Black Canyon of the Gunnison

Adventures in Black Canyon Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park Official Junior Ranger Activity Book o t e m o c l We n o y n a C Blackf the Gunnison o National PARK! To Earn Your Junior Ranger Badge: • Page 6 is a REQUIRED page. • Complete as many activity pages as your age. • When you are finished, bring your book back to the visitor center to receive your badge. Follow the Junior Ranger Rules: • SAFETY FIRST! - Stay at least a body length from the edge of the canyon. - Do not climb on railings. - Do not throw rocks over the canyon rim. - Store food where bears and other wildlife can’t get it. - Keep a safe distance from wildlife. • Take care of the park. Leave it better than you found it. • Be prepared. This means wear sunscreen and a hat, sturdy shoes, and carry plenty of water. Adults: ork ed to w ncourag e e r a u Yo child. ith your w ly e s clo ed present estions u q y n a M ended e openhere ar courage nt to en and mea . Place of ideas n io s s u disc correct hasis on less emp emphasis nd more a , s r e answ covery. ss of dis e c o r p k on the the wor lp, but e h n a c You ’s own. ur child o y e b should 2 BINGO! Find a sagebrush and sketch it below. Smell it! Have a picnic. Sit in a quiet place for two minutes. Visit East Portal. Touch a juniper tree. Can you hear birds? The river? How many fish can you spot? ___________________ Hint: Look for a tree with small, hard blue berries. Attend a Ranger program. Find an animal’s home. Sketch it. Who lives there? Clean up your trash. Don’t attract bears, birds, or chipmunks! Look for lichen growing on the rocks. Circle the colors that you find. Black Purple Green Orange Blue Yellow Red White Sketch a wildflower. ___________________ Find an animal track and sketch it. Whose is it ? What would you hunt for dinner? ___________________ ___________________ Wave to a Ask a Park Ranger a question. mule deer. Don t’ pick it! Hide under a small tree or under a bush like a mountain lion. Hike a park trail. On the South Rim you can try the Warner Point Trail or the Oak Flat Trail. On the North Rim try to hike to Exclamation Point on the North Vista Trail. Sketch an oak leaf. Hint: Look for acorns under the tree. Spot a soaring bird. Hint: Look up! n o As you explore the park, try to get a BINGO! by crossing out y n a C k c a l B four boxes in a row, either vertically, horizontally, or diagonally. 3 ! ! K E R A V I E L As you travel through the park, A R A N G I U IHLDAT BW you are likely to visit many overlooks. Circle one overlook below and visit it in order to complete these two pages. South Rim: Pulpit Rock Chasm View Sunset View North Rim: Narrows View Exclamation Point Kneeling Camel View The rock that makes up the Black Canyon’s walls is ancient! Some of the rock that you can see is over 1.8 billion (1,800,000,000) years old. This rock formed deep underground and is extremely hard. It was lifted to the surface of the earth about 65 million (65,000,000) years ago during the Gunnison Uplift. The Gunnison River has been forming the canyon by cutting through the rock for the past 2 million (2,000,000) years. The canyon gets a little bit deeper each year. HINT: in 1 year, the river carves approximately the thickness of this piece of paper. How many years would it take to cut the canyon as deep as your Junior Ranger book’s thickness? __________________ Can you hear the river? What does it sound like? Is it moving quickly or slowly? _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ Can you see the river? Sketch what you can see. Do you know which direction the river is flowing? It may be hard to tell. The Gunnison River flows northwest (NW) through the canyon. Use the compass rose on the next page to determine whether the river is moving from left to right or right to left below you. (Circle answer below.) 4 I am standing on the South Rim North Rim Below me, the Gunnison River is flowing from left to right right to left N Nw NE W SE SW Grand Junction E DENVER S COMPASS ROSE PACIFIC OCEAN SCALE (MILES) 0 100 200 MEXICO Melting snow from the West Elk and San Juan Mountains joins the Gunnison River, which flows through Blue Mesa Reservoir and the Black Canyon, and then joins the Colorado River in Grand Junction. The Colorado River flows all the way to the Pacific Ocean. How many mountains can you count around you? __________ Can you see the ocean? __________ Using the scale on the map, estimate how far you are from the ocean: ________________________ Imagine that you are a drop of water in the Black Canyon. You travel in the Gunnison and Colorado Rivers all the way to the Pacifc Ocean. How many states do you pass through?