Western Recreation & Outdoor Education Program

10/15/2023

10/15/2023

"I got a rock" - Charlie Brown

We always get plenty of rocks for Halloween. Just as time whittles us down to our bones, the rivers whittle the mighty canyons down, exposing ancient primordial rocks. The Canyon of Lodore harkens back to an ancient time, long forgotten. Its towering, steep walls loom over the Green River, casting shadows over the Lodore Formation and Uinta Mountain Group geologic layers. The rock formations, from bygone eras 500 to 800 million years ago, have slowly been exposed by the river carving the rock in half, piece by piece, grain by grain. Think of it like the monument is carving its own pumpkin, only this spooky artwork is continuously unfolding throughout time.



Image Description: A river flowing across dark colored stones at the base of a towering desert canyon.
Image Credit: NPS Photo / Jake Frank

12/02/2022

10/10/2022

What’s not to like about lichen?!

These complex little life forms have a lot to offer, including telling us if the air we are breathing is clean or not!

Often mistakenly assumed to be a type of moss, lichen are neither plant nor animal! Instead, they are a combination of algae and fungus in what is called a symbiotic relationship–the fungus providing structure for the algae to live in and the algae providing food for the fungus to consume. There are over 3,600 different species of lichen in North America alone!

Lichen do not have roots to gain nutrients through. Instead, they receive all their nutrients from the atmosphere! They need clean, fresh air to survive and are very sensitive to changes in air quality. This makes them an excellent indicator of pollution levels—from beneficial nutrients to harmful toxins, lichen absorb it all! Absorbing pollutants like sulfur, mercury, and nitrogen means cleaner, healthier air for us to breathe.

The National Park Service monitors the changing air quality in many sites across the country, including Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. Visit https://www.nps.gov/subjects/air/park-conditions-trends.htm to find and visualize park-specific air quality data.

NPS Photo/K. Carpenter

Image Description: Colorful lichen grows on a rock.

10/10/2022

All national parks exist on traditional Indigenous lands, and in many cases, thousands of years’ worth of Native American history has been documented at national park sites.

10/07/2022

Get some new fall riding gear at Rock N Roll Sports! We got a new shipment of Troy Lee Design pants for men and women, Hand Up long sleeve Jerseys, and Poc Helmets. Test ride a new Trek Rail E-Bike, fat bike or full suspension mountain bike!

09/22/2022

Meet Jacob! (On the right)🏋️🏃‍♂️

Jacob finished his undergraduate degree in Exercise and Sport Science here at Western. He is a part of the NCAA track and field team, so with Covid his path has been a little non-traditional here! Jacob just finished his first-year HAEP course requirements so he has one more year to go in the HAEP program.

He is excited to continue gaining experience in conducting research and expanding his knowledge of exercise physiology. Jacob is an avid learner and a hard worker!

Jacob is a big fan of Ribeye steak, and strives to be the best version of himself everyday. He can be a little on the competitive side, especially when it comes to foosball and ping pong. He also loves to listen to music and spend time with friends.

Good luck in your final year, Jacob!

09/07/2022

TFW rafting season winds down 😱

www.adrift.com

08/30/2022

08/30/2022

Celebrating 41245 days ago (113 years, minus 1 day):

"At last, in the top of the ledge where the softer overlying beds form a divide, a kind of saddle, I saw eight of the tail bones of [an Apatosaurus] in exact position. It was a beautiful sight." ~ Earl Douglass, August 17, 1909

Douglass began to excavate these fossils. As he worked, he found fossils from other dinosaurs mixed with the Apatosaurus skeleton. This was the beginning of the Carnegie Quarry, now preserved at the Quarry Exhibit Hall. These exact fossils of Apatosaurus are still on display today at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History