I feel so humbled when I'm at the dunes.
I've never felt this way before about a place.
There's an immensity to the dunes.
You feel like you're a visitor.
You could never survive here on your own but these plants have been able to accomplish that.
It's not just a big pile of sand
it's a habitat to some of the rarest plants that we have.
I'm in awe every time I come here.
When many people visit the desert or think of the desert they think of this: of sand dunes.
But in reality only about 1% of deserts are covered in sand.
In Death Valley you can find several different sets of dunes including the
Ibex dunes, Buckwheat dunes, Panamint dunes, Mesquite Flat sand dunes
Saline Valley dunes, Eureka dunes- my favorite because of their scale
it's like a mountain of sand.
Today we're in Eureka Valley doing the rare plant survey of the dune plants that live here.
We're at the Eureka Valley sand dunes they are approximately
700 feet tall and they are the tallest dunes in Death Valley National Park.
This information is going to be used to track the populations of these rare plants in
accordance with the Endangered Species Act.
There are eight different species of
plants and animals that call Eureka dunes home that live nowhere else in the
world we call these endemic species. All of them have one thing in common: they're stuck here.
Mostly the beetles can't move very quickly so they can't wander about
and find other dune systems to move to and a lot of the plants have lived here
for thousands of years and can't escape the valley either.
The Eureka dune grass is what we call a relic species it's actually more adapted
for a marsh environment we believe and it's been able to survive in this valley
because of the water availability that the sand provides.
The evening primrose in sand adapted
in that its branches bear new plants at the very tips of
them so that if it gets buried it can grow up a new little plant.
Not only are these the tallest sand dunes in Death Valley National Park but they're the
loudest sand dunes in Death Valley National Park because they're the only
dunes that sing and have their own song.
The way the music works is if allowed to dry deep enough the contact zone
between the hidden moisture and the dry will shift and vibrate similar to a
violinist playing their instrument.
And they have to move, either by footstep or
a natural avalanche from the wind the sand moves and they vibrate.
Sand is fun they're a really fun place to be.
I think there's something in all
these little tiny grains of sand that makes you want to play with it.
Great for people of all ages and there's nothing more fun than taking off your shoes and
running up and down the dunes jumping around playing around and seeing the beauty of nature.
In the hustle and bustle of everyday life it's easy to get
caught up in the speed of everything but when you come here the world really
slows down and it feels like a totally different place
an otherworldly experience.
To me sand dunes are a special place especially here in Eureka Valley because
they offer that sense of solitude that many of us seek out in National Parks
you can't really get that in a lot of other areas but sitting alone on top of
the tallest sand dune here looking out over the valley
really stirs something deep inside you.
For dunes to form you first have to have sand and wind and a trap that blocks the
wind so that the sand can collect there. Sand comes from quartz materials in the
mountains here other rocks that have been ground down by sand and water
actions and the wind carries this sand to a place where it then starts to
slow down and at the points where the wind flows down is where the sand drops
out of the wind and begins to form a dune.
Throughout the years geologists have tried to identify the different types of sand dunes by the
shape that they form. Some of the words we use our transverse and crescent and
linear and star dunes but at the end of the day what really makes the dunes have
the shape that they have is the wind direction and the way that the wind is
broken the deposit the sand. So each dune has its own unique flavor and shape.
Many of the dune fields within Death Valley National Park including the
Eureka dunes are protected wilderness areas so its important to not drive on them and
treat them with respect. Most visitors to Death Valley National Park will visit
the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes which are very easy to access
they're a wonderful place for you to go and slide down the dunes.
To be in the middle of the sand dunes is to be in the heart of the desert.
Your senses become awakened to the peace and serenity of this otherworldly place.
I invite you to come visit the sand dunes in your National Park.
They're a place where you can witness amazing sunrises and sunsets.
They provide a refuge for animals and for us.
They are a place where you can come to heal.
There's treasure everywhere at the sand dunes. Everywhere you go you'll find
something interesting, you'll find something unique.
The dunes are one of the easiest places to have an adventure in Death Valley.