OCR Text |
Show r PANGUITCH • PANGUITCH LAKE • HATCH • BRYCE • TROPIC • ANTIMONY • HENRIEVILLE • CANNONVILLE • ESCALANTE • BOULDER Thursday, July 14, 2011 • Issue # 331 BRYCE CANYON NATIONAL. PARK CELEBRATES UTAH PRAIRIE DOGS LOCAL STUDENTS ATTEND HEALTH CAREER CAMP Bryce Canyon National Park celebrated the second annual Utah Prairie Dog Day celebration on Friday, June 24, 2011. Close to 1,000 park visitors and local area students participated in the day's activities which included watching Utah prairie dog colonies, making personalized "Utah Prairie Dog Day" buttons, face painting, interpretive programs on the species and an awards ceremony for local art contest winners. The event was co-sponsored by the Bryce Canyon Natural History Association with a visit from the Utah prairie dog mascot, "Petey the Prairie Dog". Other federal agencies and organizations offered their time and expertise at the celebration by answering visitors' questions about Utah prairie dogs and helping to teach about other wildlife in the area. The theme of this year's Utah Prairie Dog Day celebration was "Connections in Nature" which focused on the unique and important role Utah prairie dogs play in the environment. A year-round inhabitant of Bryce Canyon's high plateau meadows, Utah prairie dogs live in social colonies or "towns" and display amazingly complex communication. Their burrow systems are made up of several chambers and provide the animals with protection from predators, places to raise young, store food, and hibernate through the cold winter months. Utah prairie dogs are considered "keystone species" that perform a variety of important ecological functions including soil aeration which helps plants grow, providing prey for other animals, and maintaining meadow ecosystems. Connecting with Utah prairie dogs can help humans learn about healthy ecosystems and the important role that one species can play in maintaining the diversity of life. Over 45 local school children ranging from kindergarten through 4th grade participated in an art contest with the "Connections in Nature" theme — prizes were awarded the afternoon of the celebration to winners in each grade category: 1st Grade - Hailee Eyre - Panguitch Elementary 2nd Grade - Leah Mooney - Panguitch Elementary 2nd Grade - Chezney Dalton - Panguitch Elementary 3rd Grade - Maren Stewart - Bryce Valley Elementary 4th Grade - Lizeth Quijada - Bryce Valley Elementary Celebrating the Utah prairie dog is a fun summer event for the park and came during the season when the prairie dog pups are running around the burrows and having a good time. "The day was a big success," says Biologist Sarah Haas. "Park visitors, especially the kids, had a good time and learned about the natural environment at Bryce and the important role of the Utah prairie dog in maintaining healthy ecosystems." THURSDAY WEATHER SUNNY HIGH: 79 LOW: 46 131g Fish Fiddler 'Festival FRIDAY SUNNY July ifter) HIGH: 79 LOW: 47 HIGH: 71 LOW: 49 _ Taste of Panguitch Friday, July 15t h C"3 SUNDAY MOSTLY SUNNY HIGH: 83 LOW: 54 5 - 7 p.m. — Zions BanK Local Food Establishments will provide you with a "taste" of their best! $5 per person $25 for immediate family. MONDAYel MOSTLY SUNNY 4, 2.5th The Fiddlers will taKe the stage Thursday 4- Friday at 7:0o p.m. at the Social Hall '— Cost: Free! Donations Appreciated SATURDAY SUNNY The 13th annual Utah Center for Rural Health's Health Career Exploration Camp was recently held at Southern Utah University, and was attended by youth from Panguitch and Bryce Valley High Schools. The high school students who participated in the health career camp did so because they are interested in someday pursuing a career in the health care field. They, along with 90 other high school students, explored the health care industry through three-days of hands-on experiences and learning opportunities for all who attended. Students attending from Panguitch High School were Natashia Barney, Chelsee Draper, McKenna Finch, Carly Holman, Austin Josie and Baylee Palmer. Attending from Bryce Valley High School were Codi Mangum, Janette Pollock, and Cajun Syrett. At the camp, participants were divided into six groups and rotated among 14 different workshops. Some of the workshops featured health career skills where participants learned to suture, take blood pressures, intubate and maintain an airway, provide first-aid, proper patient transfer