Appendix DTextGraphicsand Artifacts.pdf

El Malpais National Conservation Area Ranger Station

Final Design – Exhibit Outline Text, Graphics & Artifacts

February 2020

BY DESIGN

conservation

Table of Contents

I. Exhibit Background and Overview Page 3 Project Background Layers of Information Balancing the Past With Today Audience

II. Project Goals and Themes Page 5 Desired Outcomes of Exhibits Big Idea Sub-themes and Storylines

III. Exhibit Narrative Page 8 Narrative Walkthrough

IV. Exhibit Components, By Area Area A: Introduction Page 11 Area B: A Land of Extremes Page 12 Area C: Life Amongst the Rock Page 16 Area D: Learning from Lava Page 23 Area E: Survival in Harsh Environments Page 25 Area F: Native Peoples Page 29 Area G: Comings & Goings Page 35 Area H: Homestead on the Range Page 38 Area I: Overview of the NCA Page 41 Area J: Plan Your Adventure Page 43 Area K: Citizen Science Initiatives Page 44 Area L: Kids’ Corner Page 46

El Malpais National Conservation Area Ranger Station 100% Design Exhibit Outline • Text, Graphics & Artifacts

Bureau of Land Management • 100% Exhibit Design Conservation By Design • February 2020 • Page 2

I. Exhibit Background and Overview

The El Malpais National Conservation Area (NCA) was established in 1987 to protect nationally-significant geological, archaeological, ecological, cultural, scenic, scientific, and wilderness resources surrounding the Zuni-Bandera volcanic fields. El Malpais translates to “the badlands” in Spanish.

The NCA includes dramatic sandstone cliffs, canyons, La Ventana Natural Arch, Chain of Craters Back Country Byway, the Joe Skeen Campground, Narrows Picnic Area, and Cebolla and West Malpais Wilderness Areas. There are many opportunities for photography, hiking, camping, and wildlife viewing within this unique NCA.

For more than 10,000 years, people have interacted with the El Malpais landscape. Historic and prehistoric sites provide connections to the past. More than mere artifacts, these cultural resources are kept alive by the spiritual and physical presence of contemporary Native American groups, including the Ramah Navajo and Puebloan peoples of Acoma, Laguna, and Zuni. These tribes continue their ancestral uses of El Malpais including gathering plant materials, paying respects, and renewing ties.

Project Background Located off of Highway 117 near Grants, NM, the El Malpais NCA Ranger Station serves as an information center for visitors passing through or exploring the area. Existing exhibits were developed in 1993. This current effort provides an updated spatial layout and content design of indoor interpretive exhibits for approximately 1,144 sq. ft.

The exhibits provide visitors with information on recreation opportunities available to them, as well as interpretation of the natural and cultural resources of the NCA. Conservation By Design provided overall spatial design for the exhibits as well as content design. Fabrication and installation are outside the scope of the current contract.

Layers of Information Although there are innumerable stories about El Malpais to tell, this is not a mere panel show. We seek to engage visitors with the stories of El Malpais through a variety of means—contextual scenic environments, artifacts and carefully chosen photographs.

Conservation By Design • February 2020 • Page 3

Balancing the Past with Today The stories that we tell today embody why the area is of national conservation significance. From geology to biology, archaeology to history, interpretation focuses on the superlatives—that which sets the unit apart from the surrounding landscape and warrants special protections.

Audience The primary audience for the exhibits consists of general NCA visitors. This includes pit-stoppers (those looking for a restroom, general information, and to stretch their legs), current recreational users (campers, cyclists, hikers, hunters, wood cutters, rock climbers, cavers and geocachers), and destination travelers (who view the NCA and/or the adjacent National Monument as their primary destination).

School groups and volunteers also use the Ranger Station (and specifically the exhibition area) as a gathering and waiting area.

The main interpretation will be in English only. Non-English-speaking visitors may be served by incidental translations of exhibit content, but such translations are not included in the current scope of work. All exhibits are designed to meet current universal design and accessibility standards.

Conservation By Design • February 2020 • Page 4

II. Project Goals and Themes

As part of project initiation, Conservation By Design facilitated a workshop with BLM staff to outline the direction for the exhibits. During the workshop, attendees established key messages and desired outcomes of the exhibits, which have been revised over the course of the development and design process.

Desired Outcomes of Exhibits

• Increase awareness of BLM’s mission

• Understanding and learning about human history of the area

• Disperse and promote recreational use throughout the NCA (beyond the arch) by showcasing different areas of the NCA

• Promote both the concept of wilderness and specific wilderness locations

• Improve wayfinding to featured resources and destinations

• Capitalize on the NCA’s niche in providing primitive backcountry experiences

• Encourage recreational exploration and personal challenge

• Expand awareness of the NCA’s wilderness, geological, and biological assets

• Support economic development and tourism efforts in local communities

• Cultivate stewardship behaviors

• Provide an increased sense of visitor satisfaction

• Increase appreciation for resource conservation and protection

• Provide interagency information on local recreation opportunities

• Encourage people to be prepared, read signage, and practice safety and etiquette

• Explain geologic features

• Promote opportunities like hiking and hunting

• Encourage respect for infrastructure and minimize vandalism

• Understand different management areas and any limitations (wilderness vs. non-wilderness)

Big Idea The “big idea” (or central theme) is a single sentence that sums up the main topic of the exhibit. This is the message that we want visitors to walk away with. It is the umbrella—all of the interpretive themes and stories fit within it.

El Malpais is a dramatic and diverse landscape that inspires protection and discovery.

