Carlsbad Caverns

https://www.nps.gov/cave/index.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlsbad_Caverns_National_Park Carlsbad Caverns National Park is in the Guadalupe Mountains of southeastern New Mexico. The primary attraction of the park is the show cave, Carlsbad Cavern. High ancient sea ledges, deep rocky canyons, flowering cactus, and desert wildlife—treasures above the ground in the Chihuahuan Desert. Hidden beneath the surface are more than 119 caves—formed when sulfuric acid dissolved limestone leaving behind caverns of all sizes. To access the park's only entrance road, New Mexico Highway 7, turn north from US Hwy 62/180 at White's City, NM, which is 20 miles (32 km) southwest of Carlsbad, NM and 145 miles (233 km) northeast of El Paso, TX. The entrance road stretches a scenic seven miles (11.3 km) from the park gate at White's City to the visitor center and cavern entrance. The address for the park's visitor center is 727 Carlsbad Caverns Hwy, Carlsbad, NM, 88220, located 27 miles (43 km) from the town of Carlsbad. Visitor Center >> RESERVATIONS REQUIRED to enter cavern and must be purchased at recreation.gov or by calling 877-444-6777. The reservation is only for selecting the entry time. Entrance tickets will need to be purchased at the visitor center. << The visitor center offers many services, including a bookstore, gift shop, cafeteria, restrooms, a park movie, information desk, ticket counter, and hands-on educational exhibits. To access Carlsbad Caverns National Park's only entrance road, New Mexico Highway 7, turn north from U.S. Hwy 62/180 at White's City, New Mexico—which is 20 miles (32 km) southwest of Carlsbad, New Mexico and 145 miles (233 km) northeast of El Paso, Texas. The entrance road stretches a scenic seven miles (11 km) from the park gate at White's City to the visitor center and cavern entrance. The park's visitor center is located 25 miles (40 km) from the town of Carlsbad. Hall of Giants Photo of Giant Dome and Twin Domes in the Big Room. Giant and Twin domes in the Big Room. Big Room Photo of the Big Room with trail Big Room Mule Deer Photo of four mule deer in a drainage with vegetation around them. Mule deer find food in a drainage. Natural Entrance to Carlsbad Cavern Photo of the Natural Entrance to Carlsbad Cavern with visitors hiking down the trail. Natural Entrance to Carlsbad Cavern Chandelier and Caveman Formations Photo of the Chandelier and Caveman formations in the Big Room Chandelier and Caveman formations. Yucca Blooming Photo of a yucca plant with cream and pinkish-colored flowers. Yucca blooming NPS Geodiversity Atlas—Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico Each park-specific page in the NPS Geodiversity Atlas provides basic information on the significant geologic features and processes occurring in the park. Links to products from Baseline Geologic and Soil Resources Inventories provide access to maps and reports. cave formation Studying reactive nitrogen deposition Although air quality has improved in recent decades the boom of energy extraction and development in the west is raising new air quality concerns for sensitive desert ecosystems. Researchers examine how even small increases in air pollution may affect park landscapes. This study will examine effects of different levels of nitrogen fertilizer on plant communities and soil processes in the park. Carlsbad Caverns National Park, Jennifer Holguin It’s Alive! Biological Soil Crusts of the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts It might come as a surprise to learn that in the sublime expanses of the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts, some of the most interesting life around can be found in the dirt right in front of your feet! Biological soil crusts form a living groundcover that is the foundation of desert plant life. Soil crust at White Sands National Monument Morale, Welfare and Recreation in WWII National Parks Wartime NPS Director Newton Drury wrote 'In wartime, the best function of these areas is to prove a place to which members of the armed forces and civilians may retire to restore shattered nerves and to recuperate physically and mentally for the war tasks still ahead of them.' During World War II, parks across the United States supported the morale of troops and sought to become places of healing for those returning from war. B&W; soldiers post in front of large tree Climate Change and the Chihuahuan Desert The Chihuahuan Desert Network is currently developing protocols to monitor several vital signs that may reflect current and future impacts of climate change. This brief offers a summary of how Chihuahuan Desert Network monitoring will detect future change. Smith Springs is one of many springs that serve