Author: Jack Greene

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Winged Bullets of Beauty

Adult Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) mid-air, passing food to a juvenile Courtesy Pixabay, Premek Hajek (hapr80), Contributor
Adult Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) mid-air, passing food to a juvenile
Courtesy Pixabay, Premek Hajek (hapr80), Contributor
My morning outing was bedazzled by masters of their aerial universe. Their agility is beyond imagination, capturing their prey with a gaping maw while flying at maximum speed, winged bullets ripping through the air. The swallows and swifts are truly marvels of aerodynamic design, with a pilot whose abilities know no bounds. They rival bats and dragonflies in their ability to capture insects while in flight: barn swallows, tree swallows, cliff swallows, violet green swallows, bank and rough wing swallows, white throated swift, all found in our beautiful Utah.

I watch them drink while in flight, as I have hummingbirds, another remarkable aerialist, skimming the water surface with beak scooping in. If you rarely see them on the ground, they will be resting on their stomachs, lacking abilities to stand, hop, or run. Their legs atrophied from spending most of their lives on the wing.

Barn Swallow Nest with Chicks and Feeding Adult Courtesy US FWS, Lee Karney, Photographer
Barn Swallow Nest with Chicks and Feeding Adult
Courtesy US FWS, Lee Karney, Photographer

Cliff Swallow Nest with Chicks Courtesy US FWS, Jacob W Frank, Photographer Cliff Swallow Nest with Chicks
Courtesy US FWS, Jacob W Frank, Photographer

Bank Swallows Flying Over Bank Nest Cavities Courtesy US FWS, Lee Karney, Photographer Bank Swallows Flying Over Bank Nest Cavities
Courtesy US FWS, Lee Karney, Photographer

Tree Swallows in Flight Courtesy US FWS, Ron Wrucke, Photographer Tree Swallows in Flight
Courtesy US FWS, Ron Wrucke, Photographer

Annas Hummingbird (Calypte Anna) Courtesy US FWS, Robert McMorran, Photographer Annas Hummingbird (Calypte Anna)
Courtesy US FWS, Robert McMorran, Photographer

Two species of swallows construct elaborate nests from mud. If you visit a bridge, you may find a long row of cliffs, wallow gorge-shaped nests attached to the bridge underside above the water. The nest opening is near the same diameter as the bird’s girth. Young birds may be slightly larger than adults, making their maiden flight a bit difficult as they squeeze through the narrow exit. Their mud nests are made of 1000s of BB-sized pellets glued together with a mix of bird saliva and mud. Both add plant fiber, strengthening their adobe nests. Barn swallows construct cup-like nests on flat surfaces, oftentimes above a door, which makes it a bit tricky to avoid getting nipped by a parent as one passes through.

Swallows engage in elaborate aerial courtship displays to attract and bond with a mate. The male will pursue the female in flight, often performing swoops, dives, and glides to showcase his flying skills. If interested, the female may reciprocate by mirroring the male’s maneuvers. The pair may continue these synchronized flights throughout the breeding season to strengthen their pair bond.

Swallows hold significant cultural symbolism in various native traditions, often representing renewal, hope, and transformation. They are featured in numerous myths and stories, reflecting their importance in spiritual and ecological narratives.

Beyond swallows, incredibly important natural pest control, their presence is also a key indicator of environmental health, reflecting the condition of wetlands, grasslands, and open habitats.

Swallows by day, bats by night, both critical for controlling insect populations. With our crashing insect numbers due to insecticides, habitat loss, and a rapidly changing climate, my concern for the future of this specialized bird family continues to rise.

Climate change, with rising temperatures, altered precipitation patterns, and increased frequency of extreme weather events, are disrupting ecosystems. This impacts the availability of food and nesting sites, altering the timing of insect emergence, potentially creating a mismatch between the availability of insects and the breeding season of swallows. As temperatures rise, suitable habitats may shift northward, forcing populations to relocate or face extinction.

This is Jack Green for Bridgerland Audubon Society. I’m wild about these winged bullets of beauty.

