"We're leavin' on a jet plane! Don't know when we'll be back again!"
We headed back home today. Early this morning we left the Lazy Lizard for Grand Junction, CO to catch a plane to Dever, CO and then home. Everyone agreed that this was an amazing experience. One that we'll never forget. Thank you for an awesome adventure!
Signing Out...
Alisa Dean
Plateau Restoration Volunteer, Minnesota State University Mankato
3/12/2010
Alternative Break: Coe College Day 5
WOW! If I could describe this day in one word it would be WOW! I have been to Arches National Park a few times before, but it never ceases to amaze me. Today was the PERFECT day to go hiking. The sky was bright blue with a few clouds and made an excellent backdrop for the red rock.
Our first stop in Arches National Park was Fiery Furnace. This is a unique experience because there are no marked trails. Throughout our hike we had to use our bodies to get up a crack in the rock, between two large rock faces, and jump across small openings. Nothing was too difficult for anyone to handle, but it did challenge us. Some of the obstacles looked a little scary at first and they may have been hard at the time, but once we were done we were very proud of what we had accomplished individually and as a group. Everyone in the group showed a lot of courage and that they were team players. I remember hearing "you can do it" and "good job" or "well done" quite a bit. It was an excellent experience!
Our second stop in Arches National Park was at The Windows. On this trail we were able to see large areas of the park and three different arches. We were even able to get to a place where we could take a picture of an arch inside an arch! It was a lot of fun climbing up inside the huge arch and sitting down to take in everything around us. It's an experience that those postcards just can't convey.
Our third (and final stop) was Double Arch. This arch was unique because it formed something similar to a V with two arches joining each other. Many of us ended up hiking and climbing all the way up to sit under the arch. Sitting under that arch and taking in the scenery was a great way to end the day!
After we got back into town the Coe College students were dropped off in one of the main shopping areas so that they could get some things to bring back home as presents or for themselves. I even got help by picking everyone up from the grocery store. With a lot of sun and a full day of hiking everyone seemed quite tired. Even our two guys who had boundless energy the entire trip were ready for some rest and relaxation.
Signing Off...
Alisa Dean
Plateau Restoration Volunteer - Minnesota State University Mankato
Our first stop in Arches National Park was Fiery Furnace. This is a unique experience because there are no marked trails. Throughout our hike we had to use our bodies to get up a crack in the rock, between two large rock faces, and jump across small openings. Nothing was too difficult for anyone to handle, but it did challenge us. Some of the obstacles looked a little scary at first and they may have been hard at the time, but once we were done we were very proud of what we had accomplished individually and as a group. Everyone in the group showed a lot of courage and that they were team players. I remember hearing "you can do it" and "good job" or "well done" quite a bit. It was an excellent experience!
Our second stop in Arches National Park was at The Windows. On this trail we were able to see large areas of the park and three different arches. We were even able to get to a place where we could take a picture of an arch inside an arch! It was a lot of fun climbing up inside the huge arch and sitting down to take in everything around us. It's an experience that those postcards just can't convey.
Our third (and final stop) was Double Arch. This arch was unique because it formed something similar to a V with two arches joining each other. Many of us ended up hiking and climbing all the way up to sit under the arch. Sitting under that arch and taking in the scenery was a great way to end the day!
After we got back into town the Coe College students were dropped off in one of the main shopping areas so that they could get some things to bring back home as presents or for themselves. I even got help by picking everyone up from the grocery store. With a lot of sun and a full day of hiking everyone seemed quite tired. Even our two guys who had boundless energy the entire trip were ready for some rest and relaxation.
Signing Off...
Alisa Dean
Plateau Restoration Volunteer - Minnesota State University Mankato
3/11/2010
Alternative Break: Coe College Day 3 & 4
We just completed day 4! In all the excitement of working on projects, making meals, and getting to know everyone I ended up missing a day of posting. Over the last couple days we have spent a lot of time seeding large areas of that tamerisk area I talked about in a previous post and planting trees.
Let's start with the seeding project since that was what we did on Day 3. One of the questions people have asked about the seeding project is why we are using human-power rather than a seed spreader. Well, the best answer for that came from Tamsin and Michael....
When an area is seeded by a seed spreader the seeds are distributed evenly over the entire area. When you take a look at this area you see a lot of areas covered with a thick layer of duff (leaves and such) and wood. Most likely plants will be unable to grow in those thick layers. What a person seeding can do is only seed areas where it is likely for plants to grow and thus avoid using excess seed.
