instagram likes... Smh. The fuck is wrong with people. "

[rebelmouse-image 19345984 dam="1" original_size="467x519" caption="via JoshuaTreeHatesYou / Instagram" expand=1]via JoshuaTreeHatesYou / Instagram

Well at least we know who's responsible.... For deleting comments instead of their dumb photo.

via JoshuaTreeHatesYou / Instagram

Anyone want to gift this lady a scholarship to Zoolander's School for Kids who can't read good? I'll never understand assholes like these...

via JoshuaTreeHatesYou / Instagram

Submitted by a loyal follower, and simply hysterical.

via JoshuaTreeHatesYou / Instagram

Oh... You know... Just throwing hatchets at Joshua Trees.

via JoshuaTreeHatesYou / Instagram

Actions such as hanging from branches, climbing, sitting on branches, leaning on branches, supporting your yoga poses on trunks, hanging hammocks from branches, and standing on these PROTECTED trees are all things that are incredibly dangerous for them. They are in fact, a succulent- not a tree. Their roots are shallow, and repeated abuse by tourists, dangered list, which is why they are PROTECTED BY LAW.

via JoshuaTreeHatesYou / Instagram

Dead or alive, we prefer to have our trees standing if possible. It looks pretty, others can enjoy it, and animals can continue to use it as their habitat and as a safe place away from predators. If you want to claim something, learn to rock climb. There are plenty of organizations and guides that will help you on your journey.

via JoshuaTreeHatesYou / Instagram

Joshua Tree National Park is not here for you to have a 30 second "spiritual experience" while posing for an Instagram photo. Protected wildlife is not there as a photo prop. You can't handle this, then please venture elsewhere. The desert deserves better.

via JoshuaTreeHatesYou / Instagram

When your soul is darker than a black steer's tuckus on a moonless prairie night. Actions such as hanging from branches, climbing, sitting on branches, leaning on branches, supporting your yoga poses on trunks, hanging hammocks from branches, and standing on these PROTECTED trees are all things that are incredibly dangerous for them.

via JoshuaTreeHatesYou / Instagram

Please don't dump paint all over the rocks.

via JoshuaTreeHatesYou / Instagram

@subaru_usa pulling a @reebokclassics and using Joshua Tree abuse to promote their product. Did you have a permit to film? No. A ranger would not have let. This happen.

via JoshuaTreeHatesYou / Instagram

Pretty much over this whole "I abuse Joshua Trees because it's Christmas" bs.

via JoshuaTreeHatesYou / Instagram

Work on your balance, don't endanger a Joshua Tree. SO tired of these cliché tourist photos. Smh.

via JoshuaTreeHatesYou / Instagram

Karen A. and Karen B. seem to think that posing on Joshua Trees is cool. You suck, Karens. Most of the submissions we receive are like this--copycat "models" doing anything for Instagram likes. The is a national park, respect it, you fucking plebs.

via JoshuaTreeHatesYou / Instagram

Shout out to @what.joshua.trees.think for this amazing post

via JoshuaTreeHatesYou / Instagram

Please don't litter in #jtnp, there are designated trash receptacles available in multiple campgrounds. Keep your #trash off our trees.

via JoshuaTreeHatesYou / Instagram

Posts that make their way to the feed come only after multiple attempts to inform the "park violator" of their misdeeds.

"Before any post is made, featuring a park or Joshua Tree violation, we make multiple attempts at polite education," JTHY told Upworthy. "If they STILL refuse to be educated, delete comments and block people, then their photo is captioned and posted. The entire goal is to get them to delete their post before it comes to this."

JTHY's game of Instagram whack-a-mole is important because every time someone posts a photo of themselves hurting the national park's natural landscape it's like pouring gasoline on a fire.

"Destroying Joshua Trees out of ignorance has become an Instagram craze and an enormous problem," JTHY told Upworthy. "It's quite literally an Instagram fad to take a photos while hanging and/or climbing on Joshua Trees. So if that post stays up, more people see it, and the fad continues to perpetuate itself."

