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Tag: Grand Canyon

  • PETA Offering Reward for Squirrel Kicker Identity

    PETA Offering Reward for Squirrel Kicker Identity

    In a video that went viral online, an unnamed Frenchman was shown kicking a squirrel into the Grand Canyon in Arizona. Now the UK branch of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is offering a $17,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of the squirrel-kicker.

    PETA urged anyone with details to relay information to the Grand Canyon’s chief ranger, and calls the man seen in the video a “heartless thug.”

    In the clip, (the original has been deleted from YouTube), a shirtless man is seen setting down crumbs to lure a squirrel to the edge of the cliff, before kicking it into the canyon, while his friend in biker shorts watches.

    Grand Canyon National Park spokeswoman Kirby-Lynn Shedlowski said that rangers have been investigating the video, and have concluded that it appears to have been shot at the Grand Canyon, but when and exactly where is still vague.

    Here is a copy of the clip of the incident:

    If the kicker is caught, he could face a charge of wildlife harassment, which carries a penalty of up to six months imprisonment and a $5,000 fine, Shedlowski said.

    The Frenchmen from the video did not make any new fans on Twitter:

    PETA, founded in 1980, is the largest animal rights group in the world, with over 3 million members and supporters. Its slogan reads, “animals are not ours to eat, wear, experiment on, use for entertainment or abuse in any way.”

    Image via YouTube

  • Grand Canyon Helicopter Accident Kills One

    A helicopter ride at the Grand Canyon turned deadly on Sunday when a pilot lost control of the Eurocopter AS350 helicopter.

    According to the Federal Aviation Administration, while the pilot was steering, the helicopter turned on its side and crashed. There were no passengers on board.

    “Our thoughts and prayers are with our colleague’s family and loved ones,” president and CEO of Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters Brenda Halvorson said in a statement. “This is a difficult time for our Papillon family. We are fully cooperating with the NTSB investigation.”

    FAA spokesman Ian Gregor explained that the crash occurred near the Grand Canyon West airport, just south of the Grand Canyon Skywalk. The Skywalk is currently operated by the Hualapai Indian Tribe.

    There have been attempts made to reach the tribe for a comment, but none have been responded to; instead they are referring all questions to the National Transportation Safety Board, who is currently investigating the crash.

    More details about the crash will be shared as they become available.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Grand Canyon Bison Wreaking Havoc

    How do you manage a herd of about 400 bison? That’s what the National Park Service is trying to figure out.

    This massive gang of beefalo – a hybrid of cattle and buffalo – is taking over the northern reaches of the Grand Canyon. The concern is that they are causing destruction and unsanitary conditions.

    Along with trampling vegetation and grazing on pristine meadows, the bison have actually caused some serious damage and major causes for concern. The animals defecate in lakes polluting water sources, have trampled into Mexican spotted owl territory, have turned lush meadows into nubs, and even knocked over walls at American Indian cliff dwellings below the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.

    Federal and state officials have announced three public meetings in which residents of the area are invited to share their ideas on how to manage the huge animals. The meetings are scheduled for April 28 in Kanab, April 29 in Flagstaff, and April 30 in Phoenix. Online meetings are also set to take place.

    What you could expect to see at the Grand Canyon:

    The population of the hybrids has dramatically increased because they moved to an area in which hunting is illegal. The Arizona Game and Fish department was able to keep the pack down to about 100. With the herd moving over to the Grand Canyon, however, things changed because hunting is prohibited at the national park. Now the group has more than tripled.

    Officials at Yellowstone National Park are also revisiting the current bison management plan. Although herds have inhabited the area since prehistoric times, there is concern about disease transmission from the bison to Montana livestock.

    Expected proposed methods to manage the livestock include baiting, hazing, fencing, relocating the bison, and shooting them. Officials state that birth control has not proved to be an effective method in the past.

    Image via YouTube

  • Google Adds Beautiful Street View Imagery Of Endangered Colorado River

    Google has partnered with American Rivers to bring imagery of the Colorado River to Street View. Take a look at some of the beautiful scenery:

    “For 6 million years, the Colorado River has flowed through the heart of the desert southwest, its waters slowly carving out a canyon so vast it can be seen from space—yet so remote it didn’t appear on early maps of the region,” says Chris Williams, Senior Vice President of Conservation for American Rivers, in a guest post on the Google Maps blog. “It wasn’t until 1869, when John Wesley Powell led a small exploration party on a rafting trip, that the natural wonders of the Colorado River and the Grand Canyon came fully into view.”

    Part of the reason the new imagery exists is to raise awareness about the need for the river’s restoration and protection.