Credits:
Winged Bullets of Beauty
Picture: Courtesy Pixabay, Premek Hajek (hapr80), Contributor
Additional Images Courtesy US FWS, Photographers noted for each image, Jacob W Frank, Lee Karney(2x), Ron Wrucke, and Robert McMorran.
Audio: Courtesy & © Kevin Colver https://wildstore.wildsanctuary.com/
Text: Jack Greene, Bridgerland Audubon, https://bridgerlandaudubon.org/
Additional Reading: Lyle W Bingham, Webmaster, Bridgerland Audubon, https://bridgerlandaudubon.org/

Additional Reading:

Jack Greene’s Postings on Wild About Utah, https://wildaboututah.org/author/jack/
Swallows Nesting in Nuisance Locations, Division of Migratory Birds and Habitat, Pacific Southwest Region, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, https://www.fws.gov/story/nuisance-swallows

Barn Swallow, Natural Pest Control, BirdNote, https://www.birdnote.org/show/barn-swallow-natural-pest-control

Barn Swallow:
Barn Swallow, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Barn_Swallow/id
Barn Swallow – Hirundo rustica, Profile, UtahBirds.org, Utah County Birders, http://www.utahbirds.org/birdsofutah/Profiles/BarnSwallow.htm
Barn Swallow, Migration and Annual Cycle, JourneyNorth, Arboretum, University of Wisconsin-Madison, https://journeynorth.org/tm/swallow/News.html

Bank Swallow:
Bank Swallow, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Bank_Swallow/id
Bank Swallow – Riparia riparia, Profile, UtahBirds.org, Utah County Birders, http://www.utahbirds.org/birdsofutah/Profiles/BankSwallow.htm

Cliff Swallow:
Cliff Swallow, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Cliff_Swallow/id
Cliff Swallow – Petrochelidon pyrrhonota, Profile, UtahBirds.org, Utah County Birders, http://www.utahbirds.org/birdsofutah/Profiles/CliffSwallow.htm

Tree Swallow:
Tree Swallow, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Tree_Swallow/id
Tree Swallow – Tachycineta bicolor, Profile, UtahBirds.org, Utah County Birders, http://www.utahbirds.org/birdsofutah/ProfilesS-Z/TreeSwallow.htm

Violet-green Swallow:
Violet-green Swallow, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Violet-green_Swallow/id
Violet-green Swallow – Tachycineta thalassina, Profile, UtahBirds.org, Utah County Birders, http://www.utahbirds.org/birdsofutah/ProfilesS-Z/VioletGreenSwallow.htm

Northern rough-winged Swallow:
Northern rough-winged Swallow, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Rough-winged_Swallow/id
Northern rough-winged Swallow – Tachycineta thalassina, Profile, UtahBirds.org, Utah County Birders, http://www.utahbirds.org/birdsofutah/ProfilesL-R/NorthernRoughWingSwallow.htm

Purple Martin:
Purple Martin, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Purple_Martin/id
Purple Martin – Progne subis, Profile, UtahBirds.org, Utah County Birders, http://www.utahbirds.org/birdsofutah/ProfilesL-R/PurpleMartin.htm

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Elkweed/Green Gentian

Green gentian, Frasera speciosa, Courtesy US Forest Service, Teresa Prendusi, Photographer
Green gentian, Frasera speciosa, Courtesy US Forest Service, Teresa Prendusi, Photographer
In keeping with our nation’s 250-year celebration, Red, White, and Blue have decorated Utah’s higher elevations, from Tony Grove in the north to Cedar Breaks in the south. Sprinkled in between are mountain meadows carpeted with wildflowers, Indian paintbrush, penstemons, columbine, patriots of the loveliest hues. Additionally, nature’s erosional forces have created monuments found in our national and state parks on Utah’s Colorado Plateau, rivaling human-created monuments with their overpowering majesty.

Green gentian, Frasera speciosa, Mt Nebo Scenic Byway (Nebo Loop), Courtesy US Forest Service, Teresa Prendusi, Photographer
Green gentian, Frasera speciosa,
Mt Nebo Scenic Byway (Nebo Loop)
Courtesy US Forest Service, Teresa Prendusi, Photographer

Green Gentian, Frasera speciosa Stalk, Courtesy USDA Forest Service, S Olson, Photographer Green Gentian, Frasera speciosa Stalk, Courtesy USDA Forest Service, S Olson, Photographer

There is another monument found in the plant kingdom that towers above all others on our mountains and plateaus., frasera speciosa or green gentian. Upon first seeing this lofty flower, my senses were startled by its monumental size. On closer inspection, there were multitudes of exquisite blossoms adorning its tall stalk, with cream colors flowing into delicate green tips, with purple dots sprinkled throughout. The sepals, pistils, and stamens are no less striking. I stood in awe of this monumental beauty.

