Goblin Valley

sTSTE PPIK a JuNT op RANGER PRoGRAM GOBLIN VALLEY STATE PARK JUNIOR RANGER PROGRAM Welcome to Goblin Valley State Park! Are you between the ages of six and 12? Do you want to learn more about Goblin Valley State Park? Do you want to become a Junior Ranger? To become a Junior Ranger complete at least six activities in this booklet. Once you've completed the activities, return to the visitor center with your booklet to receive an official Junior Ranger badge! Rangers and Naturalists take care of our state parks. In this booklet you will learn about some of the jobs they do. You will learn how YOU can help take care of Goblin Valley State-Park. Discovering Goblin Valley Some of the first people to discover Goblin Valley were cowboys searching for cattle. Imagine you were the first person to find Goblin Valley. How would you describe it? What would you name it? Discovery Walk As a Junior Ranger, it is important to explore the park so you can learn more about it. You will be able to share what you have found with other visitors. Explore with a parent and please leave everything as you find it for other visitors to enjoy. Find some of the things listed below: o Something soft o Something prickly o Something you smell o Something that moves o Something you can climb o Something an animal lives in o Something that is food for an animal You can list items, draw pictures, or write a story about what you see, hear, smell and feel during your discovery walk. A Story in the Rocks Geologists are people who study rocks. Rocks can tell geologists a story about what the landscape was like in the past. Goblin Valley's story goes something like this: Once upon a time, about 160 million years ago when dinosaurs walked the earth, Goblin Valley looked much different than it does today. There were mountains to the west, sand dunes to the east, and an inland sea nearby! Sand and clay washed down from the mountains to create layers of sediment here. With pressure from the layers above and lots of time, that sand and clay turned to rock. Geologists call it sedimentary rock! 1 00h1tAilhain Wean -.av. Can you think of something else that has layers? 2, (a,• 7 IT-r3) •3° .---) Sedimentary rock layers Q .31 u, • might remind you of this! CI Connect the dots to find out! .-p • . g *IT , t• .14 ....... ......<........::..... St : 94 i • .ta ; • • 9 14 15 6 • 5 • i'l ....""•..........„. .0 51 3• How did the Goblins form? Over time, cracks develop in the rock layers and rainwater seeps in. In cold weather the water freezes and expands causing the rock cracks to widen. This happens over and over again, pushing the rocks apart. Softer rocks in between the cracks wash away. Wind and rain round the rock edges causing the goblins to take shape! Draw a goblin that you saw today! Does it remind you of anything else? The Soil is Alive! Rangers and Naturalists help take care of all living things. In some areas of the park, even the soil is alive! Biological ("living") soil crust is very fragile. One footprint can damage years and years of growth! What does it look like? It is very hard to see when it's young but as it gets older, you'll see black bumps on the top of the soil. What is it? Tiny plants like algae, fungus, lichen and even bacteria, all help to form the soil crust. It can also be called Cryptobiotic Soil (crypto = hidden, biotic = life). What does it do? It holds sand together, holds water and provides nutrients to help plants grow. Where can I see it? Look for soil crust on the Curtis Bench Trail. bid you find it? If you did, draw a picture below of what it looks like to you! Remember, don't bust the crust! Desert Habitat All living things need: Water Food Shelter Space They find this in their HABITAT! Can you find these plants in their desert habitat? Rough Mulesears Rabbitbrush Joint Fir (Mormon Tea) Goblin Valley Crossword Write the answers to each question or picture in the boxes below. 2 ACROSS: 2 MEIN 5. This person learns about the park and helps park staff keep it clean and safe. 6 6 I I 10 I 10. Wind and water help form the goblins. I I DOWN: 1. Layers of sand and clay that has hardened over time is called rock. 3 9 11 12 4. This type of Cactus lives in Goblin Valley. 7. Animals that are most active at night are called Create a Goblin Valley Food Web! What is a food web? A food web is a way of connecting plants and animals in their habitat by showing who eats who! Some plants and small animals can be eaten by many different types of larger animals. Connect the plants and animals below with arrows. A mother kit fox has moved to another den and lost track of one of her pups. Can you help the kit fox pup find the new den and her family? F=sa k START Who Am I? Rangers and Naturalists teach visitors about the plants and animals that live in and around Goblin Valley. You can teach your friends and family about what you've learned. Use the clues below to solve these riddles: • I wander through the desert looking for grasses and shrubs to eat • Both males and females of my species have horns • I am the fastest land mammal in North America but I don't like to jump • I am white and light brown in color I AM A: • I am shy • I spend the cold winter months sleeping • In summer, I hunt at night for small animals to eat • If you get too close I may warn you by shaking the rattle on the end of my tail. I AM A: • • • • I can live in hot weather and in freezing temperatures I store water in my body I need sunlight, water and nutrients from the soil Spines and prickles protect my body I AM A: What is going on? Rangers make sure all visitors in the park follow the rules. Rules are in place to make sure the park and its visitors are protected and safe. ....r.._......_ OP Color or circle any activities that are against the rules. What can you do to help? Animal Tracks Many of the animals at Goblin Valley are nocturnal so they only come out at night to look for food. That keeps them from getting too hot! During the day, you may see their tracks! Draw a line from the tracks to the animal that made them. It If Si • ••aye Being a Junior Ranger As a Junior Ranger, your job is to help park staff protect state parks, the plants and animals that live there, and help visitors enjoy their stay. Why is it important to have and protect state parks? Rangers promise to take care of parks so they are safe for wildlife and can be enjoyed by park visitors. Write your own Junior Ranger promise and recite it to any park staff when you return to the visitor center. As a Junior Ranger, I promise to: Congratulations on participating in the Junior Ranger Program. Please return to the visitor center to receive your. Junior Ranger badge! CONGRATULATIONS! This certifies that Has successfully completed the Junior Ranger Program At Goblin Valley State Park And is now a Junior Ranger in good standing With Utah State Parks Park Staff Signature bate Illustrations for this booklet by Josh Allred