Festival of Science: One Day in the Life of a Gopher

Mike Allen is a soil and ecosystem scientist and a distinguished professor emeritus at the University of California, Riverside, known for his work on mycorrhizal fungi, plant-soil interactions, desert ecology and ecosystem restoration. After the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens, scientists wondering how life could return to a destroyed landscape brought in pocket gophers to dig around in specific areas for a single day. More than four decades later, the benefits of those 24 hours are still visible. As Allen puts it: who would have predicted you could toss a gopher in for a day and see a residual effect 40 years later? Free. Presented in partnership with the Canyonlands Natural History Association. Part of the Moab Festival of Science, Sept. 23-27.