EXPLORING THE PALEONTOLOGY OF MOAB THROUGH THE JURASSIC WALKS AND TALKS PROGRAM

Moab, Utah, is a travel destination wherein tourists from around the world come to enjoy a wide variety of outdoor recreational activities and visit the region’s two national parks. As southeastern Utah becomes an increasingly popular destination however, incidents of paleontological vandalism and theft have increased. In response, the Bureau of Land Management, The GeoCorps Program, and the Respect and Protect campaign have partnered to produce the Jurassic Walks and Talks series. This free series, which ran during the Summers of 2016 and 2017, consisted of two facets: guided hikes (the walks) and short lectures (the talks). The goal of the program was to inform the community of its paleontological resources, and by doing so inspire good stewardship of the land.

In the mornings, one of five local paleontological sites would be highlighted in a short tour. Featured were the Mill Canyon Dinosaur Tracksite, the Mill Canyon Bone Trail, the Poison Spider Dinosaur Tracksite, the Copper Ridge Dinosaur Tracksite, and the Dinosaur Stomping Ground Tracksite. These sites were used as tools to discuss complex topics in evolution, ichnology, taphonomy, and more. Although dinosaur footprints and bones were the primary focus of the program, each tour also included information about the area’s geology, archeology, and ecology. Finally, a heavy emphasis was placed on the laws and best practices of conservation, including an outline of the Paleontological Resources Preservation Act of 2009.

In the evenings, the Moab Information Center hosted a rotating series of three educational talks. Attendees could hold casts of their favorite fossils, try their hand at identifying real fossils, or even make some of their own fossil replicas with craft supplies. These talks also discussed the paleontology, ichnology and geology of the area, while encouraging visitors to see the sites in person.

During the program’s three month run in 2017, 582 adults and 312 children participated. Voluntary, post-tour surveys generated very positive feedback, and the program is considered a success.