as a water source for plants & animals in the CHDN. Bat Projects in Parks: Carlsbad Caverns A study of western bat species defense against WNS in Carlsbad Cavern. Rock formation in Carlsbad Cavern, stalactites and stalagmites coming together like teeth Carlsbad Caverns National Park Reptile and Amphibian Inventory Few permanent sources of water are present in the park. Rattlesnake Springs, a detached unit of Carlsbad Caverns NP, is a rare wooded riparian area. Surveys were completed in Rattlesnake Springs, the park's sewage disposal area, and canyons and drainages throughout the park. Texas banded gecko Wildland Fire: Interagency Suppression of Horse Canyon Fire The Horse Canyon fire was discovered and attacked on June 29, 2012, on Lincoln National Forest in piñon, juniper, grass, and brush. The next day, the fire crossed into Carlsbad Caverns NP, and Pecos Zone Type III Team took over management of the fire. Fire crews from various partner agencies used existing roads, trails, and fire scars to help keep the fire in check and conducted multiple burnout operations to tie in and strengthen containment lines. Air Quality Monitoring in the Southern Plains and Chihuahuan Desert Networks Both the Clean Air Act and the National Park Service Organic Act protect air resources in national parks. Park resources affected by air quality include scenery and vistas, vegetation, water, and wildlife. Over the past three decades, the National Park Service has developed several internal and cooperative programs for monitoring various measures of air quality. Cactus and clear skies at Tonto National Monument Air Quality in the Chihuahuan Desert Three park units in the Chihuahuan Desert Network, Big Bend National Park (NP), Carlsbad Caverns NP, and Guadalupe Mountains NP are designated as Class I air quality areas under the Clean Air Act. Class I areas receive the highest protection under the act, and degradation of air quality must be minimal. Air quality concerns include atmospheric deposition effects and visibility impairment from fine particle haze. Rugged landscape under a partly cloudy sky at Big Bend National Park Monitoring Upland Vegetation and Soils in the Sonoran Desert and Chihuahuan Desert Networks Vegetation and soils are two of many natural resources monitored by the National Park Service (NPS) Division of Inventory & Monitoring (I&M). Learning about vegetation dynamics helps us to better understand the integrity of ecological processes, productivity trends, and ecosystem interactions that can otherwise be difficult to monitor. In NPS units of the American Southwest, three I&M networks monitor vegetation and soils using the scientific protocol described here. Quadrat used for biological soil crust sampling Inventory of High Elevation Breeding Birds at Carlsbad Caverns National Park Prior to this inventory, little information existed on the presence, distribution, or relative abundance of high-country breeding birds in Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Portrait of a Montezuma quail, an intricately patterned black, white, and brown bird Park Air Profiles - Carlsbad Caverns National Park Air quality profile for Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Gives park-specific information about air quality and air pollution impacts for Carlsbad Caverns NP as well as the studies and monitoring conducted for Carlsbad Caverns NP. Doll’s Theater formation inside Carlsbad Caverns Wildland Fire in Douglas Fir: Western United States Douglas fir is widely distributed throughout the western United States, as well as southern British Columbia and northern Mexico. Douglas fir is able to survive without fire, its abundantly-produced seeds are lightweight and winged, allowing the wind to carry them to new locations where seedlings can be established. Close-up of Douglas fir bark and needles. Exotic Plants Monitoring in the Southern Plains and Chihuahuan Desert National parks, like other publicly managed lands, are deluged by new exotic species arriving through predictable (e.g., road, trail, and riparian corridors), sudden (e.g., long distance dispersal through cargo containers and air freight), and unexpected anthropogenic pathways (e.g., weed seeds mixed in with restoration planting mixes). Landscape with a uniform, green foreground consisting of invasive kochia Bats in Caves Bats and caves go together in people's minds. National Parks are home to many important bat caves. But, bats are particular. Many caves only contain a few bats. Some bats like certain caves for raising their young and other caves for winter hibernation. Other bats avoid caves entirely and sleep and raise their young in protected locations in trees and rocks outside. a group of bats hanging on a cave ceiling Student