Science Moab

The Glen Canyon Dam disturbed the balance of many natural processes in the Grand Canyon stretch of the Colorado River. Here we talk with geologist and fluvial geomorphologist, Katie Chapman about the effect the dam has had on sandbars downstream. By understanding how the sand is (or is not) moving through the canyon, Katie is working to try and restore these once plentiful sand deposits for the sake of recreationists as well as natural river ecosystems.

Tara Gatewood understands the power of Indigenous radio. As longtime host of "Native America Calling", Tara was part of a communal place where native voices were heard. Here, we speak with Tara, an award winning veteran journalist and enrolled Citizen of the Pueblo of Isleta/Diné, who is now the International Women’s Media Foundation’s Director of the Fund for Indigenous Journalists Reporting on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, Two-Spirit and Transgender People (MMIWG2T) (https://www.iwmf.org/programs/fund-for-indigenous-journalists/ ), an initiative that directly supports Indigenous journalists’ reporting on the issue of MMIWG2T.

Dawn Davis of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of Fort Hall, Idaho studies the sustainability of ethno-significant plants. Her work is trying to deter people from harming culturally important plants by helping others understand the impacts on plant populations and the Indigenous cultures that have had direct relationships for thousands of years. Here, Science Moab speaks with Dawn about Peyote, a traditional medicine and important cultural plant found only in the Southwest United States. We speak about how peyote is threatened and how she and others are working with land owners, Native communities, and scientists to maintain this important species.

Science Moab talks with Ann Marie Chischilly, Executive Director at the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP).  In addition to the advocacy work she does at the national and international level, Chischilly works with ITEP to address climate change in Tribal communities  and works in academia to Indigenizing higher education.

This week we talk with Reagan Wytsalucy about traditional foods on the Colorado Plateau. Reagan is actively working to reestablish agriculture and the traditional food crops in native communities, and is specifically looking at peaches as the beginning food crop to identify, locate, and bring back to four corners communities.

Native communities have land management objectives that stem from traditional ecological knowledge and deep connections to land. Jaime Yazzie has been asking how traditional knowledge held within her Diné community can inform management in Navajo Nation forests. Yazzie's work on Tribal forests emphasizes Diné concepts of kinships and here she explains how she works to incorporate these concepts into management objectives. This episode of Science Moab was made possible by a Stem Action Grant from the Society for Science.

All About the Bees by Kristina Young

When it comes to the Colorado RIver Basin, the management of resources must consider the scale at which effects are felt. We talk with Lucas Bair, economist with the USGS Southwest Biological Science Center in Flagstaff, AZ. His work deals with the monitoring and researching resources downstream from Glen Canyon Dam and also provides science to federal agencies, providing additional science and information that helps them make informed decisions when managing the basin. Ideally, this monitoring and research helps inform not only the delivery of water and the production of hydropower, but also the management of ecosystems and other resources at the basin scale.

There are many efforts going on within the national parks of the Southwest to restore degraded ecosystems. From using biological controls, to weeding and seeding, to anticipating the effects of climate change, the national parks of southeastern Utah are actively being managed to return or maintain ecological function. Here, we speak with NPS ecologist Liz Ballenger about what ecological restoration means for national parks within SE Utah and the Colorado Plateau.

Horses evolved in the North American landscape but went functionally extinct towards the end of the Pleistocene. Horses were then re-introduced to North American and many have become wild on western ranges. Their numbers are growing and so is the damage they are causing. We talk with range scientist Eric Thacker about the growing number of wild horses across the west and the need for horse management in order to maintain the fragile ecosystems they graze on.

Aquatic insects can be used as bio-indicators of how a river’s ecosystem is doing. In the case of the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon, these insects are being severely affected by the Glen Canyon Dam. We talk with ecologist and bug lover Anya Metcalfe about her research with aquatic invertebrates in the Grand Canyon and how this might help sustain the weakening food web within this river corridor.

While dinosaur remains can be fragmented and hard to find, several reptile remains from the Cretaceous period (65-75 million years ago) are extremely abundant. These include freshwater turtles and a marine lizard known as a Mosasaur. We talk with Josh Lively, curator of Paleontology at USU Eastern Prehistoric Museum in Price, UT, about his work with these ancient reptiles and what his goals are with his new position.

Ambient water includes water from sources such as lakes, streams and springs. While ambient water may relate to groundwater or drinking water, it is not the same. Arne Hultquist is responsible for testing the ambient water quality in Grand and San Juan Counties, Utah. This includes the drainages of Mill and Pack Creek. As far as desert communities go, Moab and Spanish Valley have excellent ambient water quality.

The Navajo Nation is the size of West Virginia. Throughout the Nation, the topography, precipitation patterns, and water recharge are extremely diverse, but not well understood. Here we talk with principal hydrologist Crystal Tulley-Cordova about her work with the Navajo Nation Department of Water Resources and her research around the precipitation, recharge sources, and opportunities for sustainable water use on the Navajo Nation. This episode was made possible by a Stem Action Grant from the Society for Science

The Grabens is an area in the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park along the Colorado River that is constantly changing. The earth in these grabens is slowly moving up and down along faults and has resulted in a series of upthrown and downthrown blocks that results in long valleys between high areas. We talk with geophysicist Alba Rodriguez Padilla about the movement along these faults and how the information helps understand earth movements elsewhere.

Wildlife conservationist Joel Berger has come full circle with his observations of Bighorn Sheep. After studying Bighorn during his graduate studies, Joel took a 30 year hiatus from the species only to return recently by undertaking a Desert Bighorn Sheep study in southeast Utah. We talk with Joel about the logistics of monitoring the sheep and the possible impacts from the increase in human recreation in the area.

Reading a snowpack can be as much art as it is science. We talk with Eric Trenbeath, avalanche forecaster for the USFS Utah Avalanche Center for the La Sal and Abajo Mountains, about reading patterns in the snow and how that fits into an avalanche forecast. Each snow or wind event change the story and ultimately change the daily forecast.

Traditional knowledge that addresses the environmental, cultural, nutritional and spiritual health of the land and the people is at the heart of Cynthia Wilson’s work. As a tribal member of the Navajo Nation, Cynthia was born and raised in Monument Valley, UT. We talk with Cynthia about her work with traditional foods and the founding of the Women of Bears Ears who seek to restore Indigenous women’s matrilineal roles and the rematriation of the Earth.

Colleen Cooley grew up in Shą́ą́ʼtóhí, a small community located on the Navajo Nation in northeast Arizona. She guides on the San Juan and Green Rivers and advocates for the landscapes, waters, and cultures that surround her. Here, we speak with her about her experience as a Diné river guide, the importance of water, and what she wants to see moving forward for Native and Indigenous guides and Native communities in the region.

Many animals rely on sound for communication, especially birds. Human generated noise can have a large impact on bird numbers and productivity. Science Moab talks with Skip Ambrose, a wildlife biologist who specializes in the bioacoustics of birds. We talk about the specialized methods of recording the sound of birds and how this data helps define how much the birds are affected by human noise.