Podcast: Wild About Utah

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The World Keeps Turning

Bald Eagle Gliding on a Thermal Courtesy Pixabay, Dave Eslinger, Photographer/Contributor
Bald Eagle Gliding on a Thermal
Courtesy Pixabay, Dave Eslinger, Photographer/Contributor
I stepped outside on election morning, into a gusty, cold wind. Leaves skidded across the ground, mixed with heavy graupel which fell hard from sky, pelting me from all directions. Graupel is a type of snow—soft hail-like miniature snowballs—that fall with turbulent winds typically associated with either the beginning or the end of a storm cycle. It seemed fitting and it made me smile—in a curious and uneasy sort-of-way.

To the west, through the dim-gray rage of the storm, the Wellsville Mountains appeared to glow in the morning light.

Regardless of the outcome of the election, the earth keeps turning. And though elections can—and do—have direct impact on the wildlands of Utah and the health of our planet, today, the crows in the yellow pine in my front yard still call out, “Caw! Caw! Caw!” The snow still accumulates on the highest peaks. Squirrels still scurry frantically to cache enough supplies for winter. The Bear River keeps flowing to the Great Salt Lake, steady and silent.

In this climate of divisiveness I want to believe, at the core, we all share similar values that we express differently.

US Flag Courtesy Pixabay, RoadTripGuys photographer/contributor
US Flag
Courtesy Pixabay, RoadTripGuys photographer/contributor
I found myself reflecting back on September 11, 2001—how helpless I felt watching the news throughout the day. Late in the afternoon, I headed up Logan Canyon to center my thoughts and to finish a climbing route I had been working to establish. I carefully painted the last bolt anchor at the top of the climb with stars and stripes—it wouldn’t be visible from below—and named the route “Old Glory.”

That time alone on the mountain brought clarity. I came home, called the Scouts in my troop and told them we were flying the flags and to meet at my house as soon as they could. Troop 1, at the time, volunteered to hang the US flags on Main Street in Logan for holidays—it was a task I dreaded sometimes, because it was an inconvenience. Suddenly it felt like the most important thing we could do.

I didn’t ask permission from anyone. I had the key to the flag shed.

Four or five teens and I loaded one hundred American Flags into my van. As we drove slowly down Main Street—hazards flashing, stopping at each light post so the boys could mount each flag—everyone driving past honked and cheered. The boys knew we were part of something special that night—something that mattered. We were part of building a sense resilience and unity.

I have flown the flag at my house ever since.

United we stand.

Votes are being cast as I write. When this segment airs on Monday, we should know the outcomes of local, state, and national races. And those first rays of sunshine that set the Wellsville’s aglow through the graupel this morning—I hope they are a signal for all of us that the end of this storm is near. I hope we can all move past hate, past fear, past division, to a place of understanding that the left wing and the right wing are extensions of the whole bird.

My wife shared Mary Oliver’s poem, “I Worried,” with me this morning and I think I shall do as Mary did:

She wrote: “Finally, I saw that worrying had come to nothing. And gave it up. And took my old body and went out into the morning and sang.”

I am Eric Newell and I am Wild About Utah

Credits:
Images: Bald Eagle-Courtesy Pixabay, Dave Eslinger, Photographer/Contributor, https://pixabay.com/users/dave_e-6829662/
US Flag-Courtesy Pixabay, Road Trip Guys, Photographer/Contributor, https://pixabay.com/photos/us-flag-old-glory-american-flag-3838582/
Featured Audio: Courtesy & © Kevin Colver https://wildstore.wildsanctuary.com/ and Rubber Rodeo-Before I Go Away, Producer, Hugh Jones, Writer, Barc Holmes, https://www.discogs.com/artist/311765-Rubber-Rodeo
Text: Eric Newell, Edith Bowen Laboratory School, Utah State University
Additional Reading: Eric Newell

Additional Reading

Wild About Utah Pieces by Eric Newell

https://avalanche.org/avalanche-encyclopedia/snowpack/weak-layer/storm-snow-weak-layers/graupel-rimed-particles/

https://www.mindfulnessassociation.net/words-of-wonder/i-worried-mary-oliver/

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The Unique Biodiversity of Washington County

The Colorado Plateau Courtesy & Copyright Marshall Topham, Photographer
The Colorado Plateau
Courtesy & Copyright Marshall Topham, Photographer

The Great Basin Courtesy & Copyright Marshall Topham, Photographer The Great Basin
Courtesy & Copyright Marshall Topham, Photographer

Mojave Desert with Joshua Trees Courtesy & Copyright Marshall Topham, Photographer Mojave Desert with Joshua Trees
Courtesy & Copyright Marshall Topham, Photographer

Mojave Desert Courtesy & Copyright Marshall Topham, Photographer Mojave Desert
Courtesy & Copyright Marshall Topham, Photographer

Mojave Desert Tortoises Courtesy & Copyright Marshall Topham, Photographer Mojave Desert Tortoises
Courtesy & Copyright Marshall Topham, Photographer

Mojave Desert Tortoise Courtesy & Copyright Marshall Topham, Photographer Mojave Desert Tortoise
Courtesy & Copyright Marshall Topham, Photographer