[rebelmouse-image 19346000 dam="1" original_size="924x568" caption="via Jessie Eastland / Wikimedia Commons" expand=1]via Jessie Eastland / Wikimedia Commons

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Race & Ethnicity

Woman's rare antique turned away from 'Antique Roadshow' for heart-wrenching reason

"I just love you for bringing it in and thank you so much for making me so sad."

Photos by Murat Rahim Caglak and Antoni Shkraba via Canva

Woman's antique turned away from 'Antique Roadshow'

People come by things in all sorts of ways. Sometimes you find something while at a garage sale and sometimes it's because a family member passed away and it was left to them. After coming into possession of the item, the owner may be tempted to see how much it's worth so it can be documented for insurance purposes or sold.

On a recent episode of BBC One's Antique Roadshow, a woman brought an ivory bracelet to be appraised. Interestingly enough, the expert didn't meet this rare find with excitement, but appeared somber. The antique expert, Ronnie Archer-Morgan carefully explains the purpose of the bracelet in what appears to be a tense emotional exchange.

There would be no appraisal of this antique ivory bracelet adorned with beautiful script around the circumference. Archer-Morgan gives a brief disclaimer that he and the Antique Roadshow disapprove of the trade of ivory, though that was not his reason for refusing the ivory bangle.

"This ivory bangle here is not about trading in ivory, it’s about trading in human life, and it’s probably one of the most difficult things that I’ve ever had to talk about. But talk about it we must," Archer-Morgan says.

Ronnie Archer-Morgan, Antiques Roadshow, BBC, antiques, ivoryRonnie Archer-Morgan on an episode of the BBC's Antiques RoadshowImage via Antqiues Roadshow


Turns out the woman had no idea what she had in her possession as she purchased it from an estate sale over 30 years before. One of the elderly residents she cared for passed away and the woman found the ivory bracelet among the things being sold. Finding the bangle particularly intriguing with the fancy inscription around it, she decided to purchase the unique piece of jewelry.

After explaining that his great-grandmother was once enslaved in Nova Scotia, Canada before being returned to Sierra Leone, Archer-Morgan concluded he could not price the item.

Antiques Roadshow, BBC, Ronnie Archer MorganRonnie Archer-Morgan holds the ivory bracelet he refused to valueImage via Antiques Roadshow/BBC

"I just don’t want to value it. I do not want to put a price on something that signifies such an awful business. But the value is in the lessons that this can tell people," he tells the woman.

In the end the woman leaves without knowing the monetary value of the item but with a wealth of knowledge she didn't have before visiting. Now she can continue to share the significance of the antique with others. Watch the full explanation below:


- YouTubewww.youtube.com

This article originally appeared last year.

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Family

'Wild child' shocked to be reunited with foster 'mama' from the '80s after emotional X post

"In the ‘80s, she took in a wild, ignorant WHITE child. Y'all, it wasn't the done thing in that area."

via Tamron Hall Show/YouTube

Hannah Smith and Essie Gilchrist reunited after 40 years.

It had been 40 years since Hannah Smith, then 54, had talked to Essie Gilchrist, whom she knew as ‘Mama Essie.' She wasn’t sure if she was alive, but Smith had to express her love for the woman who gave her stability at a time when her life was total chaos. In December 2023, she posted about the difference Gilchrist had made in her life over the year she lived with her and apologized for how she treated her all those years ago.

“I was 12 yrs old when my mother lost the ability to parent me safely. I was taken from her & put into a huge, scary children’s shelter. It took a long time but they finally found someone who would take in a deeply troubled, rather wild child like me,” Smith began a post on X. “I wasn’t all that nice to her. I stole from her. I ran up her phone bill calling my boyfriend. I eventually ran away & was put back in the shelter & never saw her again. I’m sure I broke her heart."

“And… The foundation of EVERYTHING I know about grace, abt dignity, abt fashion, makeup hair care (I still use a pick), elegance, excellence, self-care, patience, love, goodness, generosity & fierceness in the face of pain came from my Mama Essie,” Smith continued.