Over the years since my first introduction, I became intrigued with its remarkable life history, spending up to 80 years as an inconspicuous rosette of leaves, referred to as elkweed. Then, in its final year of life, it launches itself into a burst of glory, shooting up a tall stalk garnered with stunning flowers.

Given the size of its flowering stalk, it’s not surprising that a green gentian produces a large number of seeds. An average stalk is composed of 600 flowers and is capable of producing 66,000 seeds. When the plant dies, its leaves fall to the ground and decomposes, fertilizing nearby seeds, doubling its germination and survival chances compared with seeds dispersed further from the plant.

When a green gentian flowers, some of its offspring will flower in 20 years, while others will wait 60 or more years. Montane and subalpine environments are highly variable, with precipitation, temperature, damaging frost events, pollinator populations, thus germination and seedling survival vary unpredictably. It appears that for a plant that will flower only once, having offspring flower from 20 to 80 years is a way of hedging its bets in an unpredictable environment.

Research has revealed much about this fascinating and conspicuous wildflower, but it also demonstrates a fundamental fact in ecology. Long-term studies are necessary to identify some phenomena, such as synchronous and monocarpic-that is, dying after flowering-by Jeff Minton, a researcher.

Green gentian has been used by multiple Native American tribes for a wide range of medicinal purposes, with documented applications spanning from sedative and digestive treatments to veterinary remedies, the plant’s fleshy root was eaten by indigenous peoples as well, although considered too bitter by the untrained palate.

Parts of the Colorado Rockies are experiencing a super bloom of green gentian this year, which is interesting considering it’s been a record hot and dry winter-spring season. Many mysteries yet remain for this monument of nature.

This is Jack Green for Bridgerland Audubon Society, and I’m Wild About Nature’s Monuments.

Credits:
Images Courtesy USDA Forest Service, Teresa Prendusi and S Olson, Photographers
Audio: Courtesy & © Kevin Colver, https://wildstore.wildsanctuary.com/collections/special-collections and Anderson, Howe and Wakeman
Text: Jack Greene, Bridgerland Audubon, https://bridgerlandaudubon.org/
Additional Reading: Lyle W Bingham, Webmaster, and Jack Greene, Author, Bridgerland Audubon, https://bridgerlandaudubon.org/

Additional Reading:

Jack Greene’s Postings on Wild About Utah, https://wildaboututah.org/author/jack/

Gentian Family, Yellowstone’s Photo Collection, Yellowstone National Park, US National Park Service, https://www.nps.gov/features/yell/slidefile/plants/gentianfamily/Page.htm

Utah Rare Plant Guide, Utah Rare Plants, Utah Native Plant Society, https://www.utahrareplants.org/rpg_species.html (search lower on the page for “Frasera” or “Green Gentian”.)

Footer, Tracey, A Sight for the Ages: Frasera speciosa is on Display in the Northern Wasatch Canyons!, Utah Native Plant Society, https://www.unps.org/segolily/Sego2023Summer.pdf

Green Gentian, Utah Species of Greatest Conservation Need (2025), Fieldguide, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, https://wildlife.utah.gov/pdf/wap/2025-12-sgcn-list.pdf
By County List: https://wildlife.utah.gov/pdf/wap/2025-12-sgcn-list-county.pdf

Rascoe, Ayesha, A rare flower is in a superbloom in the Rocky Mountains, Weekend Edition Sunday, NPR,
July 5, https://www.npr.org/2026/07/05/nx-s1-5877757/a-rare-flower-is-in-a-superbloom-in-the-rocky-mountains

Frasera speciosa – Green Gentian/Elk Weed/Monument Plant, First Nature, Wales, UK, https://www.first-nature.com/flowers/frasera-speciosa.php

Posted on

Sacred Mountains and a Beautiful Spirit

Teton Range, Teton National Park, Courtesy US NPS, J Tobiason, Photographer
Teton Range, Teton National Park
Courtesy US NPS, J Tobiason, Photographer
I collapsed in a tangled heap of rope at my campsite in the Teton’s North Fork of Cascade Canyon after summiting the Grand Teton. I was alone, unprepared, but couldn’t resist the summit climb. Why would someone of normal mind risk life and limb for such a foolhardy venture? Since that climb, I’ve summited many Utah peaks and others- including Mt. Rainier and Mt. Whitney.