Make sense? If not, feel free to leave a comment on the bottom part of this blog with your question. The bonus to our day was the rain at the end of the day. This may sound like a mood dampener, but it was fun to see the clouds rolling in and know that the rain would drive the seeds deeper into the ground giving them a better opportunity to grow.
The tree planting project was a lot of fun! We actually woke up in the morning to a thin layer of snow! Who would have figured we would have brought the snow with us from the Midwest out to Utah. We actually ended up driving through some snow on our trip out to the tree planting site.
The trees we were planting were in a campground area. The holes were already dug by a machine. So, all we had to do was move the trees to the holes and plant them. It sounds easy, but it was a lot of work! I think the hardest part of the process was filling in the hole. Most of the holes were too deep and we had to fill them in a bit before we planted the tree. Then once we got the tree in we had to fill in the hole. Filling everything in wasn't easy because the dirt we had to fill it in with had rocks and sticks in it which made it more difficult to get into with the shovel. When we weren't planting trees we were making sure the areas that the water pipes needed to go in were clear. It was fun planting trees and looking at all of them at the end of the day. On our way back everyone was asleep.
At the end of both days we were pretty tired out. It was time for dinner and then back to the Lazy Lizard for some hangout time and sleep.
We can't wait until tomorrow when we get to go to Arches National Park for our day trip!
Signing off...
Alisa Dean
Plateau Restoration Volunteer - Minnesota State University Mankato
Let's start with the seeding project since that was what we did on Day 3. One of the questions people have asked about the seeding project is why we are using human-power rather than a seed spreader. Well, the best answer for that came from Tamsin and Michael....
When an area is seeded by a seed spreader the seeds are distributed evenly over the entire area. When you take a look at this area you see a lot of areas covered with a thick layer of duff (leaves and such) and wood. Most likely plants will be unable to grow in those thick layers. What a person seeding can do is only seed areas where it is likely for plants to grow and thus avoid using excess seed.
Make sense? If not, feel free to leave a comment on the bottom part of this blog with your question. The bonus to our day was the rain at the end of the day. This may sound like a mood dampener, but it was fun to see the clouds rolling in and know that the rain would drive the seeds deeper into the ground giving them a better opportunity to grow.
The tree planting project was a lot of fun! We actually woke up in the morning to a thin layer of snow! Who would have figured we would have brought the snow with us from the Midwest out to Utah. We actually ended up driving through some snow on our trip out to the tree planting site.
The trees we were planting were in a campground area. The holes were already dug by a machine. So, all we had to do was move the trees to the holes and plant them. It sounds easy, but it was a lot of work! I think the hardest part of the process was filling in the hole. Most of the holes were too deep and we had to fill them in a bit before we planted the tree. Then once we got the tree in we had to fill in the hole. Filling everything in wasn't easy because the dirt we had to fill it in with had rocks and sticks in it which made it more difficult to get into with the shovel. When we weren't planting trees we were making sure the areas that the water pipes needed to go in were clear. It was fun planting trees and looking at all of them at the end of the day. On our way back everyone was asleep.
At the end of both days we were pretty tired out. It was time for dinner and then back to the Lazy Lizard for some hangout time and sleep.
We can't wait until tomorrow when we get to go to Arches National Park for our day trip!
Signing off...
Alisa Dean
Plateau Restoration Volunteer - Minnesota State University Mankato
3/09/2010
Alternative Break: Coe College Day 2
What a day! It started out a little cold this morning, but the bright sun kept us warm as we ate breakfast. Once breakfast was done we got everything packed up for the day and headed out to Jackson Bottom.
At Jackson some large machines had gone through to tear out and cut up all of the Tamarisk (also known as Salt Cedar), an invasive species, to stop it from growing and spreading. Unfortunately these machines leave a lot of sticks, logs, and leaves on the ground that make it very difficult for native plants to get established. So, our job was to help clear out an "island" of open space to place seed and plants in. By using an island technique Plateau Restoration can create well established areas of native plants which can then spread throughout the entire Tamarisk site. We completely cleared a large low lying area so that the native plants would be more likely to get water. Several people also cleared out areas around some of the Willows that were saved from the machines so that plants that don't like a lot of direct sun could be planted close to them. We worked about an hour after lunch and then noticed that the weather was starting to come in. So, we headed back and looked at some rock art on the way.
