Join the Moab Information Center on Thursdays throughout the summer months for the Moab lecture series, where local scientists and park rangers discuss their work. Lectures are hosted at the Moab Information Center (3015 S. Hwy 191) at 5 p.m.!
July 10 ~ Ian Wright ~ Cultural Site Stewardship Program ~ (4 Corners Lecture Series) ~
In an effort to better safeguard our cultural and archaeological heritage, Utah’s legislature has created a statewide Cultural Site Stewardship (UCSS) Program, which leverages the pool of passionate volunteers to help protect these places. This is a resource for all private, municipal, county, state, and federal land owners and managers to draw on to help protect historic sites. Volunteer site stewards are action oriented private citizens who have gone through the required training and are making a positive impact in the long term preservation of cultural resources statewide. This is done by monitoring assigned cultural assets for any human or environmental damages that may accrue. Stewards also have opportunities to participate in projects that focus on safeguarding tangible and intangible heritage like the development of Utah's Buffalo Soldier Heritage Trail. Ian Wright Utah Cultural site Stewardship Program Manager will be sharing in this presentation how UCSS spearheads public engagement and education around cultural heritage protection in Utah.
July 17 ~ Rhodes Smartt ~ Our Time in the Parks ~
Embark on a journey of introspection within our national parks: What is time, and why does it hold significance in our lives? Join Ranger Rhodes as he navigates these questions, unraveling the diverse perspectives through which we perceive time. Explore how these insights shape our appreciation, conservation efforts, and management strategies for our beloved public lands.
July 24 ~ Moria Robinson ~ Resilient Food Webs in a Changing Environment ~
Plants and the insects that eat them form the foundation of food webs on planet Earth. In addition to their central ecological importance, these diverse interactions can provide powerful insight into effects of environmental change. Among plant-feeding insects, caterpillars are a particularly important group of organisms. The larval forms of butterflies and moths, they are among the most diverse groups of insects in the United States with over 11,000 described species. Living up to their 'very hungry caterpillar' reputation they are also impactful herbivores, imposing pressure on their plant hosts to evolve unique defenses - such as hairs, tough leaves, and chemicals - to prevent tissue loss. Such adaptations in plants may be particularly pronounced in resource-limited and stressful ecosystems, such as the desert Southwest, where the cost of regenerating lost tissue is particularly high. In this talk, I will discuss how the environment - and its ongoing change - shapes the traits of native plants and success of native caterpillar species on them, with implications for higher levels in the food web. Moria is a CNHA Discovery Pool recipient.
July 31 ~ Blaine Reniger ~ Arches and Canyonlands:Tracing the Historical Relation ~
Join “History Moab” founder, Blaine Reniger as we discover the captivating history of Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. We will explore the historical connections between these parks, from their origins to their establishment. Drawing upon years of dedicated research, Blaine Reniger shares the inspiring stories of individuals like Dr. J.W. Williams, Alex Ringhoffer, Bates Wilson, and Stewart Udall, who played crucial roles in the parks' creation, despite the obstacles they faced.