Graffiti Found At Arches National Park

Above, rock formations at Arches National Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Back in July, I took a driving tour of Arches National Park near Moab, Utah. This was my first visit to this national park.

It was interesting to see the different red rock formations throughout the park.

It has been reported that bad behavior has struck the park. Too bad there are people who are compelled to do stupid things.

Deseret News reported:

Visitors to Arches National Park found the popular Devils Garden Trail vandalized with white spray-painted images of smiley faces, doodles and several iterations of what appears to be the word “GRUG” on the red rock.

Allyson Mathis, a retired National Park Service employee, found the defaced landscape while hiking with a friend last week. And that’s not all she encountered.

Speaking with a reporter from Outside, she described seeing a dog walking with other visitors — pets are not permitted on trails in Arches — and toilet paper strewn about the desert. That was in addition to the scale of the spray-paint defacement.

“It was everywhere,” Mathis said. “It was heartbreaking and upsetting, but unfortunately not surprising.”

To read more, go here. 

Graffiti Found At Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park

Above, the Atomic Bomb Dome at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Nothing is sacred anymore, not even in Japan's Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima.

Graffiti has been found at three locations within the park.

NHK reported:

Police in Hiroshima, western Japan, are investigating graffiti found at 3 places in the Peace Memorial Park. The park is home to the landmark Atomic Bomb Dome, which was damaged in the 1945 bombing. 

Police said on Tuesday that black, spray-painted markings were found on a bench near the dome, on a fence at the Peace Memorial Museum and on the door of a garbage disposal facility near a monument for the Korean victims of the bombing. 

Security guards found the graffiti on Monday morning. Workers were seen erasing the markings on Tuesday.

To read more, go here. 

Increased Vandalism Reported At Joshua Tree National Park

Above, rock formations near Cottonwood Campground. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

With increased numbers of visitors to Joshua Tree National Park, there's also an increase in instances of vandalism and graffiti.

KESQ reported:

JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. - Officials at Joshua Tree National Park said they've seen an increase in visitation over the past few years, but with the notable increase in visitation, unfortunately they've also seen more graffiti and intentional vandalism occurring at the park. 

Superintendent David Smith said, “99% of visitors are respectful and truly appreciate the pristine scenery the park has to offer.  Unfortunately there are visitors who feel it necessary to damage what Mother Nature has produced”.

The park's rangers are asking for the public's help in in monitoring the graffiti and other damage. They are providing several ways for the public to report vandalism.

To read more, go here.