Today we spent the day at Looking Glass Arch, a location near the Bears Ears National Monument. It’s a location where one can rock climb or go on a rock swing. There are canyons and hills that shape the desert into a beautiful landscape, scattered with a variety of fauna. Bears Ears used to be owned and protected by the federal government, but recently it was sold to private companies for drilling oil and mining other resources. We talked about what that meant in English class — how this beauty would be disturbed and destroyed by these companies. This also meant that potentially all of the land would be closed off to future visitors, not allowing them to enjoy the beautiful landscapes. This means that future Link students and others would not be able to have the experiences we just had. Other national parks and monuments are also being sold off to private companies — a fact that made me feel lucky to have been able to see this monument before it’s gone, and I hope others have the chance to see this place before it’s taken. Patagonia’s website has more information about these national parks and monuments and how to help them.
-Callyn Saylor