Journal: Studying the Air at Carlsbad Caverns National Park Student intern Jeremy McClung shares his experience learning about and assisting with an air quality study at Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Kings palace cave formations in carlsbad caverns national park Cave Exploration in the National Parks Most Americans may not realize that their National Park caves lie at the forefront of on-going cave exploration. Some of the longest caves on Earth are managed and protected by the NPS. And all of these caves contain unexplored passages and rooms that cavers seek to find and document. These giant cave systems are the site of on-going work by cavers to explore, map, photograph and inventory the extent of National Park caves. delicate thin mineral formations in a cave An Inventory of Fossils at Carlsbad Caverns National Park The rich fossil record at Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico, was the focus of a recent paleontological resource inventory. Paleontologist Scott Kottkamp dedicated three months at the park researching and reporting on the fossils from the Permian marine reef system and Ice Age fossils founds within park caves at the park. fossils and scale bar ruler Wildland Fire in Ponderosa Pine: Western United States This forest community generally exists in areas with annual rainfall of 25 inches or less. Extensive pure stands of this forest type are found in the southwestern U.S., central Washington and Oregon, southern Idaho and the Black Hills of South Dakota. Recently burned ponderosa pine forest. Cave Volunteer Activities and Welcome to Erin Lynch Activity summaries from Lechuguilla Cave, Carlsbad Cavern, Slaughter Canyon Cave highlight this update from Carlsbad Caverns National Park including restoration and research trips. A new Physical Science Technician, Erin Lynch, begins work in the Cave Resources Office. Lechuguilla Cave water and rock formations in cave Southwest River Environments In the arid Southwest, water means life, and prehistorically, rivers were the lifelines of the people. The Colorado River flowing through a canyon Southern Basin and Range The Southern Basin and Range is an extension of the Basin and Range Province centered on Nevada and the Great Basin and extending from southern Oregon to western Texas, and into northwest Mexico. Mountains and Desert in Guadalupe Mountains National Park Bat Bombs and Balloons on Fire: Bizarre Occurrences in WWII National Parks An auxiliary field at the Carlsbad air base was the site of one of the war’s stranger experiments as a secret government project envisioned captured bats strapped with bombs dropped over Japan. In Olympic National Park, Japanese Incendiary Balloons fell across the pacific northwest, trigger Climate Monitoring in the Southern Plains, Sonoran Desert, and Chihuahuan Desert Climate is one of many ecological indicators monitored by the National Park Service (NPS) Division of Inventory & Monitoring (I&M). Climate data help scientists to understand ecosystem processes and help to explain many of the patterns and trends observed in other natural-resource monitoring. In NPS units of the American Southwest, three I&M networks monitor climate using the scientific protocol described here. Kayaking across a fl ooded parking lot, Chickasaw NRA, July 2007. Climate Monitoring at Carlsbad Caverns National Park Climate is the primary driver of ecological processes on earth. A broader time scale (seasons to years) is what distinguishes climate from the instantaneous conditions reflected by the term weather. We conduct long-term climate monitoring to detect climate changes that could have cascading effects on park ecosystems. View from a mountaintop of trees, mountains, and a valley in the distance with cloud cover. High Adventure in Carlsbad Cavern The Mystery Room in Carlsbad Caverns is underway to be resurveyed and completely explored. With the expansive size of the room it makes for some big challenges. a helmeted person on a climbing rope descending a into dark passage way Preparing for the Inevitable—Cave Search and Rescue Practice at Carlsbad Caverns National Park Although search and rescue are rare in caves, when they do happen it requires a lot of planning and careful considerations. Carlsbad Caverns National Park staff prepare for when search and rescue situations may arise. cave rescue crew in safety gear prepares to lift a person on a backboard litter Lil’ Lechugilla A section of Carlsbad Caverns, known as Lil’ Lechuguilla had not been visited since it’s discovery in 1976. Due to bad data, a team of cavers went back to resurvey in 2019 only to discover a large room containing various minerals and a deep pit. a person in a cave with hard hat and headlamp The International