“Mama Essie, if you’re still with us or peering through the windows of heaven…thank you. From the bottom of my heart,” Smith concluded. “I heard you. I saw you. You made a difference, more than you’ll ever know.” The post went viral, amassing over 2 million views. After just a few hours, Macrina Juliana on X identified Gilchrist and sent Smith a photo. That's when Smith realized why she couldn't locate her. 'Mama Essie' had gotten married and changed her last name.



A lot had changed since the two first met in the 1980s. Smith is now a trauma therapist who lives in Washington state. It took a long time for Smith to find her footing in the world, but Gilchrest’s example was always top of mind mind. “After I left, I had two and a half decades of continued self-destruction,” Smith recalled on the “Tamron Hall Show.” “I was in a cult. I ran off to India all kinds of things. But all along the way, there was always this sense that there was something better, and I had a picture of what stability looked like.”

Gilchrist, now in her 70s, would go on to foster 20 more children over 30 years, and she is the president of the Women of Color International Stockton. She is also involved with the Junior League of San Joaquin County. She told The Stockton Record that her foster children are all her “gooddaughters” and that “God sent them to me.” She also has a daughter of her own.

Soon after Smith identified Gilchrist, the two had a 45-minute phone conversation. "Good Morning Lovelies... 45 minutes with Essie on the phone last night was amazing. So much I forgot," Smith wrote on X. "I’ve felt like I’ve been pacing, wandering...I feel my soul stirring again. I know my story helps people. I feel inspired, infused. I’m here for it. Good things are coming!!"

The two reunited in person on an episode of “The Tamron Hall Show,” where Smith shared her feelings. "I just want to thank you so much because there's no way in the world you would have known that I would come out like this,” Smith said. "I know that what you did every day, the places you took us, the things that you did, really set a good foundation. Thank you, Mama Essie.”

- YouTubewww.youtube.com


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Heroes

Nazis demanded to know if ‘The Hobbit’ author J.R.R. Tolkien was Jewish. His response was legendary.

J.R.R. Tolkien had no problem telling his German publishing house exactly what he thought.

J.R.R. Tolkien by Public Domain/ Wikimedia Commons Joseph Goebbels by Vitold Muratov/Wikimedia Commons

J.R.R. Tolkien didn't mince words when asked his opinion on Nazis

In 1933, Adolf Hitler handed the power of Jewish cultural life in Nazi Germany to his chief propagandist, Joseph Goebbels. Goebbels established a team of of regulators that would oversee the works of Jewish artists in film, theater, music, fine arts, literature, broadcasting, and the press.

Goebbels' new regulations essentially eliminated Jewish people from participating in mainstream German cultural activities by requiring them to have a license to do so.

This attempt by the Nazis to purge Germany of any culture that wasn't Aryan in origin led to the questioning of artists from outside the country.

J.R.R. Tolkien, Lord of the Rings, Nazi, Nazis, book burning, censorship, The HobbitA Nazi book burning in GermanyImage via Wikicommons

In 1938, English author J. R. R. Tolkien and his British publisher, Stanley Unwin, opened talks with Rütten & Loening, a Berlin-based publishing house, about a German translation of his recently-published hit novel, "The Hobbit."

Privately, according to "1937 The Hobbit or There and Back Again," Tolkien told Unwin he hated Nazi "race-doctrine" as "wholly pernicious and unscientific." He added he had many Jewish friends and was considering abandoning the idea of a German translation altogether.

lord of the rings hobbits GIFGiphy

The Berlin-based publishing house sent Tolkien a letter asking for proof of his Aryan descent. Tolkien was incensed by the request and gave his publisher two responses, one in which he sidestepped the question, another in which he handled in '30s-style with pure class.

In the letter sent to Rütten & Loening, Tolkien notes that Aryans are of Indo-Iranian "extraction," correcting the incorrect Nazi aumption that Aryans come from northern Europe. He cuts to the chase by saying that he is not Jewish but holds them in high regard. "I regret that I appear to have no ancestors of that gifted people," Tolkien wrote.

Tolkien also takes a shot at the race policies of Nazi Germany by saying he's beginning to regret his German surname. "The time is not far distant when a German name will no longer be a source of pride," he writes.

