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ZION NATIONAL PARK
Where it is:
Zion Park is located in Southwestern Utah elevations
there range from 8,800 feet at the southern end to 9,000 feet at the north.
Zion has every climate from hot deserts to high cool plateaus.
Landmarks:
The most amazing thing about Zion national park is its
unusual shapes in the rocks. Checkerboard Mesa is a huge sand stone cut
into rectangles. It looks like a huge checkerboard. Large columns of rocks
that stand high are called “hoodoos.” Weeping Rock’s tears make a great
shower in the summer time. In once place you can pass through solid rock
tunnels. One of them is more than a mile long. Hidden Canyon makes a great
hideout if you decide to hide. Watchman Peak stands guarding the entrance
of Zion National Park. Emerald Pools includes waterfalls and pools of water.
The Virgin River runs through Zion Canyon. It has carved out the canyon
over 13 million years. At Zion Visitors Center you will find displays explaining
the geology,wildlife, and human history of Zion.
Wildlife:
Zion has lots of wildlife. Most noticeable are the birds.
Within the park 271 birds have identified such as the Stellers Jay. Zion
is home to 72 kinds of mammals - from tiny mice to Mountain Lions. Zion
also has several varieties of amphibians. These include salamanders, toads
and frogs. Zion reptiles include 14 kinds of lizards and 12 kinds of snakes.
Plantlike
Zion is home to lots of plant life. More than 800 species
of plants. Lots of these are wildflowers. Some are: Scarlet Monkey, Lavender
Shooting Stars and Indian Paint Brush. Out of Zion’s trees the giant Cottonwoods
are the most spectacular. Cottonwoods need lots of water.
In places water drips and makes it moist. Mosses, wildflowers
and ferns grow there. These spots are called the hanging gardens of Zion.
Geology
Blowing desert sand back in the time of the dinosaurs
piled up and eventually became the sandstone of Zion National Park. The
Virgin River runs through part of the part. It has gritty water that has
ground down the sandstone rock to make some of the natural formations.
Lines in the rock represent sandstone deposited at different times. Some
layers are flat, others are unevenly like sand dunes. In many places the
layers meet at odd angles. This is called cross bedding.
History
The first people to visit Zion were the Anaszi. Anasazi
means “the ancient ones.” They built shelters of brush and camped in caves.
They hunted and gathered wild plants. They were amazing weavers. They made
baskets out of the yucca plant and other natural fibers. Later they started
farms and became potters. Anasazi left art in the rocks called petroglyphs.
There is also art called pictographs in the caves and canyons. About 800
years ago they disappeared. Then the Paiutes lived there. They were hunters
and gatherers like the Anasazi. They were there when settlers came. The
Mormons were a religious group that moved there in the mid 1800’s. They
sold the land to the government in the early 1900’s. In 1919 Zion was made
a national park.
Why I Think We Should Protect Zion National Park
I Think we should protect Zion because of its waterfalls,
river, beautiful forests, canyons and hiking trails.
What does the Park Ranger Do?
Park rangers have lots of jobs. They care for the land
, give out maps so visitors will not get lost, find people who are lost
in the park and sometimes they dress up like people from long ago and tell
the history of the park. When fires break out they help put them out. Sometimes
when fires are good for the park they help to control them. They care for
the animals, count the wildlife and answer questions about them. It takes
a lot of studying to be a park ranger. They learn to drive or control planes,
air boats, rafts and other vehicles. A park ranger is a person that will
help you have a good time in the park wherever you are.
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