Utah Prairie Dog Day
May 9 @ 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Utah Prairie Dog Day Returns to Bryce Canyon on May 9
The celebration will include an art contest open to K-12 students in the local area
BRYCE, UT – Utah Prairie Dog Day returns to Bryce Canyon National Park on Thursday, May 9. This annual celebration of one of the park’s most unique animals features ranger-led prairie dog viewing, family-friendly activity booths, and a special keynote presentation. For a detailed schedule of events, please visit go.nps.gov/UtahPrairieDogDay.
To help promote the event, the park is holding a Prairie Dog art contest open to all students kindergarten through 12th grade in Garfield, Wayne, and Kane counties. Art contest submissions will be judged by park staff, and the winner in each grade will receive a $50 gift certificate to the Bryce Canyon Association Visitor Center bookstore. The grand prize winner will also be featured on the 2024 Utah Prairie Dog Day poster.
Entries must show the Prairie Dog in its natural environment, measure 11 inches by 17 inches or smaller, and can be created using any artistic medium. Artists should include their name and grade level on the back of the artwork. Entries can be mailed to Bryce Canyon National Park at P.O. Box 640201, Bryce, Utah and should be postmarked by April 5. Entries can also be scanned and emailed to the park at [email protected]. All submissions will be displayed for the public on Utah Prairie Dog Day.
Teachers interested in attending Prairie Dog Day with their classes can apply for free entrance to the park by following the instructions at the park’s Academic Fee Waiver page at go.nps.gov/BryceFeeWaivers.
A year-round inhabitant of Bryce Canyon’s high plateau meadows, the Utah Prairie Dog is a critical part of the park’s ecosystem. Prairie Dogs are considered a “keystone species” as they serve a variety of important functions in maintaining southern Utah’s meadows including aerating soil and promoting plant growth. Over 200 other species have been associated with prairie dog colonies, including wildlife that depend upon prairie dog activity for both food and habitat. More information on the Prairie Dog can be found online at go.nps.gov/UtahPrairieDog.
-NPS-
About the National Park Service –More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
Burrow on over to Bryce Canyon for Utah Prairie Dog Day
A beloved festival returns to the park on Thursday, May 9
BRYCE, UT – Utah Prairie Dog Day will return on Thursday, May 9 and feature ranger-led prairie dog viewing, family-friendly activity booths and a special keynote presentation by David Eads, an ecologist with the U.S. Geologic Survey. The event is free with park admission. For a detailed schedule, please visit go.nps.gov/UtahPrairieDogDay.
“Utah Prairie Dog Day is an opportunity to learn about an animal found in no other national park,” said park wildlife biologist Macie Monahan, “It’s also a story of recovery and survival. The cooperative efforts between Bryce Canyon National Park, state, and federal public lands agencies along with the park’s local community have helped protect not only the Utah prairie dog, but the meadow ecosystems that depend upon it. We think that’s cause for celebration!”
To help promote the event, the park held an art contest open to students in Garfield, Wayne, and Kane counties. The park received artwork submissions from students depicting the Utah prairie dog in its native environment. All artwork submissions will be on display at the Visitor Center on May 9. Artwork by Naomi Milby, a 5th grader from Panguitch, is featured on this year’s poster.
Teachers interested in attending Utah Prairie Dog Day with their classes can apply for free entrance to the park by following the instructions at the park’s Academic Fee Waiver page at go.nps.gov/BryceFeeWaivers.
A year-round inhabitant of Bryce Canyon’s high plateau meadows, the Utah prairie dog is a critical part of the park’s meadow ecosystem. Utah prairie dogs are considered a “keystone species” as they serve a variety of important functions including aerating soil and promoting plant growth. Over 200 other species have been associated with prairie dog colonies, including wildlife that depend upon prairie dog activity for both food and habitat. The Utah prairie dog has been listed under the Endangered Species Act since 1973 and was successfully reintroduced to the park in the 1980s. More information on the Utah Prairie Dog can be found online at go.nps.gov/UtahPrairieDog.
The park thanks the Bryce Canyon Association, Bureau of Land Management, Dixie National Forest, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Geologic Survey for their involvement and support of this event.
For more information on the park or Utah Prairie Dog Day please visit the park’s website at www.nps.gov/brycecanyon, or contact the park by e-mail at [email protected], or phone at 435-834-5322.
-NPS-
About the National Park Service –More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.