Comments for Four Corners http://fourcorners.blogs.plymouth.edu a bio-geo-outdoor course on the Colorado Plateau Mon, 24 Nov 2008 21:24:30 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 Comment on First Impressions of Arches National Park by Nate http://fourcorners.blogs.plymouth.edu/2006/05/10/first-impressions-of-arches-national-park/comment-page-1/#comment-24274 Nate Mon, 24 Nov 2008 21:24:30 +0000 http://fourcorners.blogs.plymouth.edu/2006/05/10/first-impressions-of-arches-national-park/#comment-24274 I loved Utah! Next time I’d like to see Park City. It would be nice to go back. <a href="http://www.utah-trips.com" rel="nofollow">Utah Trips</a> I loved Utah! Next time I’d like to see Park City. It would be nice to go back. Utah Trips

]]> Comment on Geologic Discoveries from the Field, Badlands in New Mexico! by Ross http://fourcorners.blogs.plymouth.edu/2006/04/11/geologic-discoveries-from-the-field-badlands-in-new-mexico/comment-page-1/#comment-16767 Ross Mon, 10 Sep 2007 17:02:35 +0000 http://fourcorners.blogs.plymouth.edu/2006/04/11/geologic-discoveries-from-the-field-badlands-in-new-mexico/#comment-16767 Do you know of any legends/stories concerning the Bisti, Navajo or otherwise. Thank you. Do you know of any legends/stories concerning the Bisti, Navajo or otherwise.

Thank you.

]]> Comment on Animal Encounters on the Four Corners trip by Alyssa Langley (edited by MaryAnn McGarry) by mmcgarry http://fourcorners.blogs.plymouth.edu/2006/05/02/animal-encounters-on-the-four-corners-trip/comment-page-1/#comment-6 mmcgarry Sun, 07 May 2006 17:05:41 +0000 http://fourcorners.blogs.plymouth.edu/2006/05/02/animal-encounters-on-the-four-corners-trip/#comment-6 I have noticed the great abundance of lizards on each of my three trips to the Colorado Plateau in the last three years. Upon recently rereading the children's book, 'Desert Voices' by Byrd Baylor, illustrated by Peter Parnall (they remain one of my favorite teams), I thought about the fact that lizards are like turtles, the young emerge from eggs laid in the sand. I've been intrigued for years with snapping turtles burying their eggs on the shore of Hopkins Pond, ME, where we have a camp. I wondered for the first time how common it was to witness baby lizards climbing out of the sand. I read Baylor's words, "When my mother laid her eggs she looked for sand that was just right. It had to be damp and it had to be warmed all day by sun. Down in the sand she buried her eggs. When she left, she didn't come back. There wasn't any need to. Sand and sun are mother enough for lizards." I had a whole new appreciation for the lizards I observed on the Colorado Plateau and I tried to imagine what kind of evidence if any would be left after the baby lizards climbed out of their nest and went searching for their first meal. Two such different organisms- lizards and turtles, and two such different ecosystems- the high desert and the shore of a temperate lake, and yet there was a connection for me, because both places I visit regularly and are therefore special places to which I feel connected. I have noticed the great abundance of lizards on each of my three trips to the Colorado Plateau in the last three years. Upon recently rereading the children’s book, ‘Desert Voices’ by Byrd Baylor, illustrated by Peter Parnall (they remain one of my favorite teams), I thought about the fact that lizards are like turtles, the young emerge from eggs laid in the sand. I’ve been intrigued for years with snapping turtles burying their eggs on the shore of Hopkins Pond, ME, where we have a camp. I wondered for the first time how common it was to witness baby lizards climbing out of the sand.

I read Baylor’s words, “When my mother laid her eggs she looked for sand that was just right. It had to be damp and it had to be warmed all day by sun. Down in the sand she buried her eggs. When she left, she didn’t come back. There wasn’t any need to. Sand and sun are mother enough for lizards.” I had a whole new appreciation for the lizards I observed on the Colorado Plateau and I tried to imagine what kind of evidence if any would be left after the baby lizards climbed out of their nest and went searching for their first meal.

Two such different organisms- lizards and turtles, and two such different ecosystems- the high desert and the shore of a temperate lake, and yet there was a connection for me, because both places I visit regularly and are therefore special places to which I feel connected.

