Fieldwork in Zion: Chasing Cystopteris in Bear Trap Canyon

This May (ok, as usual, I’m behind in these posts), Julia and Chinedum traded laptops for hiking boots and ventured into the wilds of Zion National Park for a three-day fern-hunting expedition. With the expert guidance and support of Darrin Gobble, the park’s Vegetation Program Manager, they set off on a two-day backpacking trip into Bear Trap Canyon—a lush, fern-filled drainage tucked deep in the Zion wilderness. Their mission: to track down the elusive Cystopteris reevesiana and Cystopteris utahensis, two key players in our ongoing research on fern biology. Along the way, they also snagged a few bonus Pentagramma samples, because when in Zion… collect more ferns, right? Huge thanks to Darrin and the Zion NPS team for making this trip not only possible but also wildly memorable—complete with towering canyon walls, sore legs, and lots (and lots) of ferns.