We met Alex, another park ranger on Tuesday, our second day in Zion. He is part of the sustainability committee for the park, and he oversees one of the newest projects, the Green Fleet. This is a project that involves more than fifteen bikes, most were donated, that park employees can use to travel between the sites. This can cut down on emissions and reduces the park's carbon footprint because employees would no longer need to drive. Usually, they would drive their personal cars, so the bikes helps them personally as well. Our job with Alex was to inspect and perform simple maintenance on the bikes. This was a great experience because not only did we help out the park and its employees, but we also learned something that we can bring back with us. I now know how to change a bike tire!
I have noticed that sustainability programs involving bikes are popping up in different places in the country. One of the ones that I have seen the most often is a rent a bike type program. A person can check out a bike, return it whenever, and then pay for however long they had it checked out. Unfortunately, I do not think this kind of program would make a big difference at KU. Another sustainability program at Zion was water bottle filling stations around the park. None of the gift shops or food vendors sold disposable bottles, so guests are required to bring their own or purchase a reusable water bottle. They are then able to fill it at any of the stations. This kind of program would work at KU, and it seems like something to look into.
After we finished our work with Alex, we were able to go on a hike to Angel's Landing. This was fantastic, and the views were incredible. When we returned to our campsite, we were greeted by Michelle, who we had met the day before. She informed us that someone from REI, and outdoors magazine, wanted to interview us after seeing Zion's Facebook post about us (which, as of Tuesday evening, has three-hundred and six likes!). This was quite an exciting day.
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