]]> Comment on Perspectives on Water Conservation in Arizona by mmcgarry http://fourcorners.blogs.plymouth.edu/2006/04/21/perspectives-on-water-conservation-in-arizona/comment-page-1/#comment-5 mmcgarry Sun, 07 May 2006 15:34:56 +0000 http://fourcorners.blogs.plymouth.edu/2006/04/21/perspectives-on-water-conservation-in-arizona/#comment-5 I’m originally a westerner having grown up in Colorado and then I lived in Arizona- near Flagstaff, in Beaver Creek Canyon south of Flagstaff, in Oracle, Tucson, and Winkleman- all arid places, compared to New England. So, I forgot about the transition for Plymouth State University students coming to a high desert for the first time. Alyssa’s reflections on the sparseness of vegetation, especially while visiting schools on the Navajo Reservation, reminded me of one of my favorite authors- Byrd Baylor and his book, ‘The Desert Is Theirs,’ in which he writes about the Papago Indians near Phoenix, Arizona, but he could be writing about the Native Americans and animals who live in the high, arid country of the Colorado Plateau (1975, Aladdin Paperbacks, New York, N.Y.). Baylor’s poetic message is, “This is no place for anyone who wants soft hills and meadows and everything green, green, green… it's for strong brown Desert People... So from one short trip to the Four Corners, the PSU students might not fully appreciate that the ‘Desert People’ "like the land they live on" and they and the animals “share the feeling of being brothers in the desert, of being desert creatures together." I remember the first time I drove to the Colorado Plateau from Grand Junction in May ‘04 after a long absence, the globe mallow was in bloom everywhere and matched the surrounding sandstone spires, buttes, mesas, and canyons. All this color was so striking compared to the mud season in Maine I was leaving behind, that, like one of the lines in Baylor's poems, I could fully appreciate, "Where else would Desert People want to be.â€? I’m originally a westerner having grown up in Colorado and then I lived in Arizona- near Flagstaff, in Beaver Creek Canyon south of Flagstaff, in Oracle, Tucson, and Winkleman- all arid places, compared to New England. So, I forgot about the transition for Plymouth State University students coming to a high desert for the first time. Alyssa’s reflections on the sparseness of vegetation, especially while visiting schools on the Navajo Reservation, reminded me of one of my favorite authors- Byrd Baylor and his book, ‘The Desert Is Theirs,’ in which he writes about the Papago Indians near Phoenix, Arizona, but he could be writing about the Native Americans and animals who live in the high, arid country of the Colorado Plateau (1975, Aladdin Paperbacks, New York, N.Y.). Baylor’s poetic message is, “This is no place for anyone who wants soft hills and meadows and everything green, green, green… it’s for strong brown Desert People… So from one short trip to the Four Corners, the PSU students might not fully appreciate that the ‘Desert People’ “like the land they live on” and they and the animals “share the feeling of being brothers in the desert, of being desert creatures together.”

I remember the first time I drove to the Colorado Plateau from Grand Junction in May ‘04 after a long absence, the globe mallow was in bloom everywhere and matched the surrounding sandstone spires, buttes, mesas, and canyons. All this color was so striking compared to the mud season in Maine I was leaving behind, that, like one of the lines in Baylor’s poems, I could fully appreciate, “Where else would Desert People want to be.â€?

]]> Comment on Research and Reflections on Visiting Arches for the first time by mmcgarry http://fourcorners.blogs.plymouth.edu/2006/05/03/research-and-reflections-on-visiting-arches-for-the-first-time/comment-page-1/#comment-4 mmcgarry Wed, 03 May 2006 17:11:29 +0000 http://fourcorners.blogs.plymouth.edu/2006/05/03/research-and-reflections-on-visiting-arches-for-the-first-time/#comment-4 I wanted to put the size of Arches National Park, which Chris mentions is around 77,000 acres, so, I looked up the approximate size of the White Mountain National Forest (WMNF) in New Hampshire and Maine and discovered that the WMNF is almost 10 times larger than Arches. While in Arches it is hard to get a sense of the scale because of the expansive vistas and in the White Mountain National Forest it is equally hard because it is so mountainous and one can only see a small segment at a time, unless one climbs to the top of Mount Washington. I wanted to put the size of Arches National Park, which Chris mentions is around 77,000 acres, so, I looked up the approximate size of the White Mountain National Forest (WMNF) in New Hampshire and Maine and discovered that the WMNF is almost 10 times larger than Arches. While in Arches it is hard to get a sense of the scale because of the expansive vistas and in the White Mountain National Forest it is equally hard because it is so mountainous and one can only see a small segment at a time, unless one climbs to the top of Mount Washington.

]]> Comment on Welcome to the first blog about a trip to the Four Corners by Stephanie http://fourcorners.blogs.plymouth.edu/2006/02/10/welcome-to-the-first-blog-about-a-trip-to-the-four-corners/comment-page-1/#comment-3 Stephanie Mon, 20 Feb 2006 19:20:39 +0000 http://fourcorners.blogs.plymouth.edu/2006/02/07/hello-world/#comment-3 I am excited about this message board 'blog' because It will enable people from around the world to learn more about the Corolado Plateau. Hopefully some people who visit the cite will have also visited the area and will be able to leave their views for many others to see. I am excited about this message board ‘blog’ because It will enable people from around the world to learn more about the Corolado Plateau. Hopefully some people who visit the cite will have also visited the area and will be able to leave their views for many others to see.

]]> Comment on Welcome to the first blog about a trip to the Four Corners by David Berona http://fourcorners.blogs.plymouth.edu/2006/02/10/welcome-to-the-first-blog-about-a-trip-to-the-four-corners/comment-page-1/#comment-2 David Berona Fri, 10 Feb 2006 20:23:59 +0000 http://fourcorners.blogs.plymouth.edu/2006/02/07/hello-world/#comment-2 I am really excited to be part of this learning initiative. As Director of the library at PSU, this is my vision of the library...the integration of our digital resources and our librarians' expert research skills into the classroom, or in this case, right into Four Corners. I am looking forward to following this project closely. I am really excited to be part of this learning initiative. As Director of the library at PSU, this is my vision of the library…the integration of our digital resources and our librarians’ expert research skills into the classroom, or in this case, right into Four Corners. I am looking forward to following this project closely.

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