Summer is heating up, and we’re excited to share all the incredible things happening this month!

In this edition, we’re thrilled to announce the grand opening of the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument Visitor Center Store, which is just one of the many exciting updates you’ll find. Get the scoop on the upcoming 4th Annual Southeast Utah AstroFest, along with an update for climbers protecting raptors in Indian Creek. Plus, we’re sending a big congratulations to one of our scholarship recipients!

Don't miss out on these stories and more! Thank you again for your continued support.

Canyonlands Natural History Association is proud to announce its new role in operating the visitor center store in Canyons of the Ancients National Monument in Dolores, Colorado! This renewed partnership marks CNHA’s return to a site it once supported and reflects the organization’s continued commitment to public lands education across the Colorado Plateau.  

“I’m excited to reestablish this partnership with Canyons of the Ancients,” said Sam Wainer, Executive Director of CNHA. “It was a sad day when we had to pull out at the end of 2019, so I am proud that CNHA can once again be connected to this world-class museum and visitor center.”

The Canyons of the Ancients Visitor Center & Museum, managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), is the premier archaeological museum in Southwest Colorado and serves as the headquarters for Canyons of the Ancients National Monument. The museum offers an immersive introduction to the rich cultural heritage of the Four Corners region, featuring interactive galleries and authentic cultural objects on display from the 3 million artifacts and records curated in the facility. 

“Donations from proceeds at the store will enhance the interpretive staff of the monument in their ability to educate the public on the cultural significance of the area,” Wainer added. “Canyons of the Ancients and Hovenweep National Monuments share the same diverse human history, so partnering with both sites provides CNHA the opportunity for collaboration in telling the complete story of the people who lived on the Great Sage Plain hundreds of years ago.”

With this renewed presence at Canyons of the Ancients, CNHA continues its mission of supporting education, interpretation, and research across the greater Four Corners region.

Stay tuned for more information regarding our opening date!

The Canyons of the Ancients Visitor Center & Museum is located at 27501 Highway 184, Dolores, CO 81323. For more information, visit BLM's official website.

Attention stargazers, astronomy enthusiasts, and celestial explorers! Get ready to embark on a journey through the cosmos at the 4th annual Southeast Utah AstroFest, the ultimate astronomy festival happening under the vast skies of Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, and Dead Horse Point State Park!

Join park rangers for daytime and evening astronomy programs, telescope viewing, and family friendly activities at locations throughout the parks.

1. Friday, June 20 - Island in the Sky District, Canyonlands National Park
2. Saturday, June 21 at Dead Horse Point State Park
3. Sunday, June 22 at Arches National Park

Please check back for additional information about locations and programming!

Big congrats to Klayre, one of our amazing CNHA Scholarship students, on her graduation!

From helping visitors at the Moab Information Center to assisting with Junior Ranger programs, Klayre’s been a superstar every step of the way.

“CNHA has been a part of my life for a year now. I am so grateful for the opportunity to work with the wonderful people at CNHA and their surrounding partners,” says Klayre. “From my time behind the register to the information desks I have worked, I can truly say I love my job. This job has taught me so many things - patience and communication being the biggest takeaways. Also, shoutout to my coworkers for teaching me how to read a map! Some parts may get a little tedious (repeating that Delicate Arch is 3.2 miles round trip, and no, there’s no coffee shop in the park might drive you a bit insane), but knowing the impact of my job makes it all worth it.”

And the impact hasn’t gone unnoticed.

“Klayre has excelled in all aspects of working for CNHA,” says Retail Sales Manager Sharon Kienzle. “She does an amazing job working with the kids at Arches running the Junior Ranger table. Her help with the Moab Information Center lecture series has been invaluable. She has really grown in her roles with CNHA!”

We can’t wait to see what she does next! The world better watch out! Here’s to new adventures, Klayre. We’re so proud of you! 🧡

Did you know?

Each year, one or more deserving high school students are chosen to receive CNHA’s Scholarship Award.

An award of $2,000 each year worked is to be used at a college of the student’s choosing. This opportunity is open to all local high school juniors and seniors in Grand and San Juan counties that are 16 years of age or older.

During their time at CNHA, scholarship recipients participate in a variety of educational experiences and also receive wages for hours worked.

Our goal is to add to students’ work and educational experience while helping them gain a broader understanding of what CNHA does and of the public lands we serve.

Since it’s inception in 2009, over $44,000 has been awarded to local students.

Learn more here.

Following spring raptor monitoring, BLM biologists have updated climbing access guidance in the Indian Creek area. Seven walls have been removed from the raptor nesting avoidance list and are now open to recreation for the remainder of the year. The newly open walls are: Critics Choice, Slug Wall, Sacred Cow, Original Meat Wall, Tenderloins, Broken Tooth and The Wall.