Conservation By Design • February 2020 • Page 5

Sub-themes and Storylines

1. El Malpais is a place for exploration, conservation and discovery.

a. People work together to preserve and share the natural and cultural heritage of El Malpais.

i. Visitors

ii. Volunteers

iii. Land managers (management & restoration activities)

b. Citizens and lawmakers have worked to protect wilderness areas in a primitive and undeveloped state, untrammeled by man.

c. Scientific discovery of El Malpais’ natural and cultural heritage is ongoing.

d. Recreation opportunities in El Malpais promote a sense of adventure, challenge, stewardship and self-discovery.

e. Through management decisions and restoration efforts, we ensure that the ecosystems of El Malpais are resilient in times of stress and change.

2. The mesas, mountains and valleys of El Malpais are a vibrant reminder of the forces that shape this landscape over time.

a. Ancient inland seas covered this landscape many times and left behind the layers of sandstone visible in the cliffs ringing the lava field today.

b. The landscape of El Malpais is a product of volcanic eruption, uplift, and rifting. Erosion continues to shape it today.

i. The Grants Lava Flow includes the most recent volcanic activity in New Mexico.

3. The plants and animals of El Malpais are adapted to the ecological niches created by the region’s diverse landforms.

a. Every species has a niche

i. Adaptations to water availability

ii. Melanism

iii. Biomes

b. A region rich in biodiversity

c. Migration corridor

Conservation By Design • February 2020 • Page 6

4. El Malpais is a confluence of cultures through time, where people have been and continue to be challenged and inspired in this land of extremes.

a. Archaeological evidence indicates human presence in the region for more than 7,500 years.

i. Paleo-Indian evidence and use patterns

ii. Puebloan history and lifestyles

1. Active volcanic eruption would have disrupted the lives of some of the earliest human inhabitants. Evidence of their occupation is likely buried under the lava field today.

b. Spanish explorers passing through El Malpais had a profound influence on the pueblo cultures.*

c. The arrival of the railroad to the region spurred settlement and economic ventures such as ranching and logging.

i. This part of New Mexico was one of the last places in the US to remain open to homesteading.

ii. Homesteaders tried to eke out a living on the edges of the black rock but struggled to subsist. Some of the cabins and homesteads from this era can still be found.

iii. Ranching has a long history in and around El Malpais.

d. The landscape of El Malpais continues to be important to Southwest American Indian tribes today.

e. Prehistoric, historic and sacred sites and artifacts are fragile, valuable, irreplaceable, and worthy of our respect and protection.

* Content will address multiple perspectives of the Spanish “influence.”

Conservation By Design • February 2020 • Page 7

III. Exhibit Narrative

Imagine that a visitor is coming to the El Malpais NCA Ranger Station for the first time. Located at the base of a sandstone cliff lies the Ranger Station, an earth-toned stucco building evocative of a traditional pueblo dwelling.

Area A: Introduction The moment they walk in the front door, visitors are greeted by a friendly staff member and the open and airy feeling of the interior. Welcome signage and a large 3D topographic map of the NCA are located front and center, where visitors immediately notice the contrast of the lava beds surrounded by sandstone cliffs.

From this central vantage point, visitors see out of a series of large windows to the dramatic landscape beyond. Two primary freestanding exhibit structures/monoliths radiate from the center towards the perimeter of the building. Visitors may choose to flow through the exhibition in a variety of paths— content is designed to be approached from any access point, not in a linear progression.

Area B: A Land of Extremes To the left of the central topographic map, visitors are attracted by the sight of a tree rising from a sandstone cliff ringed by a lava flow. On one side of this stone-looking structure, visitors learn about the formation of the landscape and its dominant geological features—sandstone cliffs and lava flows.

Area C: Life Amongst the Rock On the other side of this scenic monolith, visitors learn how these geological features have shaped the lives of the wildlife species that have adapted to life amongst the rock. Finally, visitors learn about the significance of the bat species that live in the area and the growing threats they face.

Area D: Learning from Lava In this corner between the two left-most windows, visitors are attracted to a pair of panels that provide details about the age, location and significance of El Malpais’ lava flows. We learn how researchers continue to gain new understanding as they study these young lava flows.

Conservation By Design • February 2020 • Page 8

Area E: Survival in Harsh Environments Visitors are attracted to this four-sided scenic display, which continues the presentation of the unique plants and animals that are adapted to life in this environment. One side depicts a grassland environment complete with a cutaway view of a prairie dog burrow, transitioning to a pinyon-juniper woodland.

Area F: Native Peoples On the other side of this scenic backdrop, we see the window of a re-created pueblo dwelling (re-used from previous exhibit, with pottery on display inside) and a mural image of a historic cornfield.

Weaving specimens—basket and rug—are mounted in a wall display, while several artifacts such as hunting and agricultural tools and pottery sherds are on display in a low profile display case. The end wall is covered in a collage of historic photos of Navajo and Pueblo peoples.

Area G: Comings and Goings In this corner display, visitors learn about the comings and goings of humans through the area over time, and how the El Malpais region is an important travel corridor for wildlife today. We see a map of the Western Wildway and how El Malpais fits in to the overall migration routes of migratory birds and large species, like bear and elk. On a second panel, we see a timeline of human occupation of the region.

Area H: Homestead on the Range On this wall, we see a recreated scene of a log cabin kitchen to the left with an array of artifacts that speak to a primitive style of living compared with today’s typical standards. At center and right, a rustic fence leans against the wall and, at right, parts of a windmill (or a graphic silhouette) are mounted flush to the wall. At center, an interactive quilt exhibit features a “collage” of historic photos.