techniques, how to properly scrub in for surgery, proper wound care techniques and more. In science labs students HIGH: 81 LOW: 54 Friday night raffle after the Fiddler Concert Big Fish" Quilt, Panguitch Throw and lots of other items( - TUESDAY MOSTLY SUNNY For more information contact Cheryl Church 435-590-2892 or pangstrt@scinternet.net HIGH: 84 LOW: 55 WEDNESDAY SUNNY Member of: fir Utah Press * I F PA. INDEPENDENT FREE PAPERS Of AMERICA afcc %w ••"( a ■ •• • . (I I la I a l Aim NIT's look at, discuss, and feel actual human organs. Careers that were featured at the camp included, Respiratory Therapy, Nursing, Nurse Practitioner, Medical Technologist, Physician, Veterinarian, Dental Hygienist, Occupational Therapist, EMT, Pharmacist, and Dentist. Dax and Ashley Crum were keynote speakers at the camp. Dax is a former Division I basketball player who was born with only one hand. He shared his philosophy of setting a goal and achieving it, while not letting anyone or anything get in your way. Ashley is a current University of Utah medical student and she shared her thoughts about getting into medical school and the time, effort and dedication that medical school takes. Participants at the camp also took part in the SUU Challenge Course where they learned teamwork and leadership skills. A dance and dinner at a local park were also highlights of the camp. Because there is a strong need for health care workers in rural Utah, the goal for this camp is simple. gas, with a stop to tour the allied health programs at Dixie State College. Workshops at the extended camp included test-taking strategies, financial aid, collegeadmissions, personality assessments, and a chemistry class/lab. After graduating from high school, students interested in health careers have the opportunity enroll in the Center's Rural Health Scholars Program. The Rural Health Scholars Program helps students become successful applicants to medical, dental, pharmacy and other graduate level health professions programs. Student applications are strengthened through a regimen of classes, seminars, community service, job shadowing, research and advisement. In 2010, 52 SUU students were accepted into graduate level health programs, and out of 25 students applying to medical schools, 24 were accepted. For information about Utah Center for Rural Health programs, contact Dennis Moser or Rita Osborn at 435-865-8520 or visit www.suu.edu/ruralhealth. Phone: 435-676-2621 Fax 1-888-370-8546 PO BOX 472, Loa, Utah 84747 snapshot@scinternet.net The best time to plant an oak tree was twenty-five years ago. The second best time is today. James Carvillee HIGH: 83 LOW: 57 * * * * looked at blood smears through microscopes, conducted chemistry experiments, learned how diseases are spread, made their own teeth impressions, dissected sheep eyes and cow hearts, and learned about pharmacy by making their own chapstick. Participants also had a human anatomy lesson, when they scrubbed into a mock operating room and had the opportunity to "This camp is specifically designed to give students from rural areas opportunities to learn about health care careers in a hands-on way that is not always available to them. Our hope is that by introducing students to health care from rural areas, they will ultimately choose to pursue a health care career and return to a rural area to work after their education is finished," stated Carrie Torgersen, coordinator of the camp. New to camp this year, was an extended camp that allowed 30 original camp attendees to stay on campus for an additional 2 days. Students who took advantage of the extended camp participated in activities to better help them prepare for college and a health care career. A highlight included a field-trip to The Bodies Exhibit in Las Ve- '''— hr. 1444 THE GARFIELD COUNTYINSIDER is owned and operated by Snapshot Multimedia and is distributed weekly to all of Garfield County. Its purpose is to inform residents about local issues and events. Articles submitted from independent writers are not necessarily the opinion of Snapshot Multimedia. We sincerely hope you enjoy the paper and encourage input on ideas and/or suggestions for the paper. Thank you for your support. ALL content for THE GARFIELD COUNTY INSIDER must be submitted on FRIDAY BEFORE 5:00 PM to be included in the following Thursday edition of the paper. BOXHOLDER PRE-SORT STANDARD PAID LOA, UTAH PERMIT No. 5 |