__________ How many countries do you visit? __________ In reality, the Colorado River no longer reaches the Pacifc Ocean. It has run dry in Mexico since 1998. There are two main causes for this change. One cause is that the southwestern United States relies heavily on the river for irrigation, drinking water, and electricity. The other cause is that we have had multiple years of drought and warmer temperatures, both effects of climate change. What are three things that you can do to conserve the water in the Colorado River and in the lakes, reservoirs, and rivers near your home? 1. _____________________________________________________________________________________ 2. _____________________________________________________________________________________ 3. _____________________________________________________________________________________ 5 What a VIE W! Visit another overlook for completing the activities on these two pages!Circle it below. South Rim: Painted Wall View Gunnison Point Tomichi Point North Rim: Chasm View Big Island View Balanced Rock View Sketch a rock wall that you see from the overlook. Do you ever look for shapes in the clouds? You can do the same thing with the rocks and plants that you see across the canyon. Do any of the shapes or patterns look like animals or scenes in your imagination? Sketch what you imagine below. Using colors, shapes, and patterns please describe your view to an artist: _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ 6 _____________________________________________________________________________________ Geology is the study of the earth. Geologists are scientists who look closely at rocks, soil, and minerals in order to learn about our planet’s history and origins. How would you describe your view to a geologist? (Read on for useful vocabulary.) __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ Unscramble the words below to learn about the three rock types studied by geologists. Sedimentary rocks are made of sand, UMD ___________, and clay pushed together in layers. SOFSILS ___________ of ancient plants and animals are often found in sedimentary rocks. Igneous rocks are made of volcanic materials, like cooled AVAL ___________, magma, or ash. Metamorphic rocks are formed deep underground when sedimentary and igneous rocks HANEGC ___________ because of the hot temperature and high pressure. Specifc rocks that you might see: Pegmatite (‘peg-ma-tite’): This igneous rock is usually pink or white. It has shiny flakes (mica), thick white crystals (quartz), and pink minerals (feldspar). It is formed by magma that cooled deep underground. Schist (‘shist’): This darkly colored metamorphic rock may look black with shiny flakes. Gneiss (‘nice’): This darkly colored metamorphic rock usually has white bands (stripes) through it. US: BON Want a challenge? Identify each of these three rocks by searching for them on the ground. Sketch them below or take a picture with your camera to show to a Park Ranger at the visitor center. Remember: Leave what you find! Pegmatite Schist Gneiss 7 The Living EA RTH ! Uplift occurs when tectonic plates deep below the surface of the earth move and push up on the rock above. This process brought the ancient rock found at the Black Canyon to the earth’s surface. A process called erosion has broken down this rock and still cuts the canyon’s walls. The river has carved much of the canyon, but other agents of erosion have been working, too. Water can get into cracks in rocks and then expand when it freezes (turns to ice), breaking rocks apart. Lichen growing on rocks and carbonic acid in rain both break down rocks into soil. Complete the word search below to learn more about agents of erosion that shaped this area’s landscape and that still carve the Black Canyon today. U G E Q S H L H W R N F O H W S K C I R D B E U I U B W Y X U K I F V T L B A W R V F B E N L U A N I S R A M O RAIN N R W L S W K C C J C O H A RIVER WATER S B L E R H C V H I O C T T ICE E A T E U A E S E F D N I W GLACIER E L V G N M M A N H E I Q R SUN’S HEAT Z I R N L X J D T P R L Y F LICHEN R G L A C I E R J F A M T R PLANT ROOTS Y R O M G X R Y Q M T L D I HIKERS P L A N T R O O T S R R S D Try this model at home with an adult! Fill a shallow pan with ½ inch of whole milk. This represents the surface of the earth. Add drops of food coloring. Red represents mountains and valleys; blue represents oceans, lakes, and rivers; green represents vegetation; yellow represents all the wildlife. Watch how the earth changes for two minutes. Then fast forward millions of years by dipping a cotton swab in dish soap and tapping the earth’s surface. Watch uplift and erosion of mountains. Watch the amount of water increase and decrease as the earth warms and cools. 