Vicky Stinson retires after 30 years of distinguished service with the National Park Service

Vicky Stinson, Landscape Architect and Project Manager at Grand Canyon National Park, is retiring after an exceptional career with the National Park Service. Thirty years ago, Vicky began her career with NPS at the Denver Service Center and came to work at the Grand Canyon in 2001. A few of her notable projects include transformation of the Grand Canyon Visitor Center and Mather Point, development of the Bright Angel Trailhead, construction of Greenway trails, rehabilitation of Hermit Road, dark sky planning that led Grand Canyon to international dark sky park status, and most recently revitalization of the Desert View Area that focuses on the creation of an Intertribal Cultural Heritage Site.

We are also proud to announce that Vicky was awarded both the Intermountain Region and the National Front Line Hero award for Facility Management for the Desert View project. As noted in the nomination for these awards, “During the past year, Vicky applied her field-focused project management and construction administration skills on the improvements to the historic Desert View area through the construction of a new Inter-Tribal Heritage Site. Through her expert project management oversight, she tangibly improved relations between personnel in the Facility Management (FMD) and the Planning, Environment and Projects (PEP) divisions, she thoughtfully shepherded the development of and improvements to one of the prime historical and cultural areas in the Park, and the built project – the new Inter-Tribal Heritage Site – will greatly enhance visitor use experience by allowing direct tribal interaction and engagement with visitors.”

Congratulations to Vicky whose talent and care of the resources will endure here for many generations!

Please join us in celebrating Vicky on May 8 at 1 p.m. in the Park Headquarters courtyard to sign her arrowhead, share your congratulations, and have some cake.

Havasupai Gardens Renaming Ceremony to take place on May 4

On Thursday, May 4, from 1-2:30pm, we will be celebrating the renaming of Havasupai Gardens with the Havasupai Tribe at the Bright Angel Trailhead.

Come join us to commemorate this historic event. Following comments by Superintendent Keable, tribal leaders and descendants of the Burro family (the last family in residence at the Gardens) will be recognized. There will also be a celebratory performance by the guardians of the Grand Canyon, the Havasupai Ram Dancers. 

Elk calving season is here!

Elk calves at Grand Canyon are born between May and June and weigh an average of 35 lbs. Mothers are extremely protective and will charge you even if you don’t see the newborn in the area. If you notice a cow elk is looking at you or walking toward you, give her a very wide berth.

Pregnant elk often leave their herd to find a quiet, safe place to calve. That calving spot could be far away from developed areas… or very near your residence, work-place, or trail that you use. This is a reminder that cow elk become more aggressive and may attack a person to protect their offspring.

Please learn and follow these reminders; share this information with friends, visitors, and coworkers: 

• Keep your distance at all times. Use the “rule of thumb.” (Safe distance is measured by holding up your thumb, closing one eye, and being able to completely cover the animal up.)
• Never get between a cow and calf elk.
• If you find a calf alone, leave it alone – the cow is probably close by.
• If you or an individual is in an unsafe wildlife encounter situation, call Park Dispatch at 928-638-7805.

For more information, please see this full flyer here.

New Astronomer in Residence, Kevin Schindler

This week, we announce the Grand Canyon Conservancy’s newest Astronomer in Residence, Kevin Schindler. Kevin is the historian and public information officer at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff where he has worked for 28 years.   

During his residency, Schindler plans to continue his research on the Apollo astronaut training in Grand Canyon, studying historic images to determine their locations in the canyon and taking modern photos from the same locations. Public programs will include the history of astronaut training at Grand Canyon, comparisons of classic Greek and Roman mythological stories with traditional stories of local indigenous communities, and more.

Kevin’s public programs will begin on May 5 at the Grand Canyon Visitor Center at 8:30 p.m. More information on the Astronomer in Residence program can be found on GCC’s website here.