Designed to look like fabric, the graphic panel has a series of real fabric photo squares attached that lift up to reveal additional information about homesteading and homesteaders in the El Malpais region.

Area I: Overview of the NCA This large wall panel introduces visitors to the purpose and significance of the NCA. The surrounding wall (covering Areas I, J, K, and behind the welcome desk) is covered in a vintage-looking topo map applied large scale to the wall adds to the ambiance. A number of client-provided rustic signs (wilderness, trailhead, etc) reminiscent of historic Route 66 are mounted across these walls. Signs may address the Continental Divide Trail, Wilderness, Chain of Craters, National Park Service, and the BLM. Here, we learn that the BLM is different from the NPS, yet both are united in protecting resources of national significance. A reader rail highlights the wilderness opportunities available to visitors, along with the special regulations associated with wilderness.

Conservation By Design • February 2020 • Page 9

Area J: Plan Your Adventure This large wall panel will feature a large map highlighting unit boundaries, roads and trails, developed recreation sites, and wilderness areas. The panel will also discuss suggested activities and possible destinations.

Area K: Citizen Science Initiatives This wall will feature information on current citizen science initiatives and magnetic, black-colored whiteboards for logging recently seen species of birds, blooms, and any other sightings to note.

Area L: Kids’ Corner This corner to the left of the south-facing window will include a BLM-provided child-sized table and chairs and a wall panel featuring Seymour and Junior Explorer content.

Conservation By Design • February 2020 • Page 10

IV. Component List

A. Introduction El Malpais

A.1 Welcome and Orientation A circular-shaped platform supports a welcome graphic and a 3D printed full color topographic terrain model. Consider a railing to discourage touching and/or climbing by the visitors.

A.1.a 3D Terrain Map Full color terrain map shows national monument, NCA, and possibly nearby landmarks such as Mt. Taylor and Acoma. This terrain map will focus on major geologic features (not on trails or plan your adventure information). The base bid should feature labelling via vinyl appliques; an optional upgrade will feature push button light up labelling.

A.1.b Welcome Panel Upright glass panel with etched design—lettering and topographic lines—attached to the back of the platform. The title will be just above the average viewer’s line of sight to allow the visitor to see through the glass panel to the window.

Conservation By Design • February 2020 • Page 11

B. A Land of Extremes B.1 and B.2 Four-Sided Scenic Backdrop—Geology Shapes Biology This scenic recreation depicts a lava flow at the bottom of a sandstone cliff. A re-created tree (ponderosa pine) appears on Side #1 (short, front), rising from the sandstone at the edge of the lava flow. Side #1 also depicts a touchable lava tree mold in the lava, where lava flowed around a tree, leaving a tree trunk-shaped depression in its wake.

Side #2 (long, left) features depictions of various types of lava flows from floor to waist-height. Real lava specimens should be utilized wherever possible. The upper, sandstone cliff section of Side #2 features an assortment of fossils (real or replica) embedded in the sandstone cliff wall.

Description of this structure continues in Exhibit Area C.

B.1.a Side #1: Interpretive Graphic Panel: Introduction This standard-sized interpretive graphic panel provides an introduction to the geology and biology of the sandstone cliff and lava flow environments.

Life Thrives Here The extremes of fire, ice, heat, cold, drought, and rushing floodwaters all play a part in shaping this complex landscape.

Insert photo of seedling growing on lava field. Caption: Lava is porous, holding precious moisture that plants and animals rely on.

The Badland. Inspired by this unforgiving landscape, Spanish explorers called this place “El Malpais.” Steep cliffs, sharp lava beds, and unreliable water sources made it challenging to cross on horseback.

But these cliffs and lava beds along with cool caves, wooded canyons, and lush grasslands comprise a unique home to a great diversity of plants and animals.

Sandstone cliffs rise from the valley floor, revealing their ancient origins.

Conservation By Design • February 2020 • Page 12

Conservation By Design • February 2020 • Page 13

B.1.b Side #1: Exhibit ID Label: Lava Tree Mold This small graphic panel identifies the lava tree mold and briefly describes how it was formed.

Lava Tree Mold When a fast-moving lava flow surrounds a standing tree, the molten lava will solidify around the tree, setting it on fire which slowly burns the wood away.

An impression corresponding to the size of the tree trunk is left behind in the lava— sometimes even the texture of the original tree bark is preserved.

Lava tree molds are commonly found at El Malpais.

B.2.a Side #2: Titling: Rocks of Many Ages Dimensional type applied to sandstone cliff face

Rocks of Many Ages

B.2.b Side #2: Interpretive Graphic Panel: Geologic Origins This standard-sized interpretive graphic panel provides an overview of the geologic timeline, including the ancient seas followed by a period of faulting and uplift.

Sea Change

From ancient seabeds to vast deserts, this location has seen drastic change throughout Earth’s history.

Insert photo of exposed oyster bed or illustration of underwater ¬oyster beds.

Caption: Prehistoric sharks once roamed the waters that covered this region, along with crocodiles, turtles, gars and other marine life.

El Malpais is a mix of ancient sea floors, young lava flows, and fragments of Earth’s oldest crust. As shallow seas advanced and withdrew over millions of years, these primordial sediments settled and hardened into sandstone.

With seismic pressure and geologic uplift, those prehistoric seafloor sediments are now the towering sandstone cliffs that still bear ripple marks from wave action of long ago.

Wind and rain have continued to shape the soft sandstone cliffs, carving natural arches and exposing prehistoric marine fossils.

Conservation By Design • February 2020 • Page 14

Prehistoric sharks once roamed the waters that covered this region, along with crocodiles, turtles, gars and other marine life.