Road to Denali, Courtesy US NPS-Denali NP (Flickr), Tim Rains, Photographer
Road to Denali
Courtesy US NPS-Denali NP (Flickr), Tim Rains, Photographer
“I climb because it’s there.” George Mallory’s 1923 response to “Why do you wish to climb Mt. Everest?”

Robin Pendery Climbing, Courtesy & Copyright Alpine Ascents International
Robin Pendery Climbing
Courtesy & Copyright Alpine Ascents International

Robin Pendery Overlooking Mountains, Courtesy & Copyright Alpine Ascents International Robin Pendery Overlooking Mountains
Courtesy & Copyright Alpine Ascents International

Robin Pendery in Powder, Courtesy & Copyright Alpine Ascents International Robin Pendery in Powder
Courtesy & Copyright Alpine Ascents International

Robin Pendery on Skis, Courtesy & Copyright Alpine Ascents International Robin Pendery on Skis
Courtesy & Copyright Alpine Ascents International

Robin Pendery on the Mountain, Courtesy & Copyright Alpine Ascents International Robin Pendery on the Mountain
Courtesy & Copyright Alpine Ascents International

Denali West Buttress Showing Camps, Courtesy US NPS Denali West Buttress Showing Camps
Courtesy US NPS

If you were to ask this question to the late 33-year-old Robin Pendery, my former Logan High student, dear friend, and world class climber, she may have used more descriptive terms. Robin was a very bright, boundless energy student engaged in several clubs for which I was faculty advisor. Our world always brightened with Robin’s presence.

A few days ago, when I received news of Robin’s death from plunging into a crevasse on Mt. Denali, North America’s highest, I was crushed. How could someone so vibrant, so young, so skilled and giving to all who knew her, have perished? My heart immediately went out to Kim and Bruce, Robin’s parents and dear friends of many years, who proudly kept me posted on Robin’s remarkable achievements.

A torrent of condolences and memories poured in on social media. I’ll share a few.

“Robin was my guide for several climbs early in my mountaineering career and she helped shape who I am in the mountains.”
“Tough, kind, capable, and always so stoked. Giving me confidence that women not only had a place in this world but could be leaders…this is heartbreaking.”

“I can’t hold back my tears. She was the one who presented me with my Denali Pro Patch last year, and she was one of the Denali Rangers I admired and respected the most.”

I believe Robin and I climbed for many of the same reasons: physical challenge, the spiritual high in accomplishing our goal, comradery, the incomparable, exhilarating beauty of high places, breathing in the rarified high-altitude air, dancing around crevasse-riddled glaciers, experiencing unrivaled sunrise and sunset.

I spent two seasons working in Denali National Park, occasionally finding time to ride the bus to mile 80 where one could view this mountain massif reflected in Wonder Lake, but no time nor money for this very demanding climb. Mt. Rainer in Washington state is another epic mountain Robin and I share, where one of my sons missed being swept away by an avalanche.

Both mountains hold the minds and hearts of millions from afar. “Is the mountain out today?” A phrase often heard in Seattle, Washington and Anchorage, Alaska, gladdening the heart when these lofty peaks appear above the clouds.

Both are considered sacred by numerous native tribes, their words translating to “The Great One”.

Henceforth, I will never view these iconic monuments of nature the same, adding my own sacred, shrouded in our dear Robin Pendry’s beautiful spirit.

This is Jack Greene for Bridgerland Audubon Society and I’m Wild about our sacred mountains, and the beautiful spirit that resides there.

