Ribbon cutting this Friday

GREAT SAND DUNES NATIONAL PARK AND PRESERVE — After 10 months of renovations, the visitor center at Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is now open to the public; replete with updated interpretative displays, renovated bathrooms, and a dark sky exhibit.

The renovations were funded by park visitors who pay entry fees when they enter the park and by recreation fees collected at the campground.

The new displays are a collaborative effort of the park service, local tribes, and Seattle-based design firm EDX.

"New EDX-designed exhibits highlight the diversity of the park's ecosystems and history through stunning dioramas. interactive tactile elements, and immersive night-sky experience," is how EDX describes the exhibits.

The park was originally established as Great Sand Dunes National Monument on March 17, 1932, by President Herbert Hoover. Congress authorized a boundary change and redesignation as a national park and preserve in 2004.

Interested in learning what a fulgurite is, or how a Sabkha is formed? Visit the park and check out the exhibits to find out. The answers will also be revealed in the Saturday edition of the Valley Courier along with coverage of the ribbon cutting festivities scheduled for 8 a.m. on Friday, June 9.