PSAR Symposium kicks off this weekend

This Friday and Saturday, the Grand Canyon Preventive Search and Rescue (PSAR) program, with support from the Grand Canyon Conservancy, will be hosting the second PSAR Symposium at the Shrine of the Ages. This symposium will welcome NPS employees and volunteers from 31 different park units who have established PSAR program or who are interested in developing PSAR programs within their respective park units.  

Thanks to Meghan Smith, Grand Canyon PSAR Coordinator, and Anna Marini, Joshua Tree National Park PSAR Coordinator for helping organize this event and GCC for their generous support.

Employee Spotlight!

Anne Miller

Geologist/Paleontologist, Science and Resource Management Division

I was actually born in Canada, but my family moved to Oklahoma when I was pretty young. I got my Bachelor’s degree in Geology from Oklahoma State University in 2013. After that, I worked with the American Geosciences Institute in Virginia for a summer and then started a year-long position on a trail crew with the Student Conservation Association, mostly in the Mojave Desert with a couple months in Klamath National Forest because, well, the desert is hot in the summer. The eight months I spent working and living in the Mojave contributed to my love of the desert environment. At first, it was a little intimidating sleeping outside with no barrier in a new environment, but I kept thinking: at least the ticks are minimal out here compared to Oklahoma.

I fell deeply in love with the desert flora and fauna, despite a not-so-pleasant encounter with a rattle snake while sitting on the groover (we called it a “rocket box”). I loved my experience there, but I was really craving something with geology. I eventually got a paleontology internship at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in the summer of 2015 where I documented dinosaur trackways in the Navajo Sandstone and did research on erosion in the Tropic Shale to protect fossils like mosasaur bones and teeth. This is where I ultimately fell in love with Paleontology, especially trace fossils.

Despite my fear of heights, I applied to a paleontology internship at GRCA starting in April of 2016 and have worked here ever since. I didn’t get over my fear of heights, but people call it a “healthy fear”, so I think it got better. At that time, the paleontology program was just a disorganized dataset with some photos previously run by interns, so I published a paper on how to better manage these resources, which prompted an entire renovation of the paleontology geodatabase with the help of our previous GIS program manager, Mark Nebel. I was able to get my master’s degree in Geology from Northern Arizona University through a CESU agreement with GRCA. I was helping to develop and publish the Grand Canyon National Park Centennial Paleontological Resources Inventory Report while simultaneously writing and defending my master’s thesis in 2019. I survived… Mark was so enthralled with our progress in paleo, that he became my new supervisor – the program manager of the Geosciences Program. He is, after all, a professional geologist. Since then, the paleontology program here at GRCA has expanded tenfold. We’ve been hiring interns, discovering new species, working with world-renowned scientists, getting filmed in science documentaries, and just recently, I led the park’s first ever paleontology-focused full NPS river mission!

How long have you worked at GRCA? Where are you based out of?

I started working at GRCA as a paleontology intern in April 2016 and have been here ever since through various internship renewals, CESU agreements, and finally as of March 2021, a federal term position. I am based out of Flagstaff, AZ.

What have you enjoyed the most about working and/or living at GRCA so far?

What I love most about working at GRCA, besides its amazing fossil resources, are all the great people that make this place feel like home. I find that our greatest ideas and accomplishments stem from working and brainstorming as a team.

Any summer adventures you’re looking forward to this year?

I am looking forward to visiting Paris with my sisters this summer! I love traveling overseas, but I also love to explore my local area for hiking, camping, and kayaking.

Town of Tusayan Cinco de Mayo event

Tusayan’s first annual Cinco de Mayo celebration will take place on Friday, May 5 at the Squire Resort. The fiesta takes place from 3 to 7 p.m., is family-friendly, free, and open to the community. 

There will also be lawn games, piñatas, a Mariachi band and a variety of authentic Mexican foods for guests to enjoy. The drive-in movie, Coco, will be begin at 5:30 p.m. 

The Cinco de Mayo event is new this year and reflects the town’s goal of offering more activities and recreational opportunities for visitors and residents alike. A full flyer with more details on the event is available here.