After getting back and putting our cooler weather gear back on we headed out on a hike up to Hidden Valley. Once we returned it was time to dinner and then some great sleep back at the Lazy Lizard Hostel.
Signing off...
Alisa Dean
Plateau Restoration Volunteer, Minnesota State University Mankato
At Jackson some large machines had gone through to tear out and cut up all of the Tamarisk (also known as Salt Cedar), an invasive species, to stop it from growing and spreading. Unfortunately these machines leave a lot of sticks, logs, and leaves on the ground that make it very difficult for native plants to get established. So, our job was to help clear out an "island" of open space to place seed and plants in. By using an island technique Plateau Restoration can create well established areas of native plants which can then spread throughout the entire Tamarisk site. We completely cleared a large low lying area so that the native plants would be more likely to get water. Several people also cleared out areas around some of the Willows that were saved from the machines so that plants that don't like a lot of direct sun could be planted close to them. We worked about an hour after lunch and then noticed that the weather was starting to come in. So, we headed back and looked at some rock art on the way.
After getting back and putting our cooler weather gear back on we headed out on a hike up to Hidden Valley. Once we returned it was time to dinner and then some great sleep back at the Lazy Lizard Hostel.
Signing off...
Alisa Dean
Plateau Restoration Volunteer, Minnesota State University Mankato
3/08/2010
Alternative Break: Coe College Day 1
Well, this is our first full day with Coe College. There are nine students and one AmeriCorps*VISTA leader. This morning it was a little cold and rainy, but everyone was in good spirits and excited to get going.
Tamsin led a morning lecture on local geology, land issues, history, and current project sites. Students were able to connect what they would be doing in the field to what is happening both locally and state-wide.
After packing some lunches we headed out into the field. Our first stop was near Lone Mesa. We dug up rice grass along the side of the road to plant in re-vegetation sites. Then we headed to Wolfe Ranch in Arches National Park to plant some of our rice grass as well as a few other plants Plateau Restoration already had growing. While we were there the weather cleared up nicely and we were able to shed our outer layers. Once we finished planting the students took a short trip down the Delicate Arch trail to seeJohn Wesley Wolfe's cabin, rock art, and unexpectedly spotted a muskrat at Salt Valley Wash.
Once we got all of our gear packed up we headed to Park Avenue Trail for a short mile long hike down the canyon. It was quite spectacular to see all of the water flowing from the recent rain. Small pools of water were scattered throughout the sandstone and tiny streams flowed through the ground in grooves. The trail also offered a wonderful view of Courthouse Towers. At the end of the hike everyone climbed on top of a large boulder for a group photo.
On the way back out of Arches National Park we were able to learn about and take pictures of Bloody Mary Waterfall (which rarely flows) and the fault across from the visitor center.
It was an exciting first day full of adventures and turned out to be very nice weather despite the rain in the morning. Keep reading the next four days of posts to find out what other adventures Coe College went on during their alternative spring break trip with Plateau Restoration.
Signing off...
Alisa Dean
Plateau Restoration Volunteer - Minnesota State University Mankato
Tamsin led a morning lecture on local geology, land issues, history, and current project sites. Students were able to connect what they would be doing in the field to what is happening both locally and state-wide.
After packing some lunches we headed out into the field. Our first stop was near Lone Mesa. We dug up rice grass along the side of the road to plant in re-vegetation sites. Then we headed to Wolfe Ranch in Arches National Park to plant some of our rice grass as well as a few other plants Plateau Restoration already had growing. While we were there the weather cleared up nicely and we were able to shed our outer layers. Once we finished planting the students took a short trip down the Delicate Arch trail to see
Once we got all of our gear packed up we headed to Park Avenue Trail for a short mile long hike down the canyon. It was quite spectacular to see all of the water flowing from the recent rain. Small pools of water were scattered throughout the sandstone and tiny streams flowed through the ground in grooves. The trail also offered a wonderful view of Courthouse Towers. At the end of the hike everyone climbed on top of a large boulder for a group photo.
On the way back out of Arches National Park we were able to learn about and take pictures of Bloody Mary Waterfall (which rarely flows) and the fault across from the visitor center.
It was an exciting first day full of adventures and turned out to be very nice weather despite the rain in the morning. Keep reading the next four days of posts to find out what other adventures Coe College went on during their alternative spring break trip with Plateau Restoration.
Signing off...
