Ranger Sarah spots the first set of Petroglyphs. These where made between 400-700 years ago. Stone chisels and hammerstones were used to chip away the desert varnish on the rock to expose the lighter color underneath.
— at Petroglyph National Monument.
Ranger Sarah learns the area is home to the Western Diamondback Rattlesnake (Crotalus Atrox). It is cold and wet out so Ranger Sarah hopes she won't be running into any.
— at Petroglyph National Monument.
Ranger Sarah hike up onto the lava flow. The McCartys Flow is the most recent lava flow in the Zuni-Bandera Volcanic Field, and is one of thes youngest lava flows in the Southwest. It is approximately 3,900 years old.
— at El Malpais National Monument.
Ranger Sarah views the Grand Canyon. The story of the formation of the Grand Canyon begins almost two billion years ago with the formation of the igneous and metamorphic rocks of the inner gorge. Above these old rocks lie layer upon layer of sedimentary rock, each telling a unique part of the environmental history of the Grand Canyon region.
Ranger Sarah with the colorful Paria Mountains. The mountains comprise various sedimentary rock layers, each representing different geological periods. These layers have been deposited over 85 million years, creating a rich tapestry of colors and textures.
— at Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.
Ranger Sarah with another amazing view of the Rainbow Mountains. The vivid hues are attributed to the encrustation of iron oxides, manganese, cobalt, and others. These minerals have leached into the rock layers over time, staining them with shades of red, purple, yellow, and blue.
— at Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.
Ranger Sarah learns that three factors are necessary to make these sand dunes. The dunes are formed from the erosion of pink-colored Navajo Sandstone surrounding the park. High winds passing through the notch between the Moquith and Moccasin Mountains pick up loose sand particles and then drop them onto the dunes as a result of the Venturi effect.
Ranger Sarah learns more about the dunes. She learned that the north-south-trending Sevier fault cuts through the length of the park. The fault trace is marked by a west-facing bedrock escarpment that divides the park into two topographic units and acts as a major control over the accumulation of sand within the dune field.
— Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park.
Ranger Sarah view the snow covered Bryce Canyon. After the rock was laid down, uplift began as the he Farallon Plate was forced underneath the North American Plate. Over the last several million years the Farallon plate began to break apart allowing heat to rise and elevate the Colorado Plateau to its current height.
Ranger Sarah with another spectacular view. The uplifted Bryce’s rocks eventually reached the “goldilocks zone” - the perfect elevation for the forces of nature to create Bryce’s hoodoos. Now weathering and erosion can go to work.
Ranger Sarah at the entrance to to Lignite Cave. The cave is home to tricolor bats, cave salamanders, slimy salamanders, cave crickets, and pickerel frogs.
— at Roaring River State Park, Missouri.
Ranger Sarah found a friend, a Giant Walkingstick (Megaphasma denticrus). The Giant Walkingstick is the largest insect in North America, at least measured by length, with females up to 7 inches long. The Giant Walkingstick is one of 30 varieties of stick insects in North America. Four types live in Missouri.
Ranger Sarah's newest friend a Giant Walkingstick (Megaphasma denticrus) takes a ride on her hat. Their are more than 3,000 species of stick insect worldwide. The giant walkingstick eats leaves. It is perfectly camouflaged for a life in trees and shrubs. Walkingsticks not only look like twigs but also sway their bodies to mimic the motion of branches in a breeze.
Ranger Sarah checks out more of the rooms at the village of Tyuonyi at Bandelier National Monument. Tree-ring dating shows construction here started more than 600 years ago.