Last night I saw the most magnificent night sky and stars I've ever seen and probably will ever see. The Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is a certified dark night skies park, which means on a night when there are no clouds and...

08 July, 2017 /

Wow, I have never been on so many field trips in one week in my life! The inner kid in me absolutely loves it! This week I was able to go to the Baca National Wildlife Refuge, San Luis State Park, Zapata Falls, and the...

30 June, 2017 /

This week was definitely one for the books. I was able to go out and assist our park's geologist and Dr. Jim Zimbelman, a planetary geologist from the Smithsonian, with GPS mapping of our park's dunes. It was an honor to work beside Dr. Zimbelman,...

28 June, 2017 /

This week has been especially exciting for me, as I had the opportunity to explore some of the other national wildlife refuges and sites around southern Colorado. It was a day-long event and I went to Fort Garland Museum, Pike's Stockade, Our Lady of Guadalupe...

20 June, 2017 /

This past week I was able to attend Alamosa's biggest festival of the year, called "Summerfest." In comparison to festivals that happen in Texas cities like Austin or San Antonio, it was incredibly small. I mean, I'm comparing to festivals like Austin City Limits (ACL), where Zilker Park...

09 June, 2017 /

Hello guys! I am now on my second week of training, and it's been great! Currently I am working at the Visitor Services until later in June when I get to start planning my own educational outreach programs. Visitor Services is actually a blast...

07 June, 2017 /

  I have been working at Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve for about five days now and, let me tell you, it is absolutely beautiful!! I live in a shared house inside the park and the view from my window is breathtaking,...

06 June, 2017 /

Howdy guys! My name is Marissa Ortega, and I am a recent graduate from Texas A&M University with a B.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Science. I am 22 years old and I have a passion for wildlife conservation and environmental education. In a few years,...

06 June, 2017 /