Year of Caves and Karst in 2021 and 2022 The International Year of Caves and Karst is coming in 2021 and our National Parks will be participating with events and activities for all to enjoy. karst towers in china Springs Monitoring at Carlsbad Caverns National Park We monitor six sentinel springs at Carlsbad Caverns National Park to detect broad-scale changes in these important resources. Springs are relatively rare but ecologically important natural resources in the American Southwest. Despite their small size, springs tend to be hot spots of biodiversity in arid lands. A scientist writing notes by a pool of water in a bedrock depression. Series: Inside Earth – NPS Cave & Karst News – Summer 2017 This newsletter is produced as a forum for information and idea exchanges between National Park Service units that contain caves and karst landscapes. It also provides a historical overview and keeps partners and other interested folks aware of cave and karst management activities. 4 rangers walk through shoe cleaning station Series: Inside Earth – NPS Cave & Karst News – Fall 2020 This newsletter is produced as a forum for information and idea exchanges between National Park Service units that contain caves and karst landscapes. It also provides a historical overview and keeps partners and other interested folks aware of cave and karst management activities. a person with climbing helmet descending into a dark passageway Series: Geologic Time Periods in the Cenozoic Era The Cenozoic Era (66 million years ago [MYA] through today) is the "Age of Mammals." North America’s characteristic landscapes began to develop during the Cenozoic. Birds and mammals rose in prominence after the extinction of giant reptiles. Common Cenozoic fossils include cat-like carnivores and early horses, as well as ice age woolly mammoths. fossils on display at a visitor center Series: Geologic Time Periods in the Paleozoic Era During the Paleozoic Era (541 to 252 million years ago), fish diversified and marine organisms were very abundant. In North America, the Paleozoic is characterized by multiple advances and retreats of shallow seas and repeated continental collisions that formed the Appalachian Mountains. Common Paleozoic fossils include trilobites and cephalopods such as squid, as well as insects and ferns. The greatest mass extinction in Earth's history ended this era. fossil corals in a rock matrix Series: Climate and Water Resource Monitoring at Carlsbad Caverns National Park Climate and water shape ecosystems, especially in arid and semi-arid places like Carlsbad Caverns National Park. We monitor climate and springs at the park each year to detect changes that could be detrimental to park ecosystems. Climate change is an emerging stressor on springs in the American Southwest and a diverse array of plants and animals depend on these sparse water resources in the park. Yuccas with flowering stalks and other desert shrubs on a rocky slope Series: National Park Service Geodiversity Atlas The servicewide Geodiversity Atlas provides information on <a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/geology/geoheritage-conservation.htm">geoheritage</a> and <a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/geology/geodiversity.htm">geodiversity</a> resources and values all across the National Park System to support science-based management and education. The <a href="https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1088/index.htm">NPS Geologic Resources Division</a> and many parks work with National and International <a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/geology/park-geology.htm">geoconservation</a> communities to ensure that NPS abiotic resources are managed using the highest standards and best practices available. park scene mountains Series: Park Paleontology News - Vol. 12, No. 1, Spring 2020 All across the park system, scientists, rangers, and interpreters are engaged in the important work of studying, protecting, and sharing our rich fossil heritage. <a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/fossils/newsletters.htm">Park Paleontology news</a> provides a close up look at the important work of caring for these irreplaceable resources. <ul><li>Contribute to Park Paleontology News by contacting the <a href="https://www.nps.gov/common/utilities/sendmail/sendemail.cfm?o=5D8CD5B898DDBB8387BA1DBBFD02A8AE4FBD489F4FF88B9049&r=/subjects/geoscientistsinparks/photo-galleries.htm">newsletter editor</a></li><li>Learn more about <a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/fossils/">Fossils & Paleontology</a> </li><li>Celebrate <a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/fossilday/">National Fossil Day</a> with events across the nation</li></ul> two people