Mojave Desert Tortoise in a Burrow Courtesy & Copyright Marshall Topham, Photographer Mojave Desert Tortoise in a Burrow
Courtesy & Copyright Marshall Topham, Photographer

For 44 years I have spent considerable time in the company of the desert creatures that reside outside my home in St. George Utah. That number doesn’t include my frequent visits to this area as a young man growing up in Iron County. Back then I did not appreciate the uniqueness of the environment I was invading. I do now. Washington County is an area of unusual biodiversity. An impressive variety of plants and animals call Utah’s Dixie home. Over 100 species of plants and animals found here don’t exist anywhere else in Utah. This extraordinary biodiversity is the result of several factors working together to create an environment that is uniquely its own. The biologically diverse environment of Washington County can’t be found anywhere else on Earth.

Today on the trail, I pondered the reason for such incredible biodiversity I was experiencing. Three large geophysical features collide and overlap here. The Great Basin Desert invades from the North, and the Mojave Desert from the South. The Colorado Plateau, a semi-desert pushes in from the East. Each of these deserts bring with them their own unique complement of plants and animals, making Washington County a mixing pot of biodiversity. In addition to the merging of these three deserts, the incredible local topography plays a role in the diversity of life here as well. Washington county elevation ranges from 1,800 to 10,365 feet above sea level creating a number of different life zones influenced by elevation change. Erosion has also been a contributing factor by created mesas and canyons that provide additional habitat diversity.

I marvel at this environment as I stand in one place and see around me plants that originated in each of these very different desert environments. This same experience is reflected in the wildlife I encounter as I traverse the trails in the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve. Today I encountered juvenile and adult Chuckwallas, sunning on sandstone outcrops or aggressively dismembering a Desert Marigold plant to feast on its blossoms. Tiger Whiptail Lizards dash back and forth across the trail in front of me, as Side-blotched Lizards casually watch me pass by from the edge of the trail. At one point, I had to alter my path a little to avoid a Desert Horned Lizard lying motionless in the trail. Intentionally watching carefully off trail, I observe the occasional Leopard Lizard in the sand or a Desert Spiney Lizard atop a rock. Today was a good day for Mojave Desert Tortoises, as I observed three along my route. All were foraging not far from the trail. Today was a great day to be in the desert, but I will be back again tomorrow. The desert is an incredible therapist. And the price of therapy is extremely reasonable. Who wouldn’t be wild about that?

I’m Professor Marshall Topham and I’m Wild About Utah.

Credits:

Images Courtesy & Copyright
Courtesy & © Friend Weller, https://www.upr.org/people/friend-wellerCourtesy & Copyright © Anderson, Howe, Wakeman
Text: Marshall Topham,
Additional Reading: Lyle Bingham, https://bridgerlandaudubon.org/

Additional Reading

Wild About Utah pieces by Marshall Topham https://wildaboututah.org/author/marshall-topham/

Washington County Utah https://www.washco.utah.gov/

Snow Canyon State Park, Utah State Parks, https://stateparks.utah.gov/parks/snow-canyon/

Joshua Tree National Landmark, US Bureau of Land Management, https://www.blm.gov/visit/joshua-tree-national-landmark

Red Cliffs Desert Reserve, Washington County & US Bureau of Land Management, http://www.redcliffsdesertreserve.com/

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A Good Shepherd

Early Morning Start from Mantua, UT, Courtesy & Copyright Mary Heers, Photographer
Early Morning Start from Mantua, UT
Courtesy & Copyright Mary Heers, Photographer

Border Collie Sweeping Behind Sheep, Courtesy & Copyright Mary Heers, Photographer Border Collie Sweeping Behind Sheep
Courtesy & Copyright Mary Heers, Photographer

Entering Brigham City, UT, Courtesy & Copyright Mary Heers, Photographer Entering Brigham City, UT
Courtesy & Copyright Mary Heers, Photographer

“Here they come!”

I heard the cry as I was hurrying down the side of the road in Mantua to watch the yearly tailing of the sheep.

The sheep suddenly crested a small hill, and I was face to face with one thousand sheep on the move. I grabbed a nearby mailbox and hung on as the sheep rumbled by on all sides.

The sheep were on their way from the hills above Mantua to their winter home in Bear River City, 23 miles away. For 4 generations, Eph Jensen Livestock has had a dedicated right of way to make this journey, including the mile and a half on US Hwy 89 between Mantua and the Brigham City exit.

By now I had hopped in my car and was following the flock. They were keeping a brisk pace of about 5 mph. There were 6 shepherds jogging alongside. Then, there at the back, I spotted a hard-working Border Collie racing left and then right behind the last of the sheep, making sure they kept up with the big group.

It’s rare these days to see a sheep dog actually at work. But the International Sheep Dog Competition comes to Soldier Hollow every year, and I wouldn’t miss it for the world.

Here you can see teams from as far away as South Africa and New Zealand competing with local teams. Each owner and their Border Collie will step up to a starting pole. When the timer starts, the owner sends the dog up the hill and out of sight to gather up 10 rough range sheep and bring them back through a series of free standing gates.