Bivalves and other oceanic creatures are preserved as fossils in the sandstone cliffs today.

B.2.c Side #2: Exhibit ID Label: Ancient Lifeforms These small graphic panels identify the fossils and specimens embedded in the sandstone nearby.

B.2.c.1 Shark Tooth

B.2.c.2 Clam

B.2.c.3 Worm Tracks

B.2.c.4 Bivalves

B.2.c.5 Ammonite

B.2.d Side #2: Interpretive Graphic Panel: Volcanic Actions and Erosion This standard-sized interpretive graphic panel introduces the effects of volcanism and describes how the landscape continues to change, spurred by weathering, wind and erosion.

The Earth Erupts

Volcanism is an active agent of change here, where more than forty volcanoes have created the lava flows you see in the distance.

Insert image of extinct volcano/cinder cone. Caption: Ancient cinder cones are much older than the dark surface McCarty’s flow that you see at El Malpais.

Located on the southwestern edge of a massive geologic province called the Colorado Plateau, the Zuni-Bandera Volcanic Field (El Malpais’ technical name) is part of a larger region of volcanic activity that spans from here to the northeastern corner of New Mexico. There are four main types of volcanoes and all of them can be found at El Malpais—basalt cones, cinder cones, shield volcanoes, and composite or stratovolcanoes.

This region—where young volcanic flows are layered atop ancient ones—reveals a weakness in the Earth’s crust and is a telltale sign that this hotspot of volcanism will likely see additional eruptions in the future. Exactly when is anyone’s guess.

Volcanoes occur when superheated liquid rock, called magma, from deep within the Earth erupts to the surface.

B.2.e Side #2: Exhibit ID Label: Lava Formations These small graphic panels identify the names and causes of the different lava flow types.

B.2.e.1 Pāhoehoe Lava (paw-HOEY-hoey) Hawaiian term

This smooth and ropy lava occurs when magma flows slowly from a vent, oozing and undulating across the ground, losing little heat along the way.

B.2.e.2 ‘A‘ā Lava (ah-ah) Hawaiian term

This rough and blocky lava forms during rapid eruptions, cooling quickly and breaking off into chunks as it flows.

Conservation By Design • February 2020 • Page 15

C. Life Amongst the Rock C.1 and C.2: Four-Sided Scenic Backdrop—Geology Shapes Biology (continued) This is a continuation of the same four-sided scenic structure described in B.

Side #3 (long, right) features a cutaway view of a tinaja—a surface depression that fills seasonally and supports a multitude of life. A magnifying glass graphic shows a magnified view of fairy shrimp. A re-created prairie falcon nest with bird and eggs is perched at the top of the sandstone cliff. At center, two species of lizard bask on the rock. A collared lizard (replica) basks on a layer of sandstone or black basalt while a horned lizard (replica, dark in color) is seen perched on the upper edge of the lava flow. To the right of Side #3, a recreated cave (recessed from front edge) features graphic images of a number of species. A series of push buttons on the reader rail below lights up the species hidden in the cave.

Side #4 (short, back) continues the recreated cave material as a backdrop to a graphic panel discussing the threats to bats.

C.1.a Side #3: Titling: Life Amongst the Rock Dimensional type applied to sandstone cliff face

Life on the Rocks

C.1.b Side #3: Interpretive Graphic Panel: Water Efficiency This standard-sized interpretive graphic panel introduces the adaptation that allows species to live in an arid environment, highlighting the kangaroo rat as a featured species.

Land of Little Water With just 8-10 inches of rainfall each year, animals of El Malpais must adapt to these arid conditions to survive.

Insert photo of kangaroo rat. Caption: The Ord’s kangaroo rat is just one of the species in El Malpais that has adapted to arid conditions with special behavior and physiological characteristics.

Water conservation is crucial to enduring the harsh environment of this desert landscape. Kangaroo rats are especially adapted to life in the desert. They rarely need to drink water as they get all the water they need from the seeds and grasses that they

Conservation By Design • February 2020 • Page 16

Conservation By Design • February 2020 • Page 17 eat. These rodents spend most of their day in burrows and avoid going outside in the hot, dry weather. Their bodies are well adapted to conserving water, so much so that their urine is excreted in the form of crystals instead of liquid.

Other adaptations for a hot, dry climate include slowing metabolism, being light in color to deflect the sun’s heat, being active at night, and feeding only in the shade.

Plants are also good at conserving water. Narrow leaves, waxy coatings, and extensive root systems are common strategies for absorbing and retaining water in this environment.

C.1.c Side #3: Exhibit ID Label: Prairie Falcon This small graphic panel identifies the featured species and provides a brief description.

Prairie Falcon Falco mexicanus

This large raptor nests among the ledges of El Malpais’ sandstone cliffs—out of reach of most predators—and is well adapted for an arid environment.

The prairie falcon is an aggressive and opportunistic hunter that cruises the grassland and open country looking to flush out the occasional prey. It survives on little food and can go a long time between meals.

C.1.d Side #3: Reader Rail: Take Advantage of the Monsoons This reader rail graphic panel describes how some species take advantage of the summer rains to reproduce. It features the species depicted in the tinaja—canyon tree frog and fairy shrimp (freshwater relatives of brine shrimp found in ephemeral pools).

Waiting for the Rain Summertime rains called monsoons quench the parched landscape and trigger the beginning of a new generation of life.

