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October is shaping up to be a busy one, and we’ve got plenty to share!
This month, we’re looking back at an incredible National Public Lands Day celebration, sharing a new way to ride from Moab to Arches this fall, and getting the word out that applications are now open for CNHA’s 2027 Discovery Pool research grants.
We’ve also got a message from CNHA Executive Director Sam Wainer and a lineup of upcoming events happening across our partner sites. Dive in and see what’s happening around CNHA this October!
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CANYONLANDS NATURAL HISTORY ASSOCIATION
A Few Thoughts from Sam
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On September 24, CNHA hosted our annual National Public Lands Day celebration on the plaza of the Moab Information Center, right in the heart of downtown Moab. It was our largest one yet since this event began in 2018. The amount of support for public lands by the local community and visitors was heart-warming and inspiring. In the current landscape of management of public lands, it’s easy to lose track of the fact that there are many great nonprofits stepping up to educate people on how to have a positive impact and be effective stewards of public lands.
Speaking of great nonprofits, earlier that same week, I was fortunate to attend the National Park Friends Alliance annual gathering in in Estes Park, Colorado, hosted by the Rocky Mountain Conservancy. With Rocky Mountain National Park as the background setting, I was able to reconnect with great friends and colleagues from around the country, who day in and day out, put their hearts and souls into making sure national parks and the programs held within them are protected, sustainable and funded for the benefit of the parks and the enjoyment of visitors from around the world.
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I was able to take part in a wonderful field trip focused on accessibility in national parks at Sprague Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park and witness firsthand, the collaboration between Rocky Mountain Conservancy and the Park Service to ensure better access and opportunities for people with disabilities in the park. CNHA has been working closely with the Canyon Country District of the Bureau of Land Management since early last year on this same topic. I also attended sessions on Innovations in Housing and Beyond Consultation: Working Directly with Indigenous, Tribal and Gateway Communities. CNHA is immersed deeply in all three of these topics.
I have a special connection to Rocky Mountain National Park. As a young college student, I had the opportunity to spend two summers working for a concessionaire just outside the south entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park in what seems a lifetime ago. Living in such a beautiful setting as Estes Park with the Park as my backyard, changed my life. Those two summers introduced me to the great outdoors, the western United States, many national park adventures and ultimately the path that brought me to Moab and my career with Canyonlands Natural History Association.
I suppose my takeaway for you from this brief message is simple: Hang in there.
Times are tough right now but there are good people out there doing good work and things will eventually cycle around. Keep doing what you’re doing. Meet with your congressional leaders when they are accessible to you. Write to them when they are not. Support federal workers and the land management agencies who are under such duress. Continue to get outside and do what it takes to reconnect with nature and recharge your battery.
And perhaps most importantly, please vote.
Photos: Sam Wainer
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CANYONLANDS NATURAL HISTORY ASSOCIATION
Annual National Public Lands Day Celebration
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On September 24, we filled the Moab Information Center plaza for an evening celebrating National Public Lands Day with the people and organizations who help make our region’s public lands such a special part of this community.
Throughout the evening, visitors had the chance to meet representatives from public-land agencies and community organizations, learn about programs and projects happening across the region, enjoy live music and activities, and connect with the people working behind the scenes on public lands throughout southeastern Utah and the Colorado Plateau. The plaza stayed busy from start to finish, and it was pretty incredible to see so many people gathered in one place around a shared appreciation for public lands.
CNHA has celebrated National Public Lands Day with the Moab community since 2018, and each year is a reminder of just how many people contribute to the visitor experiences, education, research, stewardship, and public-land programs happening across this region.
A huge thank you to every organization that joined us, everyone who helped make the evening happen, and everyone who stopped by to celebrate with us. We’re grateful to be part of a community that shows up for public lands, and we’re already looking forward to doing it again next year!
Photos: Anna Sprout
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NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
Ride the Arches Shuttle This Fall
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There’s a new way to get from downtown Moab to Arches National Park this fall. The Moab–Arches Shuttle is now operating daily, connecting Moab with the Arches Visitor Center and popular destinations inside the park, including the Windows Area and Delicate Arch trailhead.
