Great Sand Dunes National Park pendant
This art pendant is inspired by the 20,000 sandhill cranes that migrate in the spring and fall through the San Luis Valley near Great Sand Dunes National Park. Although the naming of the valley and park makes one think of California it's actually in southern Colorado. It's on my bucket list to go to this area and catch the migration. There are 250 bird species that one can find there. The sandhill cranes also use the wetlands in a remote area of the Park, but that's privately held by the Nature Conservancy and the public is not allowed there.
photo by NPS/Patrick Myers
I was curious how sand dunes formed in this area and went to the National Park Service page to find out the geology of the area. Briefly from their page: "The dunes were formed by the right combinations of wind, water, and sediment. Creeks and streams brought in large amounts of sediment and sand into the valley. Wind then blew the sand toward the bend in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, where opposing storm winds helped squeeze the sand into the tall dunes you see today." The answer is more complex though and you can click on that link to find out more.
“National parks and reserves are an integral aspect of intelligent use of natural resources. It is the course of wisdom to set aside an ample portion of our natural resources as national parks and reserves, thus ensuring that future generations may know the majesty of the earth as we know it today.”
President John F. Kennedy; 35th president of the United States