Monsoons bring thunderstorms, flash floods, and nearly half of the region’s annual rainfall. Depressions in the sandstone, called tinajas or potholes, capture these downpours of rain and support an entire ecosystem of plants and animals. Even the smallest pothole contains microscopic life. To survive in a tinaja, plants and animals must

Conservation By Design • February 2020 • Page 18 endure extreme changes in temperature and be ready to move on or go dormant when the water dries up.

These ephemeral pools are breeding grounds and nursery habitat for a number of species. Fairy shrimp are tiny crustaceans that live their entire lives in these seasonal pools and are known for their ability to hit “pause” and wait for the next decent rain.

Canyon tree frogs also rely on tinajas. After their eggs hatch, tadpoles must develop quickly into frogs—sometimes in under two weeks—before the ponds dry up.

C.1.d.1 Other: Magnified View of Fairy Shrimp This small circular graphic will be used with a large magnifying glass element as a close-up view of life inside the recreated tinaja.

Chris Buelow / Flickr

C.1.d.2-3 Exhibit ID Labels These small graphic panels identify the fairy shrimp depicted in the magnified view and the canyon tree frog depicted in the tinaja recreation.

C.1.d.2 Fairy Shrimp

C.1.d.3 Canyon Tree Frog and eggs Hyla arenicolor

C.1.e Side #3: Interpretive Graphic Panel: Melanism This standard-sized interpretive graphic panel introduces the survival strategy that allows species to blend into their environment. It features the horned lizard, specifically, and discusses other lizards, as well.

Hidden in Plain Sight Some animals avoid predators by taking on the dominant colors of their environment— wherever that might be.

Conservation By Design • February 2020 • Page 19

Caption: The eastern fence lizard is widespread in North America. Although the population inhabiting the lava flow exhibits a darker body color, it retains the flashy blue throat and belly patches that males use to advertise.

Lizards are masters of this disguise tactic. A darker body color has become dominant over generations of lizards who live amongst the black lava flows—this adaptation is called melanism. Dark individuals blend into their habitat better, live longer since they can more successfully avoid predators, and are then able to reproduce and pass this trait on to their young. Lighter colored lizard populations are slowly disappearing from the lava flows at El Malpais.

Every species has their preferred niche. Collared and tree lizards are often found on lava rock, while the horned lizard, or “horny toad,” is found on sandy soils surrounding the lava flows. These short, robust, spiny lizards have a color designed to blend into the sandy soil surfaces.

As an added defense against predators, when threatened the horned lizard shoots a stream of blood from its lower eyelids.

C.1.e.1-2 Exhibit ID Labels These small graphic panels identify the recreated lizards.

C.1.e.1 Horned Lizard Phrynosoma spp.

C.1.e.2 Collared Lizard Crotaphytus collaris

C.1.f Side #3: Reader Rail: Lava Tubes and Caves This reader rail graphic panel introduces the presence of lava tubes and caves, and identifies the species depicted in the cave environment above. When pressed, a push button lights up the featured species.

Life Below the Surface Even though they appear desolate at first glance, the cool and moist environments of lava tubes and caves are actually crawling with life.

Conservation By Design • February 2020 • Page 20

The underground world of the lava flows remains a frontier for exploration.

Lava tubes are formed when the surface of a lava flow has cooled and solidified and the hot, liquid interior drains out and leaves behind a hard shell. Insulated from weather extremes up top, these subterranean environments maintain a consistent temperature of about 42° Fahrenheit—perfect conditions for an array of life.

Push the buttons below to discover the web of life that thrives in the underground network of lava tubes.

Harvestman Leiobunum spp.

Centipede Scolopendra spp.

Velvet Mite Trombidium holosericeum

Moss Class Bryopsida

Townsend’s Big-Eared Bat Corynorhinus townsendii

Beetle Family Tenebrionidae

C.1.f.1 Other: Magnified View of Harvestman This small circular graphic will feature a magnified image of a harvestman.

iStockphoto

C.1.f.2 Other: Magnified View of Velvet Mite This small circular graphic will feature a magnified image of a velvet mite.

Björn S / Flickr

Conservation By Design • February 2020 • Page 21

C.1.f.3 Other: Townsend’s Big-Eared Bat This small circular graphic will feature a magnified image of a Townsend’s Big-Eared Bat

Larry Zimmer / Flickr

C.1.f.4 Other: Magnified View of Centipede This small circular graphic will feature a magnified view of a centipede

Isaiah Rosales / Flickr

C.1.f.5 Other: Moss This small circular graphic will feature a view of moss.

Shutterstock

C.1.f.6 Other: Magnified View of Darkling Beetle This small circular graphic will feature a magnified view of a darkling beetle.

Budak / Flickr

C.2.a Side #4: Interpretive Graphic Panel: Threats to Bats This standard-sized interpretive graphic panel discusses threats to bats, including white-nose syndrome.

Tiny Size, Big Impact Bat populations in El Malpais and around the world are dramatically declining.

Caption: The Brazilian free-tailed bat (Tadarida brasiliensis) is just one of 13 species of bat found at El Malpais and can be found roosting in nearby caves by the thousands.

Bats play an outsized role in maintaining natural ecosystems and human economies.

Colonies of insectivorous bats eat tons of flying pests and pollinate a wide variety of native and crop plants each night.

Conservation By Design • February 2020 • Page 22

Bats around the world are threatened by white-nose syndrome, a fungal infection that colonizes the skin of bats while they are in an inactive state called torpor. Infected bats have extremely high rates of mortality. Both bats and humans risk spreading the fungus when moving between caves. Speak with local agencies before entering caves.

