Interp Fun...

While I was at home sick, a co-worker, Mike, changed our desktop wallpaper into a unicorn with a rainbow. Apparently they were joking around about it, then Mike made the comment, "Kim should do a program about unicorns and rainbows!" I heard all this yesterday, so during my break, I sat down at the computer and came up with a program outline, complete with theme, goal and objectives. Even a conclusion! So....I thought I would share that here, in case anyone is interested in an interpretive program (slide show?) about Unicorns and Rainbows...specifically, the Desert Unicorn...

Title: The Desert Unicorn (Unicornus albofurgoldhornii)


Theme: Unicorns can only be found on the Colorado Plateau during afternoon thunderstorms that produce rainbows.

Goal: To introduce and describe the rare Desert Unicorn.

Objectives:

• Visitors will be able to describe a Desert Unicorn
• Visitors will understand where, when and who will be able to view a Desert Unicorn

Props: pictures of the Desert Unicorn, its natural habitat and food that it eats; fossilized horn fragments, fur samples.

Program Introduction:

• Welcome to Dead Horse Point State Park!
• Park facts
• Who I am

Introduction to the Desert Unicorn:

• Unicorns have been reported in historical writings since the time of Ancient Greece.
• Unicorns (other species) have been seen worldwide.
• The Desert Unicorn is a unique species, only visible during summer afternoon thunderstorms that produce thunder, lightning and rainbows.
• Legend has it that Unicorn horns have medicinal properties, but this has been proven to be false.
• Leonardo da Vinci wrote about Unicorns, specifically, how to trap one.
• Similar animals include the Narwhal, Oryx and Eland.
• Desert Unicorns are endemic to the Colorado Plateau.

Relevance of Rainbows:

• Desert Unicorns cannot handle the extreme heat of the desert during summer. The coolness of an afternoon thunderstorm creates perfect conditions for their arrival to the desert.
• Thunderstorms provide valuable drinking water to most animals living on the Colorado Plateau, including the Desert Unicorn.
• Desert Unicorn use rainbows as camouflage—their predators include but are not limited to: humans, mountain lion, coyote, black bear and mule deer. Gnats, or no-see-ums love to prey on Desert Unicorn blood.

Conclusion:

• Desert Unicorns are rare, unique creatures that call the Colorado Plateau home. Very few lucky visitors will ever see one in their lifetimes.
• Unicorns are common throughout history, but remain shrouded in myth and legend.
• Desert Unicorns are similar to more commonly seen desert animals. They need water, shelter from the sun and love to keep them alive.
  
  
  

I didn't take this picture...I wish I did! But I found it on http://www.flickr.com/.

Thunderstorms!

Thunderstorm over the La Sal Mountains (my view from the entrance station!)

I love thunderstorms! I don't like being out in them...sometimes at work I'm afraid to get out of the vehicle to walk across the parking lot, so I end up running. People scare me--they like to go up to the Point overlook to watch the storms. Not the best place to be if you don't want to be stuck by lightning! I think there is a actually a USU scholarship in the name of someone who died from a lightning strike at Dead Horse Point.

Out in the park's entrance station it gets a little scary sometimes too. A past seasonal swore he saw the ball on top of the flagpole get struck by lightning--I believe him! I did notice some black smudges up there...haha.

We don't get a lot of precipitation--most of it comes during summer thunderstorms where we get flash floods and waterfalls all over the place. I've only been able to be out during a few of the waterfall-storms but they are pretty cool. If I get lucky enough this summer I'll take some pictures :)