Contents Mission to the Rockies Field Journal Day 1 Boulder Colorado to Rocky Mountain National Park Field Journal Day 2 Sinks Canyon State Park Wyoming Field Journal Day 3 Jackson Hole and Grand Teton National Park Wyoming 4 6 8 10 Field Journal Day 4 Yellowstone National Park Wyoming Idaho and Montana 12 Field Journal Day 5 Berkeley Pit near Butte Montana 14 Field Journal Day 6 Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park 16 Montana Alberta Field Journal Day 7 Camping at Lake Louise Banff National Park Alberta 18 Field Journal Day 8 Athabasca Glacier Icefields Parkway Alberta 20 Field Journal Day 9 Whistler Mountain near Jasper Alberta 22 Field Journal Day 10 Robson Valley British Columbia 24 Field Journal Day 11 Mountain climbing in Northern Rocky Mountains Provincial Park British Columbia 26 Final Report Your Turn Learning More Glossary Index 28 30 31 32
Mission to the Rockies I received an exciting email today The Mountain Research Group wants to know how the ecosystems in the Rocky Mountains are being affected by Earth’s warming temperatures They have asked me to travel across the entire range The mountains stretch along the western coast of Canada and the United States My report will cover the mountain range’s many different landscapes resources plants and animals Mountain ranges have different ecosystems The types of plants and animals change from the foothills to the peaks Valleys are usually grasslands On the slopes of the mountains are pine forests At the top there are only a few hardy trees Scientists face many challenges protecting each of the different areas 4
Protecting the Rocky Mountains means protecting the animals and plants and their habitats But people also rely on mountains for their drinking water recreation and resources We have to find a balance between the activities of people and the needs of wildlife and plants It means making sure that companies that take and sell resources such as trees and minerals do it without using them all up or harming the ecosystem Rules about how all this should be done have to be agreed across state provincial and even international borders My job is to find out what we are doing well and where we need to do more work Bears are just one of the many animals I’m likely to see on my trip through the Rockies 5
