Museum, Greenway RiverWalks begin Aug. 25

The Idaho Museum of Natural History and the Portneuf Greenway Foundation have teamed up to offer a series of RiverWalks, giving people of all ages the opportunity to learn about the natural world around them while enjoying the greenway trails.

RiverWalks are monthly, family-oriented field excursions, each focusing on a different natural history topic. They begin at a trailhead best suited to the topic and are led by accomplished naturalists from our area.

The first RiverWalk in the series is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 25, from 8 to 9:30 a.m. and will explore the unique geology of the Portneuf Valley. Additional RiverWalks will be scheduled for September and October.

Led by Paul Link, Ph.D., ISU Geosciences professor, this month’s RiverWalk participants will learn about the dramatic lava flows that begin near Soda Springs and end near the Pocatello Zoo. They’ll walk through the scour features caused by the mammoth Bonneville Flood and get an overview of the complex geology of the valley including Portneuf Gap, Chinese Peak and the Pocatello and Bannock ranges.

Link is a long-time member of the Portneuf Greenway Foundation. He served on its first board of directors and as president from 1992 to 2001.

“Pocatello is home to such complicated and fascinating geology,” Link said. “In fact people come from all over the world to see our unique geology. The Kirkham Reach is a great place to get a feel for the geology of the valley and get a real sense of what the country was like before western settlement.”

People interested in participating in this month’s RiverWalk should meet at the Kirkham Trailhead of the Portneuf Greenway, near Cheyenne Crossing at the south end of Second Avenue by 8 a.m. on Aug. 25.

For more information, contact Kristin Fletcher at the Idaho Museum of Natural History at (208) 282-2262 or fletkris@isu.edu.