Bryce Canyon Firsts

My name is Susan Bowdoin, and I'm the Program Director for STEAM in the Park. Bryce Canyon is the second of eight National Park visits for STEAM in the Park this summer, and I'm excited to be joining Dacia and Steve in welcoming our campers!  Though our official start isn't for a couple of days, we've already had some great "firsts" that are worth sharing.

• For many of our participants this event will be their FIRST trip to the desert southwest, and the FIRST time they've spent a week at a high altitude (areas in the park reach up to 9,000 feet in elevation!)
  
• I'm from New Mexico, so sandstone hoodoos and dry desert air aren't unusual for me. Even so, my FIRST glimpse of the Sunset Point overlook of Bryce Canyon was absolutely stunning. I can't wait to put on my hiking boots and trek down into this amazing place!
• Though we're here for the hoodoos, there are other fun things here! I took a short nature exploration earlier today and saw my FIRST muskrat swimming in a small lake next to our campsite. It was joined by a chorus of yellow-headed blackbirds, mallard ducks, and coots who also enjoy the reeds and cattails along the edge of the lake. 
• And, the FIRST that I'm looking forward to most is meeting a new group of STEAM in the Park enthusiasts and building a network of teacher friends from across the country.

We hope you'll follow us through the summer as we add to our list of firsts.