Alisa Dean
Plateau Restoration Volunteer - Minnesota State University Mankato
6/08/2009
Alternative Break Season 2009
We have a few quotes for you from our 2009 Alternative Break participants:
"Alternative Breaks University of Colorado Boulder would like to extend our deep gratitude to you for hosting a 2009 Alternative Break group in Moab. Of any of the groups this one came back with a cohesion not like the others. I was told it was the cold weather they "weathered" together! I hope to keep sending students to you in the future years." -Jen Ross, VRC Director
"I had such a great time and learned so much while I was in Moab that I changed my career goals. Rather than spending my life in the city as a dorctor I've decided to be a field biologist and spend my days outside, which is the way I've always prefered it, but Moab helped me to really realize how much I love nature and how much I would like to spend my life studying and protecting it." -Liberty, AB Participant from Central College
"Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with us. I learned so much on the trip and hope to return to Moab soon. I really appreciate all the hard work you've done for the environment. PS- And the cooking was excellent!" - Erika, AB Participant from University of Montana
"Alternative Breaks University of Colorado Boulder would like to extend our deep gratitude to you for hosting a 2009 Alternative Break group in Moab. Of any of the groups this one came back with a cohesion not like the others. I was told it was the cold weather they "weathered" together! I hope to keep sending students to you in the future years." -Jen Ross, VRC Director
"I had such a great time and learned so much while I was in Moab that I changed my career goals. Rather than spending my life in the city as a dorctor I've decided to be a field biologist and spend my days outside, which is the way I've always prefered it, but Moab helped me to really realize how much I love nature and how much I would like to spend my life studying and protecting it." -Liberty, AB Participant from Central College
"Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with us. I learned so much on the trip and hope to return to Moab soon. I really appreciate all the hard work you've done for the environment. PS- And the cooking was excellent!" - Erika, AB Participant from University of Montana
9/01/2008
The Beat Goes On With Alternative Spring Break
For the 14th straight year, Plateau Restoration has been a host site for alternative spring break in cooperation with the Breakaway organization on the campus of Florida State University. Participants in these service-learning programs, who came from the College of Charelston, S.C., and the Universities of Wyoming, Montana, and Northern Colorado, contributed to a number of valuable projects which included revegitation, native garden construction, seed collection and non-native species removal.
Students gathered damaged plants along the four wheel drive roadways at Arches National Park for replanting into the Delicate Arch trail head revegitation site.
These plants, collected under a NPS permit, were give a good temporary home in the native garden at the PRI home office and grounds, lagely built by students. The garden has a drip irrigation system and is on a timer. Students mixed potting soild and planted seed in dozens of pots for germination.
Students were also involved ina roadside reseeding project along Castle Valley Drive that was recently bladed. Projects also included our continuation fo knapweed removeal in the Castle Valley water shed which contains private, State, Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service lands.
Our service-learning programs continued in April, with the 7th-grade class from West Sound Academy, WI and Eastern Kentucky University. Blocking of non-legal routes in the La Sals was a high priority as this project required many hands to complete. Student shelped roll boulders, hauling logs, rocks and stumps to block user-created roads with natural features.
Eleven students took advantage of Utah State University credit we offer for the service-learning program. Over thirty spring breakers and almost thirty other student including college and 7th graders, contributed nearly 1600 hours to these projects worth an estimated value of $25,000!
Students gathered damaged plants along the four wheel drive roadways at Arches National Park for replanting into the Delicate Arch trail head revegitation site.
These plants, collected under a NPS permit, were give a good temporary home in the native garden at the PRI home office and grounds, lagely built by students. The garden has a drip irrigation system and is on a timer. Students mixed potting soild and planted seed in dozens of pots for germination.
Students were also involved ina roadside reseeding project along Castle Valley Drive that was recently bladed. Projects also included our continuation fo knapweed removeal in the Castle Valley water shed which contains private, State, Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service lands.
Our service-learning programs continued in April, with the 7th-grade class from West Sound Academy, WI and Eastern Kentucky University. Blocking of non-legal routes in the La Sals was a high priority as this project required many hands to complete. Student shelped roll boulders, hauling logs, rocks and stumps to block user-created roads with natural features.
Eleven students took advantage of Utah State University credit we offer for the service-learning program. Over thirty spring breakers and almost thirty other student including college and 7th graders, contributed nearly 1600 hours to these projects worth an estimated value of $25,000!
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