Party foul: Miley Cyrus poses atop fragile Joshua Tree

By aoligschlaeger on April 4, 2019
Credit: Miley Cyrus via Instagram.

If there’s a party in the USA, it’s safe to say Miley Cyrus just committed a party foul.

The singer and actress is fielding backlash from environmentalists after posting two Instagram photos of herself perching in a Joshua Tree. The delicate plants, also known as Yucca Palms, grow exclusively in the Mojave Desert and are progressively nearing the endangered species list.

“The root system of a Joshua tree is incredibly shallow,” the Instagram account JoshuaTreeHatesYou explained on Cyrus’s post. “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.”

Cyrus’s caption brags of avoiding “all the petty drama” from atop the Yucca Palm, but her photo has embroiled the star in a sea of negative Instagram comments and an ongoing environmental debate. Even the National Parks Service weighed in:

“It would be greatly appreciated by the Park Service and the people around the area if she would maybe curb that type of activity,” a spokesperson said.

Cyrus has not yet responded.

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