Insert photos of each species below

Species at Risk Big Brown Bat (Eptesicus fuscus) Big free-tailed bat (Nyctinomops macrotis) Fringed myotis (Myotis thysanodes) Long-eared myotis (Myotis evotis) Long-legged myotis (Myotis volans) Spotted bat (Euderma maculatum)

Conservation By Design • February 2020 • Page 23

D. Learning From Lava D.1.1-b Center: Titling: Learning From Lava

Dimensional type applied to graphic panel suspended from ceiling. Includes panel graphic and text for output.

Learning From Lava

D.2 Left: Interpretive Graphic Panel: Mapping Lava Flows This standard-sized interpretive graphic panel depicts a map of lava flows labeled with ages.

Mapping Lava’s History

Scientists have identified more than a dozen unique lava flows that have occurred here in the last three million years. That’s just a blink of an eye in geologic time.

Insert map of lava flows with ages. Caption: The El Malpais region is a hotbed of volcanic activity, with lava flows spanning millions of years.

The oldest flows in the region erupted from Mt Taylor, yet the lava field that characterizes El Malpais occurred within the last 700,000 years. El Malpais is home to the youngest volcanic eruption in New Mexico. The McCartys flow occurred just 3,900 years ago, when ancestral Puebloans were present on the landscape. Imagine suddenly experiencing the tremors and clouds of ash that accompany such an eruption!

Over time, elements have shaped the land to include rises of cinder cones, dips of volcanic craters, and tunnels through lava and sandstone. This concentration of geologic activity has created a landscape worthy of exploration and national significance.

The material ejected from volcanoes comes in many sizes and shapes—ash flows, cinders, and volcano bombs, like those pictured. Some volcano bombs contain fragments of older rocks, called xenoliths, at their center.

— A. William Laughlin and Frank V. Perry / New Mexico Bureau of Mines & Mineral Resources, Bulletin 156, 1997

D.3 Right: Interpretive Graphic Panel: Vegetative Variations This standard-sized interpretive graphic panel discusses how the ecology of a lava flow changes as it ages. Text also highlights research efforts made possible by the presence of McCarty’s Lava Flow—the youngest flow in New Mexico and one of the youngest and longest in North America.

Vegetative Variations

Lava flows retain more moisture than the surrounding landscape, creating islands of trees and other long-rooted plants usually found only at higher elevations.

Insert photo of dwarf pinon on pahoehoe. Caption: Harsh growing conditions create twisted, dwarf trees on young lava flows—scientists are still investigating why.

Contrary to what one might think, lava flows support a variety of unlikely plant life, especially trees. Since lava does not absorb water, its many cracks and fissures allow rain and snowmelt to pass through and collect underneath—protected from evaporation and temperature extremes by layers of lava crust above. The older the lava flow, the more vegetation it has growing on it.

These islands of increased moisture, called mesic islands, are home to long-rooted conifer trees like ponderosa and piñon pines, as well as Douglas fir. The oldest known living Douglas fir in the country, dating back 1,300 years, is growing on the Bandera lava flow. Each of these volcanic islands is surrounded by dense vegetation that benefits from the increased runoff which occurs along the edges.

On lava flows, fires are infrequent and decomposition rates are low. These conditions preserve live and dead trees which can then be used to advance knowledge of historic climate patterns via tree ring research. Scientists have dated trees at El Malpais as far back as 136 B.C.E.

Cinder cones are home to plants found nowhere else within El Malpais. Cinder phacelia is only found here on Bandera Crater and in the San Francisco Volcanic Field in northern Arizona.

Conservation By Design • February 2020 • Page 24

E. Survival in Harsh Environments E.1 and E.2 Four-Sided Scenic Backdrop—Survival in Harsh Environments This scenic recreation depicts how animals and people make their homes in the grassland and pinyon-juniper woodland environments. Side #1 (short, front) features a re-created adobe wall.

Side #2 (long, left) features scenic re-creation of grassland on the left, complete with a re-creation of a prairie dog burrow (underground section is cut away so viewers can see the additional species living in the burrow). Background is mural of sky and grassland transitioning to pinyon-juniper foothills at right. Around the top of the burrow is grassland and a replica prairie dog. An elk (photograph panel) browses on the new grass. A bear track is imprinted in the re-created surface.

Description of this structure continues in Exhibit Area F.

E.1.a Side #1: Interpretive Graphic Panel: Introduction This standard-sized interpretive graphic panel discusses how early people addressed their basic needs—food, water, shelter—in this landscape. It prompts the visitor to question how they might be able to survive, as well.

Lifeways The quest for food, water, and shelter has created distinctive challenges and opportunities in the landscape of El Malpais.

Insert photo of rock art. Caption: Prehistoric residents recorded traditional knowledge throughout the sandstone cliffs of El Malpais.

Ramah Navajo and the nearby pueblos of Zuni, Acoma, and Laguna have interacted with the landscape of El Malpais in a variety of ways for thousands of years. They grazed sheep and cattle, hunted deer and other wildlife, and gathered wild crops such as piñon nuts and wild onions.

While these tribes live elsewhere today, El Malpais continues to be an important destination for religious ceremonies, pilgrimages, and the collection of sacred materials and medicines. Many shrines have been built on lava flows, mountain peaks, and sandstone bluffs and are tended to as part of ongoing traditions passed down through generations.

Conservation By Design • February 2020 • Page 25

As you spend time exploring the landscape of El Malpais, remember the traditional and sacred connections that this land and its inhabitants represent.

E.2 Side #2: Other: Backdrop This large full color backdrop image depicts grassland transitioning to pinyon-juniper forest at El Malpais.