    “While you admire its grandeur, remember that the river is also at risk,” writes Williams. “One of the United States’ most important resources, the Colorado River provides drinking water for 36 million people from Denver to Los Angeles, supports a $26 billion recreation industry, and irrigates nearly 4 million acres of land that grow 15 percent of our nation’s crops. But it’s also one of the most endangered, dammed, diverted and plumbed rivers in the world, thanks to a century of management policies and practices that have promoted the use of Colorado River water at an unsustainable rate. By the time it reaches the Gulf of California in Mexico, the river is barely a trickle—a ghost of its once magnificent self. You can see evidence of the river’s decline In Street View, like the high water mark (showing 1950s driftwood on top of the rock), or sedimentation along the river’s edge down by Lake Mead.”

    In terms of simply adding to the beautiful imagery that Google has amassed for Street View, this will go nicely with the Grand Canyon imagery it released last year as the result of an early Trekker outing.

    Last week, Google also announced that it will soon have underwater imagery for Sydney, Australia, and debuted more Street View imagery from Hawaii.

    Images via Google

  • Grand Canyon Mine Halted Due to Financial Restraints

    The Grand Canyon is perhaps best known for its role as an amazing, awe-inspiring sight of nature’s beauty and power, a beautiful American landmark that brings flocks of tourists (and their wallets) to areas that might not otherwise have a chance at much revenue. A lesser-known aspect of the Grand Canyon, however, is the multiple mining projects that go on around the national landmark. Such endeavors are proving to be less profitable than is ideal, however, as one mining company has decided to halt its endeavors in the grand canyon due to financial restraints.

    A uranium mining company, in the midst of sinking a shaft for a mine just south of the Grand Canyon National Park, put its work on hold due to “market conditions and the expense of litigation.” The company, Energy Fuels Resources Inc, stated that the project will be halted until December of 2014, over a year from now, or “until a ruling is issued in a federal case challenging the U.S. Forest Service’s decision to allow development of the Canyon Mine near Tusayan.” The company had previously stated that they planned to extract 83,000 tons of ore to create 1.6 million pounds of processed uranium (“yellow cake”), but the time frame will now need re-evaluating in the face of halted production.

    Financial restraints might not be the only reason the mine has been halted, however. A local Native american tribe and multiple conservation groups have been working to halt the mine’s production for years, saying that the mine posed “potential harm to waters and wildlife of Grand Canyon, as well as cultural resources.” This constant backlash, as well as record-low prices for yellow cake uranium, have finally condemned the mine to a stand-still until some compromises can be met.

    Sandy Bahr of the Sierra Club was quoted as saying, “Obviously this is an indication that it doesn’t look good from an economic perspective. We obviously think that it has never looked good from an environmental perspective. It would be nice if they would also recognize that aspect of it and make the shutdown permanent.” With prices low and the backlash strong, it seems like this mine may soon meet a permanent end.

    [Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.]

  • Statue of Liberty Reopens Despite Government Shutdown

    The government shutdown has been hard on the National Parks Service. Many of its parks shut down earlier in October due to lack of funding from the federal government. In some cases, park closure meant a huge hit to state economies from lost tourism revenue.

    “Every day that Liberty Island is closed means we are losing visitors who would otherwise be spending at our local businesses – not to mention the employees who maintain the park and have been forced out of work,” New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said in a statement on Friday.

    So states struck a deal with the federal government that would allow parks to reopen at least temporarily with the help of state funding.

    The National Parks Service provided a list of parks that will temporarily reopen on its website. Grand Canyon and Zion National Parks and Mount Rushmore are among those listed.

    Both the Grand Canyon and Zion had been sites of protests in response to the shutdown:


    Of the reopening of the Grand Canyon, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer said:

    “I’m gratified the Obama administration agreed to reverse its policy and allow Arizona to reopen Grand Canyon, Arizona’s most treasured landmark and a crucial driver of revenue to the state.”

    Utah Governor Gary Herbert called the reopening of state parks in Utah a “godsend.” He said that “Utah’s national parks are the backbone of many rural economies and hard-working Utahns are paying a heavy price for this shutdown.”

    The price tag to reopen, even temporarily, will be steep. NPR provided the following information earlier today:

    • The Statue of Liberty – $369,300 for six days from Oct. 12-17 (New York)
    • Mount Rushmore National Memorial – $152,000 for 10 days from Oct. 14-23 (South Dakota)
    • Grand Canyon – $651,000 for seven days from Oct. 12-18 (Arizona)
    • Rocky Mountain National Park – $362,700 for 10 days from Oct. 11-20 (Colorado)

    The jubilant reactions to the reopenings by governors and other state officials indicates that the benefits to their economies far outweigh the price tag.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Huge Canyon Found Under Greenland Ice

    Huge Canyon Found Under Greenland Ice

    A team of scientists this week announced the discovery of a massive canyon that has been hidden underneath Greenland‘s ice sheet for millions of years. The canyon is longer (460 miles) than the Grand Canyon and is nearly 2,600 feet deep in some places. The discovery has been outlined in the latest issue of the journal Science.