Credits:

Images: Courtesy & Copyright Alpine Ascents International, Jonathon Spitzer, Director of Operations
Featured Audio: Courtesy & Copyright Kevin Colver, https://wildstore.wildsanctuary.com/collections/special-collections and
Anderson, Howe, and Wakeman.
Text & Voice: Jack Greene, Bridgerland Audubon, https://bridgerlandaudubon.org/
Additional Reading Links: Jack Greene & Lyle Bingham, https://bridgerlandaudubon.org/

Additional Reading:

Wild About Utah Pieces by Jack Greene, https://wildaboututah.org/author/jack/

Alaska’s News Source Facebook Presence, https://www.facebook.com/AlaskasNewsSource/posts/new-a-photo-released-by-the-national-park-service-shows-robin-pendery-middle-bei/1442297047942358/ (Read some of the comments– Not the McKinley vs Denali ones, but some who knew her.)

Robin’s page with Alpine Ascents International, https://www.alpineascents.com/guides/robin-pendery/

Alaska ranger dies in crevasse fall on North America’s tallest mountain, AP News, June 5, 2026,
https://apnews.com/article/mckinley-denali-alaska-ranger-dead-mountaineering-8012e601e02f26f557a9e154191065ee

Vigdor, Neil, Park Ranger Dies After Falling Into a Crevasse on Mt. McKinley, The New York Times, June 5, 2026,
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/05/us/national-park-service-ranger-dead-mount-mckinley.html

Romero, Dennis, National Park mountain guide dies in fall on Mount McKinley, NBC News, June 5, 2026, https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/national-park-mountain-guide-dies-fall-mount-mckinley-rcna348749

Images include Robin with coworkers and plane to basecamp, Field Report – May 25, 2026, https://www.nps.gov/dena/blogs/field-report-may-25-2026.htm

Robin Pendery, NWAC–Northwest Avalanche Center, nwacus on Instragram, June 5, 2026, https://www.instagram.com/p/DZOUuTsgD60/

Denali Mountaineering Part 1: Planning Considerations, https://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/expeditionplanning.htm
Mountaineering: https://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/mountaineering.htm

A New Identity [and Altitude] for Denali, TERA, NASA’s Earth Observatory, https://terra.nasa.gov/news/a-new-identity-for-denali

Posted on

Earth Day

Eyes on Earth, A sliver of Earth is illuminated against the blackness of space in this photo taken by an Artemis II crew member through an Orion spacecraft window on the third day of the mission. Credit: NASA
Eyes on Earth
A sliver of Earth is illuminated against the blackness of space in this photo taken by an Artemis II crew member through an Orion spacecraft window on the third day of the mission. Credit: NASA
Earth Day, Earth Week, and my preferred, Earth Year. Let’s pretend to join the Artimus 11 crew for a wild 300,000 mile journey to the dark side of the moon for an Earth rise. Suddenly a soul piercing view appears and with it, in a brief second, we are transformed into a profound Earth lover. Eyes mist. Hearts race. A deep longing sweeps over us, a homesickness never before experienced. This celestial blue oasis hanging in an infinite black void contains all that we are, all that we love, from the long arch of human history to this very moment, sweeps over us. Transfixed, transformed, filled with an unquenchable longing.

Now imagine our return flight as earth’s gravity plunges us ever faster toward north America, and Utah before veering toward the blue Pacific for splash down.

The Great Salt Lake at Sunset Courtesy Pixabay, BJohnson, Contributor
The Great Salt Lake at Sunset
Courtesy Pixabay, BJohnson, Contributor

Four planets and the Moon are visible in the twilight sky over ancient Bristlecone Pine trees at Cedar Breaks NM Courtesy US NPS, Zach Schierl, Photographer Four planets and the Moon are visible in the twilight sky over ancient Bristlecone Pine trees at Cedar Breaks NM
Courtesy US NPS, Zach Schierl, Photographer

Cedar Breaks National Monument- the Pink Cliffs Courtesy USGS Cedar Breaks National Monument- the Pink Cliffs
Courtesy USGS

Condor Committee in Zion National Park Courtesy US NPS Condor Committee in Zion National Park
Courtesy US NPS

National Parks in Southern Utah Arches National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Natural Bridges National Monument, Zion National Park Courtesy US National Park Service (NPS) National Parks in Southern Utah
Arches National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Natural Bridges National Monument, Zion National Park
Courtesy US National Park Service (NPS)
https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/national-parks-in-southern-utah.htm

Cliffs Above the North Fork Virgin River, Zion National Park, UT Courtesy USGS Cliffs Above the North Fork Virgin River, Zion National Park, UT, Courtesy USGS

I’m reminded of the many flights taken to Southern California to train my AP Environmental science teachers, senses gratified by stunning views of the Great Salt Lake, a magnificent patchwork quilt of blues, reds, whites aware it’s teaming with brine shrimp, brine flies, and bird life, now sweeping over green, snowcapped mountains and high plateaus toward the red canyon country deeply incised by magnificent Colorado, Green, and Virgin rivers.

