A Mammoth Message

While on vacation at Yellowstone National Park, I took a Hot Springs Discovery walking tour of the Mammoth Hot Springs area and learned some amazing facts about the thermal features there. The Ranger guiding the tour emphasized her theme of the importance of water to all life. As we walked along viewing the magnificent hot springs, vents and mud pots that comprise the area, we learned about the heat loving (thermophilic) bacteria that give the springs their dramatic colors, the power of water to mold and shape landscapes, and the essential link between water and life.

At the conclusion of the talk and walk, the Ranger took out a large 16 oz (reusable) water container and poured off all but about 1 oz. This she said represented the fresh water in the world if we were to eliminate all the salt water. From this meager 1 oz, she poured off all but a few drops. These, she dramatically concluded are all we have not so severely polluted which we can still live upon. Her message was clear. Protection and conservation are needed not only to sustain our fresh water supplies, but life on our planet as we know it.