    “One might assume that the landscape of the Earth has been fully explored and mapped,” said Jonathan Bamber, lead author of the paper and a professor of physical geography at the University of Bristol. “Our research shows there’s still a lot left to discover.”

    Bamber and his colleagues collected decades worth of radar data to map the surface of Greenland, which is covered under an ice sheet a mile thick. Much of the data was collected by NASA‘s IceBridge project, an airborne which was able to use a depth sounder to measure the thickness of Greenland’s ice.

    The canyon extends from the middle of Greenland to the fjords at the island’s northern edge. Bamber and his colleagues believe the canyon could help to usher sub-glacial meltwater from Greenland’s interior to the coast.

    “It is quite remarkable that a channel the size of the Grand Canyon is discovered in the 21st century below the Greenland ice sheet,” said Michael, an IceBridge project scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. “It shows how little we still know about the bedrock below large continental ice sheets.”

    (Image courtesy NASA)

  • Look At Google’s Beautiful New Grand Canyon Street View Imagery

    Google continues to expand its Google Maps Street View coverage into more and more interesting places. While things like “The Gates of Hell” may not actually be real, Google has recently expanded imagery for Hawaii, the Arctic, Zoos, Tsunami-ravaged buildings, and the ocean floor, to name a few.

    In June, Google unveiled Trekker, a tool designed to capture imagery for Street View for places that vehicles and even the Street View Trike can’t go. A few months later, Google announced its plans to utilize Trekker in the Grand Canyon, and now we’re seeing the fruits of Google’s labor.

    Google has just released panoramic imagery of the Grand Canyon with interactive images covering over 75 miles of trails and surrounding roads.

    “Take a walk down the narrow trails and exposed paths of the Grand Canyon: hike down the famous Bright Angel Trail, gaze out at the mighty Colorado River, and explore scenic overlooks in full 360-degrees,” says Google Maps product manager Ryan Falor. “You’ll be happy you’re virtually hiking once you get to the steep inclines of the South Kaibab Trail. And rather than drive a couple hours to see the nearby Meteor Crater, a click of your mouse or tap of your finger will transport you to the rim of this otherworldly site.”

    Let’s take a look at these locations:

    Bright Angel Trail

    Bright Angel Trail

    Colorado River

    Colorad River

    South Kaibab Trail

    South Kaibab Trail

    Meteor Crater

    Meteor Crater

    “Our team strapped on the Android-operated 40-pound backpacks carrying the 15-lens camera system and wound along the rocky terrain on foot, enduring temperature swings and a few muscle cramps along the way,” says Falor, reffering to Trekker. “Together, more than 9,500 panoramas of this masterpiece of nature are now available on Google Maps.”

    Here’s a look at Trekker itself:

  • Google Goes On A Grand Canyon Trek With New Street View Camera System

    In June, Google unveiled Trekker, a tool designed to capture imagery from Google Maps Street View, which would be unattainable by way of vehicle or even a Street View Trike. It’s basically a backpack with a camera attached to it, which takes 360-degree imagery.

    Today, Google revealed its first Trekker-based outing. The company has sent its team to the Grand Canyon to get new Street View imagery.

    “The canyon landscape is one of the most breathtaking places in the world, is only accessible on foot, and perfectly demonstrates why the Street View Trekker backpack was developed to maneuver narrow trails and rocky terrain,” a Google spokesperson tells WebProNews. “Once the still photos are collected, they’ll be stitched together into 360-degree panoramics and shared on Google Maps for both armchair travelers and real life explorers around the world to see and experience.”

    “The narrow ridges and steep, exposed trails of the Grand Canyon provide the perfect terrain for our newest camera system,” says Google Street View product manager Ryan Falor. “The Trekker—which its operator controls via an Android phone and automatically gathers photos as he walks—enables the collection of high-quality imagery from places that are only accessible on foot.”

    “This week, photos are being gathered from portions of the South Rim at Grand Canyon National Park, including the ridge, the famous Bright Angel Trail, South Kaibab Trail, and more,” says Falor. “These panoramic views will soon be live on Google Maps, giving everyone from real-life visitors to armchair travelers the opportunity to marvel at this beautiful, majestic site from the comfort of their computers or mobile devices.”

    Here are some early photos of the team on its quest:

    Grand Canyon Trek

    Grand Canyon Trek

    Grand Canyon Trek

    It will be interesting to see where else Google takes Trekker. I have a feeling we’re going to be in for some pretty impressive Street View imagery in the not too distant future. Google is already taking things up a notch with the addition of ocean imagery, building interiors, and various exotic locations.

    See what else Google’s Street View team has been up to lately here.