It becomes apparent that Utah has a unique beauty like no other, its varied landscapes replete with diverse life forms from Gila monsters to tetradactyl-like California condors, from over 800 bee species, to several thousand species of plants. Utah!! Home!

Considering this is factual fiction contrived by Jack’s brain, for all its splendor, let us pause over what I consider to be a standout to match a Great Salt Lake sunset- the Markagunt plateau. This magnificent piece of our beloved Earth has been sliced and diced into pure grandeur of deep canyons, much of which this mere Earthling has traipsed over- Zion National Park, Cedar Breaks NM, the shores of Navajo Lake, all resplendent with iconic species of life- pica, black hawks, black bear, Peregrine falcons, painted buntings, desert bighorn sheep, canyon tree frogs. Within the boundaries of Zion National Park our state’s highest biodiversity is found to match its magnificent, varied terrain.

Just to the west three bioregions merge where the Colorado Plateau intertwines with the Mojave desert and great basin spawning biological diversity beyond imagining!

Reaching across our marvelous state are stunning marvels- Bryce Canyon, Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and an myriad of state parks that deserve national monument status considering their unique geology and grandeur- Snow Canyon, Goblin Valley, Coral Pink Sand Dunes, Kodachrome Basin, Dead Horse, Goosenecks, Antelope Island, Great Salt Lake- Splashdown! Now back to reality, a lovely spring morning to celebrate Spring replet with canyon wildflowers, gushing spring runoff, and the return of neotropical birds bless us with their hatchlings.

This is Jack Greene for Bridgerland Audubon Society and I’m Wild about our otherworldly Wild Utah.

Credits:

Images: Earth -Courtesy NASA – Artemis II Crew
Courtesy USGS – Cedar Breaks & Zion Cliffs
Courtesy US NPS, Zach Schierl, Photographer,
also Courtesy US NPS, Condors and Southern Utah National Parks
Sunset at the Great Salt Lake Courtesy Pixabay, BJohnson, Contributor https://pixabay.com/photos/sunset-utah-great-salt-lake-6032689/
Featured Audio: Courtesy & Copyright Kevin Colver, https://wildstore.wildsanctuary.com/collections/special-collections and
Anderson, Howe, and Wakeman.
Text & Voice: Jack Greene, Bridgerland Audubon, https://bridgerlandaudubon.org/
Additional Reading Links: Jack Greene & Lyle Bingham, https://bridgerlandaudubon.org/

Additional Reading:

Wild About Utah Pieces by Jack Greene, https://wildaboututah.org/author/jack/

National Parks in Southern Utah, National Park Service, US Department of the Interior, https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/national-parks-in-southern-utah.htm
Condors, Zion National Park, US NPS, https://www.nps.gov/zion/learn/nature/condors.htm

Arches National Park, Geology and Ecology of National Parks, USGS, https://www.usgs.gov/geology-and-ecology-of-national-parks/arches-national-park
Bryce Canyon National Park, Geology and Ecology of National Parks, USGS, https://www.usgs.gov/geology-and-ecology-of-national-parks/bryce-canyon-national-park
Canyonlands National Park, Geology and Ecology of National Parks, USGS, https://www.usgs.gov/geology-and-ecology-of-national-parks/canyonlands-national-park
Capitol Reef National Park, Geology and Ecology of National Parks, USGS, https://www.usgs.gov/geology-and-ecology-of-national-parks/capitol-reef-national-park

Cedar Breaks National Monument, USGS, https://www.usgs.gov/media/images/cedar-breaks-pink-cliffs

Utah State Parks, https://stateparks.utah.gov/parks/