E.2.a Side #2: Titling: Agents of Ecological Change Dimensional type applied to mural face

Agents of Ecological Change

E.2.b Side #2: Interpretive Graphic Panel: Keystone Species—Prairie Dog This standard-sized interpretive graphic panel provides an overview of the niche occupied by the prairie dog and the habitat it creates for other species in the grassland environment. The panel will discuss mountain plover as one species supported by the existence of prairie dog.

NOTE that owls will NOT be depicted in any imagery but may be discussed in text.

Ecosystem Engineer Gunnison’s prairie dog is top dog in the grassland ecosystem of El Malpais.

Insert illustration of prairie dog as keystone species. Caption: Prairie dogs provide food and shelter for a vast number of other animals. Without the prairie dog, the grassland is less diverse.

More than 150 species of plants, animals, and insects rely on the habitat hotspots created by prairie dog colonies. Known as a keystone species, the prairie dog has a bigger impact on its environment than most other species. Without their presence and daily habits which build a unique ecosystem, the shortgrass prairie would be drastically different.

Once abandoned, the vast underground network of tunnels and rooms created by prairie dog activity is used by burrowing owls, snakes, beetles, badgers, and more. All the digging and fertilizing they do alters the soil chemistry, too—encouraging plant diversity and helping rainwater soak in.

Insert isolated image of mountain plover.

Conservation By Design • February 2020 • Page 26

The mountain plover, despite its name, lives only in the shortgrass prairie where the grass has been grazed by prairie dog activity.

E.2.c Side #2: Interpretive Graphic Panel: Fire Means New Beginnings This medium-sized interpretive graphic panel discusses the role of fire in a healthy forest and grassland ecosystem.

Fire Brings Renewal

Periodic fire has shaped ecosystems over time and keeps forests and grasslands healthy.

Caption: After a low intensity, cool burning fire, the landscape responds with a flush of new growth.

Over millennia, fires have become integral events in the maintenance of the mosaic pattern of open meadows, grasslands, woodlands, and forests we see today. However, overgrazing and fire suppression have altered the natural fire regime and when combined with the stresses of drought, can cause catastrophic fires.

Some plants depend on fire as part of their survival. The ponderosa pine tree, for example, has thick bark that protects the inside of the trunk while flames clear out the surrounding dense undergrowth. With less competition from other species, ponderosa pine trees grow bigger and their seeds are more successful. This fire adapted tree drops its lower branches to prevent fire climbing up and burning the green tree crowns.

Trees contain a record of a region’s fire history, as well as important climatic information about historic droughts and wet periods.

E.2.d Side #2: Exhibit ID Label: Elk This small graphic panel identifies the adjacent elk.

Elk Cervus canadensis

Conservation By Design • February 2020 • Page 27

Conservation By Design • February 2020 • Page 28

This large, social grazer is often seen moving across the landscape of El Malpais in herds.

Elk eat 8-15 lbs of vegetation each day during the summer which has a notable impact on the grassland.

Grazing supports a diverse plant community, which allows many other animal species such as birds, rodents, and black bears to thrive. Healthy elk populations also support top predators like the mountain lion.

E.2.d.1 Side #2: Other: Elk cutout graphic This large graphic panel features a color image of a scaled down female elk.

E.2.e Side #2: Reader Rail: Predator and Prey This reader rail graphic panel discusses the cascade of dependency expressed by several predator/prey relationships at the NCA.

Predators Create Balance The health of natural systems relies on the presence of influential animals who sit at the top of the food chain.

Mountain lions promote healthy plant communities by keeping deep and elk populations in check. This wide-ranging large mammal is found in and around the Cebolla Wilderness and throughout the Western Hemisphere. A secretive, solitary predator, it stalks its prey at dawn and dusk. Known mostly for ambushing larger animals, it also preys on species as small as insects, birds, and rodents.

Caution is advised when hiking—stay alert to your surroundings.

Black bears disperse seeds with their droppings which helps to create a diverse food source for deer and elk. This omnivore prefers pinon-juniper woodlands. The black bear has an enhanced sense of smell and hearing. It uses its impressive sense of smell to locate food such as carrion - decaying remains - and young ungulates like fawns. Bears often hear humans long before we have the opportunity to see them in the wild.

E.2.f.1 Exhibit ID Label: Bear Tracks This small graphic panel identifies the bear tracks depicted in the recreated ground surface texture.

New Mexico Black Bear Tracks Ursus americanus amblyceps

Conservation By Design • February 2020 • Page 29

F. Native Peoples F.1 and F.2 Four-Sided Scenic Backdrop—Survival in Harsh Environments (continued) This is a continuation of the same four-sided scenic structure described in E.

Side #3 (long, right) features a replica pueblo wall and window framing a lighted display case (re-used from existing exhibits) showcasing pottery on the left. A historic photo mural backdrop to the right depicts a cornfield with dwellings nearby, while a glass case at right depicts a Navajo rug and basket. A reader rail case depicts various tools and other artifacts.

Side #4 (short, back) features a collage of historic photos of members of tribes who have lived in and around El Malpais.

F.1 Side #3: Other: Backdrop This large black and white backdrop image depicts a historic cornfield.

F.1.a Side #3: Titling: Challenge and Inspiration Dimensional type applied to mural face

Challenge and Inspiration

F.1.b Side #3: Exhibit ID Label: Pottery This small graphic panel provides context for the pottery displayed in the case.

Pottery Zuni, Laguna, and Acoma artists

Pottery combines utility and art. Designs vary between the different tribes and pueblos.

Styles have changed significantly over time and often reflect local clay deposits and pigment availability.

Modern tribal potters sometimes use ancient sherds to serve as models of historic designs for new creations.

