Hi Everyone,   

It feels great to be writing one of these blogs again! For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Marshall Dawson Morgan Fabara. I am an Education and Outreach LHIP Intern for the Flagstaff Area National Monuments (Flag Monuments). This is my second season with the Flag Monuments, and I am extremely grateful and excited to be back!

The Flag Monuments is a conglomerate of three unique national monuments based in northern Arizona. These National Monuments (NM) include Walnut Canyon NM, Sunset Crater Volcano NM, and Wupatki NM. As the Education and Outreach LHIP Intern for the Flag Monuments, I work at all three sites; however, I am predominately stationed at one National Monument. Last summer, this was Walnut Canyon NM, and this summer, it was supposed to be Sunset Crater Volcano NM.

Unfortunately, before my internship started, tragedy struck the Flagstaff Monuments. Towards the end of April, a wildfire broke out in the area, and Sunset Crater Volcano NM was heavily damaged. The wildfire, known as the Tunnel Fire, burned almost 20,000 acres of land, much of which included Sunset Crater Volcano NM and the surrounding forest and area. The Tunnel Fire has now been extinguished, but the damage is still very much present.

I was fortunate enough to still be given the opportunity to return to the Flag Monuments, but due to the fire, my primary work station has changed to Walnut Canyon NM.

While I am now working at Walnut Canyon NM, I am additionally working with my supervisor to assist in the eventual reopening of Sunset Crater Volcano NM. Having seen the destruction at Sunset Crater Volcano NM, it is truly heartbreaking! But Sunset Crater Volcano NM will be reborn from the ashes because, just like the Phoenix, a return is inevitable!

I’ll make sure to keep you all posted on my adventures this summer and on the progress of Sunset Crater Volcano NM!

Thanks for reading!

– MDMF