Bryan Cranston Mic Drop GIFGiphy

Here's the letter sent to Rütten & Loening:

25 July 1938 20 Northmoor Road, Oxford
Dear Sirs,

Thank you for your letter. I regret that I am not clear as to what you intend by arisch. I am not of Aryan extraction: that is Indo-Iranian; as far as I am aware none of my ancestors spoke Hindustani, Persian, Gypsy, or any related dialects. But if I am to understand that you are enquiring whether I am of Jewish origin, I can only reply that I regret that I appear to have no ancestors of that gifted people.

My great-great-grandfather came to England in the eighteenth century from Germany: the main part of my descent is therefore purely English, and I am an English subject — which should be sufficient. I have been accustomed, nonetheless, to regard my German name with pride, and continued to do so throughout the period of the late regrettable war, in which I served in the English army. I cannot, however, forbear to comment that if impertinent and irrelevant inquiries of this sort are to become the rule in matters of literature, then the time is not far distant when a German name will no longer be a source of pride.

Your enquiry is doubtless made in order to comply with the laws of your own country, but that this should be held to apply to the subjects of another state would be improper, even if it had (as it has not) any bearing whatsoever on the merits of my work or its sustainability for publication, of which you appear to have satisfied yourselves without reference to my Abstammung.
I trust you will find this reply satisfactory, and
remain yours faithfully,

J. R. R. Tolkien



J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, Nazis, Nazi, Germany The letter J.R.R. Tolkien wrote to his German publishersImage via Letters of Note

This article originally appeared four years ago.

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Wellness

Woman credits Oura ring for alerting her to cancer symptoms before diagnosis

The ring continued to show that something was off.

Photo credit: Canva and Businesswire Press Release

Woman's Oura ring alerted her to cancer symptoms before diagnosis

Jewelry collecting biometric data and helping you keep track of your health habits are not new. Fitbits and Apple watches have been around for well over a decade combined and while most people use them to track their miles or other exercises, they also hold important data. The same can be said for one of the newest kids on the biometric block–the Oura ring.

For now the ring can't answer phone calls or texts like an Apple Watch can but it takes health data to another level. The Oura ring not only tracks how much sleep you get but it also tracks how much you move, how often you stop breathing, how much deep sleep, REM sleep, light sleep, oxygen levels and heart rate while you sleep. When you think the ring can't go any deeper into your personal biometrics, it does. Oura also alerts you when your body is showing signs of strain which can mean anything from increased stress levels to something more serious.

Nurse Nikki Gooding credits her Oura ring to saving her life by alerting her to significant changes in her body which prompted her to seek medical attention. The woman has been wearing an Oura ring for years but recently the ring suddenly started alerting her that she had "major signs" with a message that reads, "your biometrics show major signs of something straining your body. Take extra care today and rest if you're feeling low on energy."

silver aluminum case apple watch with white nike sport band Photo by Sabina on Unsplash

When Gooding peeked at the readings from her ring, everything was in the red, from body temperature to HRV (heart rate variability) balance. The smart ring also gives people a readiness score based on their biometrics, Gooding's score was consistently in the 30s to 40s since December. Readiness scores range from 0-100 with anything over 85 being optimal according to Oura.

At first the low readings didn't concern the nurse. Everyone has an off few days, especially if you're catching a cold or something minor. But when the ring continued to alert Gooding that her body was still showing signs of major strains consistently with constant low readings on all the biometrics Oura measures, she decided to do something about it.

a close up of a ring Photo by Jerry Kavan on Unsplash

The now concerned nurse went to see her doctor to voice her worries over the change in readings on her ring. Thankfully the doctor took the concerns seriously because shortly after visiting her doctor, she was hit with life altering news. Gooding has Hodgkin's lymphoma and according to her doctor it seems the cancer has only been present for six months or less. Had it not been for her ring, she may have thought the night sweats and insomnia were hormone related instead of something more serious to consider.