standing outdoors near a fossil tree base Series: Cave Week—Featured Articles More than 20 parks across the US are participating in Cave Week via social media posts, cave tours, exhibits, school events, web pages and much more. The theme for Cave Week 2020 is, “Why do we go into caves?” This articles shares a few stories about why people (and bats) enter caves. person standing by underground lake in a cave Series: Chihuahuan Desert Network Reptile and Amphibian Inventories In 2003 and 2004, the University of Arizona conducted an inventory of reptiles and amphibians (herpetofauna) in six National Park Service Chihuahuan Desert Network parks. Primary objectives of this inventory were to document reptile and amphibian species, map the distribution of all species found, and determine a rough relative abundance for each species. Trans-Pecos ratsnake Series: Defining the Southwest The Southwest has a special place in the American imagination – one filled with canyon lands, cacti, roadrunners, perpetual desert heat, a glaring sun, and the unfolding of history in places like Tombstone and Santa Fe. In the American mind, the Southwest is a place without boundaries – a land with its own style and its own pace – a land that ultimately defies a single definition. Maize agriculture is one component of a general cultural definition of the Southwest. Series: Park Air Profiles Clean air matters for national parks around the country. Photo of clouds above the Grand Canyon, AZ Series: Seasonal Inventory of Birds in Low Elevation Chihuahuan Desert Riparian Habitats In 2004, independent researchers began conducting a three-year inventory of birds in low-elevation riparian (stream-side) habitats in the National Park Service’s Chihuahuan Desert Network. The goals of this study were to (1) document the presence, richness, and abundance of bird species; (2) compare results to existing information about park birds and update park checklists; and (3) provide baseline data and site evaluations that may be used to develop bird monitoring programs in the Network. Bird survey site in Guadalupe Mountains National Park Permian Period—298.9 to 251.9 MYA The massive cliffs of El Capitan in Guadalupe Mountains National Park represent a Permian-age reef along the supercontinent Pangaea. The uppermost rocks of Grand Canyon National Park are also Permian. flat-top mountain Mississippian Period—358.9 to 323.2 MYA The extensive caves of Mammoth Cave and Wind Cave national parks developed in limestone deposited during the Mississippian. Warm, shallow seas covered much of North America, which was close to the equator. fossil crinoid Paleozoic Era During the Paleozoic Era (541 to 252 million years ago), fish diversified and marine organisms were very abundant. In North America, the Paleozoic is characterized by multiple advances and retreats of shallow seas and repeated continental collisions that formed the Appalachian Mountains. Common Paleozoic fossils include trilobites and cephalopods such as squid, as well as insects and ferns. The greatest mass extinction in Earth's history ended this era. fossil corals in a rock matrix Quaternary Period—2.58 MYA to Today Massive ice sheets advanced and retreated across North America during much of the Quaternary, carving landscapes in many parks. Bering Land Bridge National Preserve contains geologic evidence of lower sea level during glacial periods, facilitating the prehistoric peopling of the Americas. The youngest rocks in the NPS include the lava of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and the travertine at Yellowstone National Park, which can be just a few hours old. fossil bone bed and murals of mammoths Cenozoic Era The Cenozoic Era (66 million years ago [MYA] through today) is the "Age of Mammals." North America’s characteristic landscapes began to develop during the Cenozoic. Birds and mammals rose in prominence after the extinction of giant reptiles. Common Cenozoic fossils include cat-like carnivores and early horses, as well as ice age woolly mammoths. fossils on display in a visitor center More Than “Just” A Secretary If you’re only familiar with modern office practices, you may not recognize many of jobs necessary to run an office or national park over much of the past hundred years. Today, typewriters have given way to computers, photocopy machines have replaced typing pools, stenographers are rarely seen outside of courtrooms, and callers are largely expected to pick extensions from digital directories. Women skiing Blanket Cave National Youth Park—Activity Enjoy a fun activity and learn about caves even when you can't get out to a park. In this activity you will build your own cave and learn how to make it like a "real" natural cave. Find out about cave formations