Conservation By Design • February 2020 • Page 30

F.1.b.1 Side #3: Small Exhibit ID Label: Pottery Small ID labels reformatted from previous exhibit

Indented-corrugated cooking vessel Donated by Quivira Mining Company, curated by the New Mexico Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, Laboratory of Anthropology

F.1.b.2 Side #3: Small Exhibit ID Label: Pottery Small ID labels reformatted from previous exhibit

McElmo Black-on-white canteen Donated by Quivira Mining Company, curated by the New Mexico Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, Laboratory of Anthropology

F.1.b.3 Side #3: Small Exhibit ID Label: Pottery Small ID labels reformatted from previous exhibit

Tularosa Black-on-White jar On loan from the Maxwell Museum of Anthropology, University of New Mexico

F.1.b.4 Side #3: Small Exhibit ID Label: Pottery Small ID labels reformatted from previous exhibit

St. John’s Polychrome bowl On loan from the New Mexico Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, Laboratory of Anthropology

F.1.b.5 Side #3: Small Exhibit ID Label: Pottery Small ID labels reformatted from previous exhibit

Gallup Black-on-White jar Donated by Quivira Mining Company, curated by the New Mexico Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, Laboratory of Anthropology

Conservation By Design • February 2020 • Page 31

F.1.b.6 Side #3: Small Exhibit ID Label: Pottery Small ID labels reformatted from previous exhibit

Puerco Black-on-White olla From BLM collection, curated by the Maxwell Museum of Anthropology, University of New Mexico

F.1.b.7 Side #3: Small Exhibit ID Label: Pottery Small ID labels reformatted from previous exhibit

Acoma Polychrome pueblo canteen and gourd water dipper On loan from the New Mexico Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, Laboratory of Anthropology

F.1.b.8 Side #3: Small Exhibit ID Label: Pottery Small ID labels reformatted from previous exhibit

Navajo woven basket canteen, waterproofed with pine pitch

F.1.b.9 Side #3: Small Exhibit ID Label: Pottery Small ID labels reformatted from previous exhibit

Cebolleta Black-on-White canteen On loan from the New Mexico Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, Laboratory of Anthropology

F.1.b.10 Side #3: Small Exhibit ID Label: Pottery Small ID labels reformatted from previous exhibit

Red Mesa Black-on-White water ladle Donated by Quivira Mining Company, curated by the New Mexico Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, Laboratory of Anthropology

Conservation By Design • February 2020 • Page 32

F.1.c Side #3: Interpretive Graphic Panel: Native Cultures This standard size interpretive panel incorporates unique information about relevant tribes, a region map, their current culture, and use of land. No origin stories will be included.

Ancient Homeland Native American tribes maintain important cultural ties to the El Malpais region.

Insert regional tribal map. Caption: Modern reservations are much smaller than the land areas traditionally used by tribal groups. El Malpais includes many features of tribal significance—mountains, springs, lakes, ice caves, shrines, lava tubes, cinder cones, pilgrimage routes, and more than a thousand known archaeological sites.

The El Malpais region is currently home to four unique Native American cultures, each with their own religious ceremonies, rituals, forms of governance, home life, and often language.

Zuni, Acoma, and Laguna people traditionally lived in small farming villages in summer and returned to their pueblos during the winter for celebrations. Today, the pueblos are lived in year-round.

Ramah Navajo, originally a group of hunters and gathers, have adopted an increasingly agricultural lifestyle as time has gone by.

Mt. Taylor—a dormant stratovolcano on the northern horizon—holds special significance for regional tribes.

F.1.d Side #3: Reader Rail: Tools of Survival This reader rail graphic panel accompanies a display case filled with artifacts representing important tools, such as pot sherds, projectile points, digging stick, rabbit stick, and bow. Text will identify and describe how these tools were used.

1. Tools of Survival The region’s original inhabitants devised many implements for hunting, defense, and other work.

Conservation By Design • February 2020 • Page 33

2. Bow & arrow Hunting and defense

3. Bone awls Sewing and shaping stone tools

4. Planting stick Agriculture

5. Rabbit stick Hunting and play

6. Stone tools Hunting, cutting, and food preparation

Leave it where you find it. It is illegal to take archaeological artifacts.

F.1.d.1-5 Exhibit ID Labels These small graphic panels portray the identification numbers associated with each artifact.

Numbers correlate to those on F.1.d reader rail

F.1.d.1

F.1.d.2

F.1.d.3

F.1.d.4

F.1.d.5

Conservation By Design • February 2020 • Page 34

F.1.e Side #3: Exhibit ID Label: Weaving This small graphic panel identifies the rug and basket on display and describes how ancient designs expressed beauty in the everyday, and how ancient designs continue to inspire the designs of today.

Weaving Navajo rug

Modern tribal members continue their centuries long tradition of weaving rugs, blankets, and baskets.

Ancient designs are reimagined in geometric patterns incorporating triangles, interlocking right-angled shapes, and zigzags. Woolen Navajo textiles evolved from everyday functional items to collectible artwork and are an important economic output for many tribal members today.

F.2.a Side #4: Photo Collage This graphic collage covers the entire end wall in historic photos of native people who lived and/or visited El Malpais.

Conservation By Design • February 2020 • Page 35

G. Comings & Goings G.1.a-b Center: Titling: Comings & Goings

Dimensional type applied to graphic panel suspended from ceiling. Includes panel graphic and text for output.

Comings & Goings

G.2 Left: Interpretive Graphic Panel: Wildlife Corridor This standard-sized interpretive graphic panel presents information on the El Malpais region being an important wildlife corridor.