The shuttle runs seven days a week from 8am to 5pm through October 31, 2026, with pickups every 15 to 30 minutes depending on the route. Rides are free with a valid Arches National Park entrance pass.
Heading out from Moab? Stop by the Moab Information Center before you board to purchase your park entrance pass!
The shuttle was initiated by Grand County in partnership with the National Park Service and Utah Department of Transportation as another transportation option for visitors traveling between Moab and Arches.
View Moab–Arches Shuttle Routes & Details
Photo: Rachel Brown
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CANYONLANDS NATURAL HISTORY ASSOCIATION
Applications for 2027 Discovery Pool Grants Now Open
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Applications are now open for CNHA’s 2027 Discovery Pool research grants, which support scientific research in partnership with the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, and U.S. Forest Service across the region.
Since 2007, the Discovery Pool has awarded more than $1 million in research funding for projects that help expand understanding of the cultural and natural resources found across the Colorado Plateau. Grants can provide up to $30,000 for qualifying projects, with an emphasis on research that can inform agency management, interpretation, education, and future work.
Applications for 2027 funding are due November 1 at 5 pm and must include support from the appropriate federal agency partner.
View Discovery Pool Application Details.
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Moab Information Center Lecture Series
The Moab Information Center (MIC) Lecture Series continues with free, in-person talks exploring the science, history, and culture of canyon country. Speakers include local experts and partner organizations. Lectures are held Thursdays at 6 pm at the Moab Information Center.
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October 15 | Mill Creek Canyon: What Was, What Is, and What Could Have Been by Jeremy Buck
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October 29 | SEUG Community Artist in the Parks by Chrissy Noel Kinslow
View the full lineup.
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Chrissy Noel Kinslow is a Moab-based community artist whose work weaves together art, nature connection, and shared experience. Rooted in the landscapes of the Colorado Plateau, her practice centers on listening deeply and creating accessible, heart-led spaces for reflection and creative expression. Through guided art experiences, storytelling, and land-based practices, she invites participants to reconnect with themselves, each other, and the natural world.
See how she turns her inspiration into art, or join her (with your own art supplies) for a side-by-side creative endeavor. Bring water, sun protection, and your imagination.
Arches National Park
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Thursday, October 8
Sand Dune Arch
9 am – 3 pm
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Thursday, October 15
Devils Garden
9 am – 3 pm
Thursday, October 22
Three Gossips
9 am – 3 pm
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Traditional Katsina Carving Demonstration at Natural Bridges National Monument
From October 8–11, artist Cory Ahownewa will be at Natural Bridges National Monument demonstrating traditional Katsina carving from 9 am–4 pm daily.
Cory is from the Hopi Village of Hotevilla and is a member of the Badger and Butterfly Clans. He has been carving traditional Old Style Katsina dolls since he was thirteen, using techniques and materials that include paints made from locally sourced earth pigments and naturally occurring minerals.
Visitors are invited to stop by, watch Cory at work, and learn more about his traditions, materials, and carving process.
October 8–11 | 9 am–4 pm daily
Natural Bridges National Monument
Photo: Cory Ahowena
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Bureau of Land Management Artist in Residence Presentation
Time · Place · Perspective: A Discussion with Josh Shutz
Join BLM Artist in Residence, Josh Shutz, for a presentation on how historical photographic processes connect us to geological time, the landscape we live in, and our shared responsibilities as stewards of public lands.
Saturday, October 17 | 3 pm
Moonflower Canyon in Moab, Utah
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Musical Performance by Chantil Dukart at Canyons of the Ancients Visitor Center
Join award-winning contemporary jazz pianist and vocalist Chantil Dukart for an evening of music, storytelling, and laughter at Canyons of the Ancients National Monument. With roots in the Tsimshian and Sugpiaq tribes of Alaska, Chantil blends jazz, soul, blues, and original music into a performance all her own.
Saturday, October 17 | 6 pm
Canyons of the Ancients Visitor Center & Museum
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Canyonlands Natural History Association (CNHA) is a non-profit organization, which exists solely to assist the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management in their education and visitor efforts. Proceeds from sales support these agencies’ educational, interpretive, and scientific programs on the Colorado Plateau.
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