and wildlife, and how to be safe and care for caves. New "Blanket Cave National Youth Parks" are springing up all across America! Join the fun! cartoon drawing of a childs and a park ranger exploring a cave Protecting the Ranger Image In 1926, five women rangers worked in Yellowstone National Park. Marguerite Lindsley was the only permanent ranger and supervised the museum at Mammoth. Frieda B. Nelson and Irene Wisdom were temporary park rangers. Wisdom worked at the entrance station, while Nelson did clerical duties in the chief ranger’s office and worked in the information office. Ranger dancing with a bear Who Wears the Pants Around Here? After a promising start in the early 1920s, only a handful of women were hired as park rangers and naturalists in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Carlsbad Caverns National Park and the national monuments of the Southwest became the new hot spots for women in uniformed positions in the 1930s. Women in skirts and pants Changing Clothes By the end of the 1930s, skirts were the common exemption to the standard uniform for women. As they ditched the breeches, they also lost their iconic Stetson hats. Women wanted more comfortable, better fitting, and more flattering uniforms. Many of the details of how changes came about are fuzzy, and it seems that the first separate women’s uniform adopted in 1941 was never implemented. Guide Olive Johnson at Carlsbad Caverns is wearing the WAC-style jacket at Carlsbad Caverns, Substitute Rangers As the 1940s dawned, the United States was still dealing with the economic woes of the Great Depression and trying not to get drawn in WWII. Even as it continued to manage New Deal Program work in national and state parks, the NPS remained understaffed as a government bureau. The emergency relief workers and about 15 percent of NPS staff enlisted or were drafted during the first couple of years of WWII. Winifred Tada, 1940. (Courtesy of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin) Plan Like a Park Ranger: Carlsbad Caverns Top-10 List Checkout the top-10 things to know when visiting Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Cave formations along the Big Room Trail. Potential Future Uses for Laser Scanning Data Collected in Carlsbad Caverns The cultural landscape of Carlsbed Caverns National Park consists of the built environment within the cave, as well as above. Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) data has allowed creative analysis, precise measurements, maneuvering through and understanding complex and challenging landscapes, and pushing the boundaries of cultural landscape analysis and documentation. Erin Gearty describes how 3D data can be used for resource protection. Laser Scanning in Carlsbad Caverns "Digital 3D documentation of the portions of Carlsbad Caverns National Park which had the highest degree of cultural contact was performed. My initial walk through of the cave several months prior to the actual work, my repeated comment was, 'This is really big.' This rather apparent observation did drive quite a few of the decisions we had to make doing this project." --- Malcolm Williamson A render of point cloud data showing trails through the caverns. Introduction: Use of 3D Data in Carlsbad Caverns This was a mitigation project for damage done inside of Carlsbad Caverns National Park by park staff that predates everyone at that park right now...And our conversations were about how to document the cave well, document it how we needed it documented to do a cultural landscapes inventory (CLI) how we could then use that information to take care of these resources inside the cave going forward. Julie McGilvray, National Park Service, at a lectern giving a presentation. Using 3D Documentation to Create 2D Maps of Carlsbad Caverns Kimball Erdman discusses how to use point cloud data and apply it in terms of a cultural landscape inventory. This is the first time a subterranean cultural landscape has been digitized in such a fashion. Erdman has performed digital landscape reconstructions for the Buffalo National River, and on a much larger scale, on Japanese internment camps. Kimball Erdman discusses how to use point cloud data in a cultural landscape inventory. Creating a Repeatable Method for Viewshed Analysis Using Lidar Data in Carlsbad Caverns "Both the paved path and the lighting system that make the cave accessible to visitors are responses to its existing geometry...through this symbiosis of nature and design, in terms of the delta between what actually exists in the caverns...and what the visitor perceives there, by virtue of the design choices at play." --- Claire Gorman Claire Gorman, Yale University stands at a lectern during her presentation. Changing Patterns