14 Virtual Field Trip – Cimarron National Grassland
Recommended Reading
This virtual tour features a US Forest Service Forester giving Tom Roth (previously showcased in ) and Dr. Moorberg a guided tour of the Cimarron National Grasslands. Information about the Cimarron National Grasslands can be found on the US Forest Serve web page for the grasslands (US Forest Service, nd.). Information about the Santa Fe National Historic Trail can be found on the National Park Service web page for the trail (US National Park Service, 2023).
Learning Objectives
By the end of this laboratory you will:
- Describe the history of the Cimarron National Grasslands and its connection to the Dust Bowl
- Identify and describe conservation practices used to manage the Cimarron National Grasslands
- Explain challenges to managing the Cimarron National Grasslands that exist today
Materials
Introduction
In this virtual tour of the Cimarron National Grassland we explore an area that was in the heart of the Dust Bowl. The 108,000 acres of the Cimarron National Grassland were restored to grasslands in order to conserve the vulnerable soils and prevent wind erosion after decades of use for wheat production up until the 1930s. USDA Forest Service Ranger, Jeff Outhier guides Tom Roth, retired USDA-NRCS State Agronomist (Kansas), and Colby Moorberg, Associate Professor of Soil Science at Kansas State University on this tour of the grasslands.
Virtual Tour Video
Discussion
In place of a traditional laboratory report, for this virtual tour you will be either having a discussion in class, or be posting to a virtual discussion through your learning management system. Please contribute to that discussion by responding to the questions listed below.
Questions
- Briefly summarize the history of the Cimarron National Grasslands and why it was established.
- Identify and describe at least two conservation practices Jeff Outhier and his team use to manage the 108,000 acres of the Cimarron National Grasslands.
- Explain challenges to managing the Cimarron National Grasslands that exist today
- What was on thing that surprised you as you watched this virtual tour?