Now at this competition, the owner then sends the dog up and over another hill, and the dog brings back 10 more sheep wearing bright red collars.

Up until now the owner has been keeping busy at the starting pole, blowing a whistle and yelling commands. But now both the owner and the dog enter a large circle marked off on the grass by a series of knotted red handkerchiefs. The task is to keep 5 sheep with red collars- and only these five sheep -inside the circle. This is no easy task, as sheep never want to be separated from the larger group.

Meanwhile the clock is ticking down. This is where time runs out for most of the teams. But for the few still in the game, there is a tiny box corral close by that the sheep really do not want to enter.

Ironically, the faster the dog moves now, the flightier the sheep become. Nothing but slow steady pressure will get them into the tiny pen.

I find myself holding my breath. This is where this year’s champion will be decided.

Win or lose, there’s much applause for each team. And for me, much gratitude to the men and women whose love and close communication with their dogs have given us a glimpse into the ancient art of being a good shepherd.

This is Mary Heers and I’m Wild About Utah

Credits:

Images Courtesy & Copyright Mary Heers, Photographer
Featured Audio: Courtesy & © Courtesy & Copyright © Anderson, Howe, Wakeman
Text: Mary Heers, https://cca.usu.edu/files/awards/art-and-mary-heers-citation.pdf
Additional Reading: Lyle Bingham, https://bridgerlandaudubon.org/

Additional Reading

Wild About Utah Pieces by Mary Heers

Soldier Hollow Classic Sheepdog Championship & Festival, https://soldierhollowclassic.com/

The 2023 Eph Jensen Livestock Sheep Trailing, Bear River Heritage Area, https://youtu.be/4s5gaWNxdpw

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Spontaneous Moments

Spontaneous Moments: Binoculars on the Trail Courtesy & Copyright Joseph Kozlowski, Photographer
Binoculars on the Trail
Courtesy & Copyright Joseph Kozlowski, Photographer
Twelve sweaty, 2nd-grade birders and one worn out teacher stumbled into the shade of the Green Canyon trailhead bathroom facility. It was nearly 90 degrees under the bluebird Utah sky. No one had been quite prepared for the sun, heat, and amount of water they’d need for the journey; they were only halfway done with the hike. Students had discovered several birds along the hike with their binoculars (e.g., Golden Eagle, Yellow-Rumped Warbler, Black-Billed Magpie, and Townsend’s Solitaire), but by the time they reached the trailhead bathroom, their water bottles were empty, their bodies baked, and fatique was setting in.

Cooling Off Courtesy & Copyright Joseph Kozlowski, Photographer
Cooling Off
Courtesy & Copyright Joseph Kozlowski, Photographer

Class and DNR Team in Green Canyon Courtesy & Copyright Joseph Kozlowski, Photographer Class and DNR Team in Green Canyon
Courtesy & Copyright Joseph Kozlowski, Photographer

As the weary birders rested in the shade of the outhouse, they noticed a trail crew from the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) relaxing in some maples nearby, taking a break from their digging and construction project. “You guys look hot, want some water?” called a young DNR crewman. Of course, a chorus of positive replies echoed from the 7-and-8-year-olds. The crewman got out an orange Home Depot cooler and slung it on the back of a work trailer, “Here you go!” and another went to a fancy pull-behind trailer on their work truck, which was equipped with a hose and a nozzle, “This is drinking water too!” The kids dispersed, some leaning their head under the cooler spout and others tentatively holding their mouth wide open, like a baby robin waiting for regurgitated worms, for the crewman to jet water into mouths, still only partially filled with grown-up teeth. Kids laughed and the whole DNR crew chuckled. As kids were drinking a commotion started near the pull-behind trailer with the water hose. What had been a hose and nozzle for administering drinks had become a cooling fountain station. Water was being launched into the air and kids were dancing around underneath with screams of joy. After a minute or two, the teacher gathered the students, thanked the crew, grabbed a picture with them, and started their trip back seeming more refreshed than ever.

Spontaneous moments, unrepeatable circumstances. These are the memory makers. These kids may likely forget every bird they saw on their hike, but they’ll never forget the relief from the heat by playing in the crewman’s water fountain, or leaning under a cooler to grab a quick drink. As a wise outdoor educator, Eric Newell, once told me “Never be too busy outdoors to stop and experience something that excites the kids.”

This is Dr. Joseph Kozlowski and I am Wild About Outdoor Education in Utah!

Credits:

Images: Courtesy & Copyright Joseph Kozlowski, Photographer, Used by Permission
Featured Audio: Courtesy & Copyright © Kevin Colver, https://wildstore.wildsanctuary.com/collections/special-collections/kevin-colver
Text:     Joseph Kozlowski, Edith Bowen Laboratory School, Utah State University https://edithbowen.usu.edu/
Additional Reading Links: Joseph Kozlowski & Lyle Bingham

Additional Reading:

Joseph (Joey) Kozlowski’s pieces on Wild About Utah: https://wildaboututah.org/author/joseph-kowlowski/

Kozlowski, Joseph, Learning Through Birding, Wild About Utah, October 9, 2023, https://wildaboututah.org/learning-through-birding/