of Water Availability May Change Vegetation Composition in US National Parks Across the US, changes in water availability are altering which plants grow where. These changes are evident at a broad scale. But not all areas experience the same climate in the same way, even within the boundaries of a single national park. A new dataset gives park managers a valuable tool for understanding why vegetation has changed and how it might change in the future under different climate-change scenarios. Green, orange, and dead grey junipers in red soil, mountains in background Changing Attitudes Most women with disabilities hired by the National Park Service (NPS) in the 1970s and early 1980s had temporary jobs. Some built long-term careers with the bureau. Starting before the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, these women experienced the opportunities and changes the law brought. It was their hard work and dedication to the NPS mission, however, that continued to change attitudes and educate coworkers and visitors alike. Ranger Shirley Beccue in her wheelchair and NPS uniform and flat hat looks out over the Everglades. Ranger Roll Call, 1930-1939 Few women worked in uniformed positions in the 1930s but those who did weren't only ranger-checkers or ranger-naturalists. Jobs as guides, historians, archeologists, and in museums opened to more women. Seven women in Park Service uniforms stand in line inside a cave. Ranger Roll Call, 1940-1949 Only a small number of women held temporary ranger positions in national parks during World War II. Carlsbad Caverns National Park, national monuments in the Southwest, and historical sites in the East continued to employ more women. Although a few women veterans benefitted from post-war veteran hiring programs, most veterans were men and permanent positions became even more difficult for women to get. Catherine Byrnes and Barbara Dickinson stand outside modeling the NPS uniform. Ranger Roll Call, 1950-1959 In the 1950s, women in uniform continue to work as guides, historians, and archeologists. Few women had permanent positions. A handful of women began to get seasonal ranger-naturalists positions at large national parks for the first time in two decades. Ann Livesay in her NPS uniform standing in front of a low wall at the edge of the Grand Canyon. Studying the Past and Predicting the Future Using Rat Nests In the western United States, packrat middens are one of the best tools for reconstructing recent environments and climates. These accumulations of plant fragments, small vertebrate remains, rodent droppings, and other fossils can be preserved for more than 50,000 years. Packrat middens have been found in at least 41 National Park Service units. Photo of a wood rat. Series: Park Paleontology News - Vol. 14, No. 2, Fall 2022 All across the park system, scientists, rangers, and interpreters are engaged in the important work of studying, protecting, and sharing our rich fossil heritage. <a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/fossils/newsletters.htm">Park Paleontology news</a> provides a close up look at the important work of caring for these irreplaceable resources. <ul><li>Contribute to Park Paleontology News by contacting the <a href="https://www.nps.gov/common/utilities/sendmail/sendemail.cfm?o=5D8CD5B898DDBB8387BA1DBBFD02A8AE4FBD489F4FF88B9049&r=/subjects/geoscientistsinparks/photo-galleries.htm">newsletter editor</a></li><li>Learn more about <a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/fossils/">Fossils & Paleontology</a> </li><li>Celebrate <a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/fossilday/">National Fossil Day</a> with events across the nation</li></ul> Photo of a person sitting while using a laboratory microscope. Series: Geologic Time—Major Divisions and NPS Fossils The National Park System contains a magnificent record of geologic time because rocks from each period of the geologic time scale are preserved in park landscapes. The geologic time scale is divided into four large periods of time—the Cenozoic Era, Mesozoic Era, Paleozoic Era, and The Precambrian. photo of desert landscape with a petrified wood log on the surface Guide to the Thomas J. Allen Photograph Collection Finding aid for the Thomas J. Allen Photographs in the NPS History Collection. Outside Science (inside parks): Monitoring Night Skies at Carlsbad Caverns National Park For Mosaics in Science intern, Jenna Crabtree, and the night skies team at Carlsbad Caverns National Park it's all about keeping the bats happy, the park healthy, and the night dark. Join this team of scientists as they monitor night sky quality at Carlsbad Caverns National Park. the intro slide for "Carlsbad Caverns National Park, Outside Science (inside parks)"