The nurse now sees an oncologist and it seems her prognosis is positive thanks to catching the symptoms to the disease so early. While none of the biometric jewelry on the market is designed to diagnose users, there have been several reports of smart watches alerting people to concerning heart problems. Apple Watches go as far as to instruct users to seek medical attention if their heart is showing signs of Atrial fibrillation, known more commonly as Afib. In some cases the watch's alert results in heart surgery and in one case a genetic kidney disease.

In all of these instances people's lives were spared thanks to the alerts coming from their smart devices which get to know each wearers personal biometrics. So no, an Oura ring won't tell you specifically what's wrong because you can't fit a medical professional inside of a ring smaller than a quarter, but having a piece of smart jewelry can alert your medical provider of a potential problem.

Thankfully Gooding decided to take her ring's warnings seriously and seek medical attention. As smart jewelry becomes more intuitive, it's likely to continue to save lives by alerting people of potential medical issues.

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Joy

Golden Retriever with remarkable healing skills earns the total trust of a terrified kitten

Toby's emotional intelligence appears to be off the charts.

Photo credit: Canva

Golden Retrievers are known for being gentle and friendly, but Toby is on another level.

Animals sometimes have behaviors that baffle or surprise us, for better and for worse. Sometimes our pets' quirks drive us bonkers and other times they delight us, but occasionally, an extra special pet will have abilities that astound everyone who encounters them.

Enter Toby, the Golden Retriever with a very special talent for healing traumatized rescue animals.

Mirai is a rescued stray kitten who experienced severe physical and emotional trauma, including a serious neck injury that left her with stitches across her throat. After weeks of physical healing, she was introduced to a cat that was already mothering a litter, who began caring for Mirai as one of her own. But the tiny kitten was still wary and fearful.

Then she was introduced to Toby, a dog with remarkable sensitivity, who completely earned her trust in just three meetings. At first, she hissed and growled at him, but he was patient and persistent, never becoming aggressive or pushing past her boundaries. Toby responded to Mirai's fear and discomfort signals with an emotional intelligence many humans don't even exhibit, never going too far too fast, and seeing the way he gradually wins her over is a master class.

Watch:

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

People loved seeing Toby's gentle ways.

"That's one heck of a fine therapy dog! He's got a gift."

"Toby is better at reading and understanding her signals and backing off when she makes it clear she's stressed out than most humans are."

"If humans had the hearts of golden retrievers, there would be peace on earth forever."

"Toby is a special guy. So sweet and patient. Its like he knows it's his job to make that baby feel safe."

"Toby is a natural empath and nurturer whose patience is amazing."

Mirai isn't the first rescued baby that Toby has helped to heal, and Toby isn't even the only sensitive Golden Retriever in the family. Toby's sister, Candy, also has an impressive gift for building bonds with traumatized animals.

A puppy named Den, who had been severely abused, was introduced to Toby and Candy one at a time. And though it took some time for her to warm up to each of them, their patience and perseverance eventually resulted in beautiful bonds of friendship.

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

Again, people gushed about how these good doggos always manage to win over even the most timid and fearful of creatures.

"Goldens: you are going to be my friend. I'll wait."

"Goldens are such a wise and gentle breed."

"Beautiful. I wish people would be as kind, patient and loving as these 2 Goldies. The world would sure be a kinder place."

"Those doggies are so smart! They know exactly what to do! From avoiding eye contact, laying down to her level, not getting into her personal space, and not being forceful about it, they are so kind and intelligent and deserve an extra treat!"

"My date once told me that I have the personality of a golden retriever. I took that as a compliment."

Indeed, Golden Retrievers are known for their friendly, patient personalities, and though there are exceptions to every rule, it's rare to find a Golden Retriever with a mean streak. However, even among Goldens, Toby and Candy appear to be exceptionally intuitive and perceptive, making them perfect companions for rescued kittens and puppies who need to some extra tender loving care as they learn to trust.

Animals that have been rescued from abuse or neglect situations have needs that sometimes another animal can best provide. Humans can do a lot for vulnerable animals—and they should—but there's something special about having companions on your own level to play and snuggle with as well. Friends like Toby and Candy can help heal emotional wounds we can't see, and that's just as important as healing the ones we can.

You can follow Toby and Candy on YouTube.

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