8 WORD BANK WIND Explore the ! N O Y N A C R E WILD INN In a Wilderness canyon you must tread lightly. Try and choose routes that will provide a fun experience while keeping both you and the canyon safe. Trace your route to the river where you will camp, then assign point values to your choices by circling the corresponding numbers in the chart to the right. Add them up for your total score. See page 14 to find out how well you did. 9 H ABI TATS Big and Small All living things need food, water, shelter, and space to survive. Where they find these things is called their habitat. Some animals and plants need river edges, some need deep water, and some need dry soil. A small animal, like a mouse, may find everything it needs within a few feet. A bear or a mountain lion may need hundreds of miles in which to search. Explore habitats of different sizes by completing the activity below. Find a place where you can observe quietly. Begin at the bottom of the page and work your way up. From each perspective, draw or list possible sources of food, water, and shelter for wildlife. If you see any wildlife, be sure and name or sketch it in the space provided. Stand up. Look as far as you can see. Food Water Shelter Who lives here? Hint: Think big! Sit down. Look as far as you can see. Food Water Shelter Who lives here? Shelter Who lives here? Lie on your stomach. Look as far as you can see. Food Water Hint: Think small! 10 The steep canyon walls create a vertical landscape with some special challenges for the plants and animals that live here. How do plants hold on and get the water they need in such a steep, rocky home? How do animals move safely from ledge to ledge? They have special adaptations. An adaptation is a body part or special behavior that helps an animal or plant survive. e h t n ving o Li Hanging garden Sullivantia (‘sull-i-van-ti-a’) is a rare plant specially adapted to living in canyon crevices where water seeps down the wall. Their roots hold tightly to this isolated water source, while their stems and leaves hang down in a curtain to make the most of the fleeting sunlight crossing the canyon wall. Concave, elastic hooves—soft and flexible on the inside, hard on the outside—aid sheep in precarious jumps and breathtaking climbs on sharp cliff faces. Bighorn sheep move in and out of the park. They are most commonly seen in the park in summer and fall. Draw your own imaginary animal or plant with special adaptations to live on the canyon walls. Invent a name for your animal or plant: _____________________________________________________ Describe its adaptations here. How does it get its food, water, and shelter? How much space does it need? Does it move? If so, how? _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ 11 Spy on a PLA NT (vegetation). structured Botany (‘bot-a-nee ’) is the study of plant life. Botanists are scientists who look closely at how plants are structured, how they grow, and how they spread. Hike for five minutes down a trail. Stop and slowly turn in a circle three times. There are plants all around you. Hint: Remember to include trees, grasses, flowers, and bushes. _______________________________________________________________________ Become a botanist! As you continue to hike, look for your favorite plant. Study it closely, but remember, don’t pick it! Sketch your plant below. What colors do you see? _________________________________________________ How big is one leaf? The ruler may help you measure. _______________________ What does it smell like? _________________________________________________ What are three adjectives that describe this plant? _________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ Name an animal that could use this plant as part of their habitat. Might