At the same time, two walls were added to the avoidance list due to confirmed raptor nesting activity, they are: The Beach and the northern portions of the Disappointment Cliffs. These avoidance areas will remain in effect until August 31st.

Raptors and other migratory birds use shallow depressions on ledges, cliffs, and rock walls to build nests, often returning to the same site, year after year, to raise their young. These crags are also highly sought after in climbing communities — this voluntary avoidance helps amazing birds like hawks, eagles and falcons, critical to a healthy ecosystem, successfully raise the next generation of mouse eaters!

Learn more here.

Free Lecture Series at the Moab Information Center

We hope to see you at our new time of 6pm at the Moab Information Center for our lecture series.

June 9 at 6pm (MONDAY!) | Barrier Canyon Style Rock Imagery by Phil Geib

Phil Geib, Associate Professor of Practice in the School of Global Integrative Studies, presents on the Barrier Canyon Style rock art, notably including the Court House Wash Panel. His research expertise includes Hunter-gatherers, Transition to Agriculture, North American Southwest & Great Basin, Prehistoric Technology, Cooperation & Warfare. Geib recently published “Barrier Canyon Style: Thousands of Years of Painting on Rock” with the University of Utah Press.

Lecture is in partnership with the Moab Museum.

June 19 at 6pm | Climate Change in Utah’s High Mountains: Implications for Natural Resources and Biodiversity by Scott Hotaling

Climate change is proceeding rapidly at high elevations, leading to dramatic changes in snowpack and streamflow, with implications for natural resources and biodiversity. In this talk, Dr. Scott Hotaling, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Watershed Sciences at Utah State University, will discuss how Utah is changing, what these changes mean for natural resources in the region—including aquatic biodiversity—and an overlooked but potentially important resource for Utah under climate change: rock glaciers. Rock glaciers are masses of debris-covered ice that are common in the region (including in the La Sals!) and are resistant to climate change-induced ice recession.

Dr. Scott Hotaling is a Canyonlands Natural History Association Discovery Pool recipient!

June 26 at 6pm | Juneteenth: Freedom Day by Robert Anderson

Ranger Robby will discuss the history and significance of this federal holiday, which commemorates the emancipation of the last enslaved African Americans—2.5 years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed.

View the full lineup here.

2025 Community Artist in the Parks

Charlotte Quigley has a deep well of experience with both art and national parks. A life-long watercolorist, she also works in pastels and, more recently, oil paints. She has a master’s degree in art history and experience as a youth arts teacher, arts council director, and member of the Gallery Moab cooperative. 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.

Can't make it but still want to support? Check out her artwork here!

Canyonlands National Park – Needles District

Monday, June 9 | The Needles Visitor Center | 6pm – 8pm

Tuesday, June 10 | Elephant Hill | 7am – 10am

Tuesday, June 10 | Elephant Hill | 6pm – 8pm

Wednesday, June 11 | Pothole Point | 7am – 10am

Arches National Park

Tuesday, June 17 | Balanced Rock | 8am – 11am

Wednesday, June 18 | North Window | 8am – 11am

Thursday, June 19 | Sand Dune Arch | 8am – 11am

Tuesday, June 24 | Fins of Devils Garden | 8am – 11am

Canyonlands National Park – Island in the Sky District

Wednesday, June 25 | Across from Island in the Sky Visitor Center | 8am – 11am

Learn more about Charlotte and the CAIP Program here.

Registration for the 2025 Pecos Conference is officially open so reserve your spot today! It will be held within Bears Ears National Monument this year. Bears Ears Partnership is looking for amazing volunteers who are open to helping behind-the-scenes and supporting efforts to put together a great event to remember. 

Conference Dates: Thursday, August 7th through Sunday, August 10th

Volunteer jobs will include:

• Registration table (Thursday night and Friday)
• Day parking attendance and traffic management
• Chair and table set up/take down (Thursday afternoon, Saturday evening and Sunday morning)
• Trash duty (Thursday through Sunday)
• Food service (Saturday evening)
• And a few other miscellaneous responsibilities and tasks

The conference location will be at the Blue Mountain Boy Scout Camp on the Manti-La Sal National Forest, about 12 road miles north of Blanding, Utah. If you want to volunteer, please reach out to Kenny Wintch (kenny@bearsearspartnership.org) or Semira Crank (semira@bearsearspartnership.org) and find out how you can lend your support!

Psst... Use promo code DAD for 15% off now through June 10th!*

Your Purchases Support Education and Research on the

Public Lands of the Colorado Plateau.

*Offer not valid on memberships or Community Artist in the Parks artwork.

Our Mission

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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