PREFACE

I remember my first trip to canyon country. I had driven over from Colorado with a group of friends to go backpacking. We arrived in the Needles district of Canyonlands National Park at about 11 p.m., pulled off the road, set up camp, and went to sleep. The next morning I awoke to the most astounding sight I had ever seen. The sun, which had just crept over the La Sal Mountains, lit the rocks so intensely it looked like the light was coming from within the rocks. Like many people who visit canyon country, I was immediately addicted to this region.

Two years later I moved to Moab to work for a small educational nonprofit organization, Canyonlands Field Institute (CFI). My original plan was to stay for 3 months. I left 9 years later.

I initially viewed the landscape with a geologist’s eyes. I concentrated on the rocks and learned about the waxing and waning of deserts and seas that once covered this area. The plants and animals of canyon country often suffer such a fate, for this place is truly a geologist’s paradise. Over time though, my focus began to change and I started to see the smaller parts of the landscape. Canyon country contains a diverse and fascinating range of flora and fauna.

I was fortunate in working at CFI for several reasons. I got to spend most of my time out in the field attending educational workshops. The passion of the instructors opened up the natural world to me. I began to see the interactions between the plants, animals, and geology and discovered that I could not look at this landscape without wanting to know more about these relationships.

I was also fortunate in working with some wonderful people at CFI. Their deep love for this landscape was a model for me. They encouraged and supported me in my efforts to learn more about the natural world.