this plant provide food, water, or shelter for that animal? _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ 12 _______________________________________________________________________ (SCALE: INCHES) How many different types of plants can you spot as you spin? Some Park Rangers are wildlife biologists. Wildlife LDL IFE WIDetective biology is the study of wild animals and their habitats. Sometimes wildlife biologists are lucky, and when they go out hiking they will find the animals that they are looking for. Other times, the animals that they are looking for are nocturnal (active at night) or are scared by the sound or smell of people. Train to be a wildlife biologist by drawing lines from each animal below to the clues that it left behind (illustrations not to scale). If you are lucky enough to spot wildlife in the park, follow this “Rule of Thumb”: hold your thumb up at an arm’s length between you and the animal. If your thumb covers the outline of the animal, then you are a good distance away. 13 Let’s’ MoveOutside! Humans have lived in this area for over 10,000 years. Ancestors of the Ute Indians were some of the earliest known inhabitants, living off of the plants that they could gather and the animals that they could hunt. In the 1800s, miners began moving to the area, looking for any minerals that would make them money, having heard of gold in the nearby mountains. With more farmers moving to the Uncompahgre Valley (Montrose), people began to truly change the Black Canyon’s landscape. A settlement was made in East Portal by 1904, the Gunnison Diversion Tunnel was completed in 1909, and the Black Canyon had its first scenic road in 1930. By visiting Black Canyon, you are adding to its story. Complete at least three activities on this page. Draw a star on the ones that you complete. Count the steps from the visitor center down to Gunnison Point and back! Hike to Exclamation Point! I counted __________ steps. Carry your own backpack for the whole day. Hike the Rim Rock Trail from the campground to the visitor center. Go fishing at East Portal. Did you catch any? Go on a Ranger-led hike. Sleep in a tent for the night. I learned _______________ Hike the Uplands Trail and see how many different wildflowers you can count. I spotted (but did not pick) ______ different wildflowers. Snowshoe or ski down the South Rim Road in winter. Maybe one day you will return to the Black Canyon. Adventure seekers plan trips here to rock climb, to hike down to the river for fishing or camping, and to kayak. What would you like to do here some day? 7 – Great job! You get top marks. 8-15 – Not bad. You could do better. 15 or more – Lighten up! You could get hurt and so could the canyon. If you got a 5 on any action – YIKES! You shouldn’t be doing this. Check your answer and ask a Park Ranger if you have any questions. Pick your next adventure! A WORLD OF JUNIOR RANGER ADVENTURES AWAITS YOU! There are over 400 national parks, monuments, preserves, recreation areas, seashores, lakeshores, historical parks, battlefields, and memorials in the United States. Whether you are continuing your travels or heading home, there is something exciting in your future! A few parks are featured here. KATMAI, AK SAGUARO, AZ DEVILS TOWER, WY MESA VERDE, CO YELLOWSTONE, WY MOUNT RUSHMORE, SD CAPE HATTERAS, NC ARCHES. UT, GREAT SAND DUNES, CO HAWAII VOLCANOES, HI BLACK CANYON, CO GRAND CANYON, AZ STATUE OF LIBERTY,NY EVERGLADES, FL CURECANTI, CO check of the ones that you have AMERICAN SAMOA Rank the ones you would like to visit someday by already visited placing a number next to your favorites (1, 2, 3. .) Color them al ! _________________________________________________________ Date You can also mail completed booklets to: Education Office, Black Canyon NP, 102 Elk Creek, Gunnison, CO 81230. We will mail your badge with your completed booklet. For more, visit: www.nps.gov/blca www.nps.gov/webrangers OFFICIAL JUNIOR RANGER ACHIEVEMENT AWARD _________________________________________________________ Park Ranger Signature _________________________________________________________ Junior Ranger Signature “I, _________________________, PROMISE TO TEACH OTHERS ABOUT WHAT I LEARNED AT BLACK CANYON, PROMISE TO EXPLORE OTHER NATIONAL PARK SERVICE AREAS, AND PROMISE TO TAKE CARE OF THESE PLACES SO THAT ALL PEOPLE CAN ENJOY THEM FOREVER. ” National Park n o y n a C Blackof the Gunnison