It has been almost two weeks since returning from the Wyoming Spring Creek trip, and I can confidently say it was one of my most favorite trips ever. Before leaving, my friends mom said something to me along the lines of – “you are going to learn so much, and learn a lot about yourself.”…
Author: Mackenzie Courtney
Wyoming Spring Creek: Day Three of the Trip Around the State
We woke up in the Badlands this morning, after playing hacky-sack in the sunset and catching a glimpse of the bizarre looking Starlink satellite the night before. After packing up our tents, eating breakfast, and loading the vans we were on our way to find plant fossils! We began our day at Big Cedar Ridge,…
Wyoming Spring Creek: Prairie Dogs Holes and the Surrounding Soil
When deciding what I wanted to do for my independent project, I knew that I wanted to do something related to the animals on the property. I’m specifically interested in small mammals, and the abundance of prairie dogs on the property made choosing them to research was an easy choice. Along with their strong presence…
Wyoming Spring Creek: Ancient Ecosystems
Knowledge of ancient ecosystems and modern ecological communities can allows us to better understand the earth system. Past environmental conditions and habitats reveal things about the current life of the area and how the planet changes over time. Although this post is about ecological processes, the geologic formations reveal a lot about this topic. When…
Wyoming Spring Creek: Immersed in the Laramie River Valley
The last two weeks in Laramie, WY has been very eventful and eye-opening. I can confidently say I have not been in an area similar to here. Although I have been out west, this environment reminds me of cowboy movies and the small population creates a certain atmosphere in the towns. For one, many of…
Wyoming Spring Creek: The landscape, near and far
It’s sunny and not very windy on this Saturday morning at the spring creek preserve. From where I’m sitting, south of the shipping containers, I see many rocks of all shapes, sizes, and kinds. In the background, there is a mountain range, that appears darker than everything closer. Probably because it is further away and…
Wyoming Spring Creek Introduction
Hi, my name is Mackenzie Courtney (I mostly go by Kenzie) and I am a rising senior at the University of Pittsburgh. I am studying Environmental Science and minoring in Architectural Design. Since transferring to Pitt this last year, I have prioritized getting involved to meet new people and continue to follow my passions. I…