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GBI Media Contest March 2022 Submissions

GBI Media Contest March 2022 Submissions

Water. It’s arguably our most important natural resource, and the control and management of water in the Western United States has a storied history. Beyond that, “water” was also the theme of our March media contest. And the entries submitted by our field personnel provide varied views into how this resource shapes the landscape and supports its organisms. They also show off the many forms and functions of water, to say nothing of the sheer beauty it can impart to our natural places. Our winning submission, seen above, came from Research Associate Sarah Marino, who is serving with the National Park Service (NPS) as a research librarian at Yellowstone National Park’s Heritage and Research Center. It shows what happens when “hot water meets frozen at this snowy hot spring in Yellowstone’s Upper Geyser Basin.”
Enjoy more of our watery submissions below.


Sarah Marino. “Water quickly changes from steam to ice along this park boardwalk.”

Emily Moran, Research Associate, Bryce Canyon Archivist, Zion National Park, NPS. “‘Arid Afternoon’– 4pm walk back to the office along a river of what I am guessing is melted snow from the higher parts of Zion. I jokingly refer to this as Springdale’s water supply.”

Kimberlee Roberts, Research Associate, Lead Archivist, Zion National Park, NPS. “A brief but perfectly timed moment of a sunset rain shower on Smith Mesa above La Verkin, Utah.”

Megan Kearns, Research Associate, Museum Support Technician, Yosemite National Park, NPS. “Mirror Lake. This seasonal, ephemeral lake is so calm that you can see the perfect mirror image of the surrounding area in the surface.”

Caroline Boerger, Archaeology Technician, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, NPS. “My backyard view never gets old! The way the light dances on the mountains and water ensures that I will never see the exact same view every day. Getting to work here at Lake Mead NRA I see a lot of beautiful sights but the views around the lake are something special and never fail to impress.”

Nola Pierce, Nevada Conservation Corps, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Invasive plant removal project with NPS. “Lake Mojave Desert Oasis.”

Emily Nelson, Research Associate, Visitor Services Specialist, Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge in Alamo Nevada, USFWS. “Some funky looking waterfowl found in the desert! The American coot is some of the resident waterfowl that is found at Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge which is truly a desert oasis.”

Rebecca Finnigan, Research Associate, Compliance Archivist, Zion National Park, NPS. “Chasing Waterfalls. Springtime means longer days and warmer temperatures. It means melting snow and beautiful waterfalls. And, most importantly, it means unique opportunities and brand new adventures here at Zion National Park.”

Misumi Ogawa, Research Associate, Wildlife Technician at Mojave National Preserve, NPS. “Watercatcher in the desert: This is a small game guzzler, a structure to collect and store precipitation for wildlife. One of my tasks is routine check of those guzzlers, which I visit them to check their condition, measure water depth in the tank and rain gauge, and retrieve camera data. It may sound like a boring job, but it’s not! I can always feel the wilderness by listening to birds and wind singing, finding animal tracks and wildflowers on the way, amused by the pictures of wildlife activity around the guzzlers, and last but not least, lucky encounter with actual animals! I always like the day of guzzler visits because it is very interesting and exciting.”

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