Hey Desert pals! 🌵🌧

Hope you’re staying dry and loving those dramatic skies—because the monsoons have finally rolled into the desert…and just in time for our newest podcast episode!

Episode Drop: S4E32 – “Joshua Trees Are Still Caught in the Climate Crossfire”

You know how the desert feels electric when those summer storms hit? We’re riding that same energy in this episode: a fresh dive into the newly approved Western Joshua Tree Conservation Plan and everything it means. And trust me, you’ll want to listen while the skies are still rumbling.

Here’s what’s brewing (besides that third cup of coffee while it rains):

• Returning guest Brendan Cummings (shout-out from the Center for Biological Diversity) dives in on the Western Joshua Tree Conservation Plan, just approved by California’s Fish and Game Commission.

• We get the full backstory—from the 2019 petition to the big move in 2023 to pass the Conservation Act. This law actually recognizes climate change as a real threat to biodiversity for the first time in California. Wild, right?

• The plan tackles threats like climate stress, off-the-charts development, and wildfire risks—targeting refuge areas, high-elevation zones, and ways to ease permit headaches.

• Cultural context is everything—the episode explores how local governments and Native tribes are part of this journey too.

• What’s next? By 2033, they’ll check in: Are we making progress, or do we need plan B?

• And yes, stick around ‘til the end—there’s a heartfelt closing with “Joshua Tree” by Melanie Marshall, and it’s a total mood.

Listen now: Available wherever you stream your podcasts—Apple, Spotify, Google, or right on the show site!

As thunderstorms rolled through the desert in the past few days, flooding roads and turning the sky into a canvas of drama, it reminded me: the desert—and its iconic Joshua trees—are always on the frontlines of climate and community.

Got thoughts while listening—or from that electric monsoon you just witnessed? Hit reply and let’s spark a conversation about what’s next for our desert legacy.

Stay wild (but not so wild that you try to drive through a flash flood),

Chris C.

P.S. In the spirit of the season, if you’re moved by the episode and the monsoon-fueled reality of climate threats, consider donating or supporting the cause—we can weather this together.