Desert sunset to sunrise

So, we decided to stay up all night. Like all night, as in we watched the sun set and were up until it rose again. And it was one of the best nights of my life.

The desert changes during the night, it starts off quiet and slightly cold but not cold enough to have to go inside. Then the desert animals come out to play. The moon-light bounces off of the mountain skeleton like rock figures and illuminates the lively scene. On our first night hike, there was night creatures everywhere. There was nothing like this during the day! Just then I remembered Park Ranger Sarah Jane Pepper telling us that the desert comes alive at the night time and thats when the desert animals come out to play. It was an amazing site to see! Just then I realized that the desert was not a wasteland.

The sunset on that morning gave a Mississippi sunset a run for it's money. It was beautiful and perfectly framed the edges of the Granite Mountain Reserve.

We started the day by cooking breakfast for everyone (everyone who had slept) and then meeting the family who runs the reserve. They gave a great debriefing about the work they do on the reserve and about the importance of desert soil crusts. Before this, I struggled to realize the importance of the soil crusts. I knew they were there for a reason but after the talk with Dr. Jim, I understood that soil crusts are an important part of our ecosystem that most people do not see as important.

The next part of the day was field sampling on the reserve. This was my first time ever field sampling. It took a while to get used to the process and the technique, but this experience is something I will never forget because being hands on with the sampling gives you so much more understanding. I think every science class should have some sort of field sampling project to complete: even if it is just in the school yard. The things learned while actively participating in science will never compare to passively learning about the science.

Now back to UCR, thank you to the coffee at 29 Palms "Steak and Shake" for allowing us to stay awake to see the beauty of the night desert. Xoxo.

Early morning desert reads

Watching the sunrise