The Colorado Plateau is unique for its diversity of native plant species, but its ecosystems are under threat: from land-use practices both past and present, as well as the encroaching threat of climate…
Even after they’re extinguished, wildfires continue to sculpt landscapes and alter water flows. This week, we talk with Natalie Gillard, a graduate student in watershed sciences at Utah State University, who explains how…
What were mammals like when dinosaurs roamed the earth? Discussing Mesozoic critters with Dr. Brian Davis, a paleontologist at the University of Louisville, we learn what these rodent-sized beings looked like, how they…
Deserts all share one fundamental feature, as we learn in elementary school: they have very, very little water. Some plants can still thrive in the desert despite the scarcity of this essential resource,…
The Colorado Plateau has a long history of uranium mining, particularly within the Navajo Nation. Hundreds of abandoned uranium mines still contaminate water sources and ecologies within the Nation, creating dangerous levels of…
When it comes to arid climates, junipers are some of the toughest trees around. The past two years, however, have seen the death of huge swathes of junipers in southeastern Utah. In this…
Water can be a formidable force in the desert. From carving canyons to cutting arroyos, water has formed and continues to mold the landscapes around us. Science Moab spoke with Dr. Taylor Joyal,…
Passed from generation to generation, traditional ecological knowledge refers to awareness cultivated by Indigenous peoples, relying on observation and information accumulated through time, similar to Western science. Science Moab spoke with scholar and…
Sixty years after its creation, Lake Powell faces an uncertain future due to increasing drought and decreased water runoff. As part of Utah State University’s Center for Colorado River Studies lecture series, Science…
Grand County High School students will be able to see the scientific work happening in the region firsthand, thanks to a $35,000 grant awarded to local nonprofit Science Moab from the Community Foundation…
Around 250 million years ago, a unique combination of events resulted in the extinction of more than 90% of all living species then on earth. Here, Science Moab talks with Dr. Benjamin Burger,…
The Colorado Plateau is home to research projects, scientific inquiries and a lot of western science, but there is also long-held Indigenous knowledge that is centered on knowing and understanding the cliffs and…
“Desertified” and “degraded” are words often used when talking about deserts or drylands. What do these words actually mean and how do they shape the ways we think about managing and restoring drylands?…
Indigenous rock art and cultural artifacts are common around Moab. Through studying the art left behind on the landscape, Elizabeth Hora-Cook tells Science Moab how she tries to understand what society may have…
Birds rely on riparian areas of Southeast Utah and the Colorado Plateau. As the ecosystems change along the banks of these rivers, there is real impact on bird populations and species. Dr. Sean…
The Colorado River is one of the main forces shaping the landscape around Southeast Utah. Here we talk with Dr. Joel Pederson and tease apart new information about the Colorado River and the…
