Natural History Museum Brings ‘Soil Stories’ Exhibit to Panguitch

Traveling Treasures visits Zions Bank’s Panguitch branch in July

PANGUITCH, Utah, July 12, 2023 – Panguitch is the latest stop in the Natural History Museum of Utah’s “Soil Stories” traveling exhibit, featuring the untold stories of the earth beneath us. The exhibit, which is free and open to the public, will be on display at Zions Bank’s Panguitch branch, 90 E. Center St., during regular bank hours through July 31 as part of its multi-county tour across Utah.

Soil Stories highlights the uniqueness of soil, which is often taken for granted. The exhibit’s six cases unveil the process and players who make, enrich, and survive in soil, including:

• Soil samples and soil crusts from across Utah
• Insect specimens and small vertebrates
• Indigenous farming tools, artifacts, and pottery
• Paleosol: where it’s found, and why it matters

“Traveling Treasures has made several stops at this branch over the years. It always does a great job making science and history accessible,” said Marc Henrie, manager of Zions Bank’s Panguitch branch.

Visitors will learn that soils vary in color, texture and smell, and that the organisms that inhabit soil – like cicadas – are just as interesting. One exhibit shows the Indigenous farming practices that allowed Utah’s original peoples to thrive in an arid climate, while another highlights the importance of corn, beans, and squash, and their role in the soil.

“In my work studying insects, I have always been fascinated by soil,” said NHMU entomology collections manager Christy Bills. “Invertebrates such as beetles, ants, and snails enrich soil and play a large role in sustaining all kinds of ecosystems in surprising ways.”

For more than 20 years, the Natural History Museum of Utah and Zions Bank have partnered to bring natural history collections and research to Utah’s diverse communities. Each year, a team of educators, exhibit designers, bankers, and museum volunteers creates a new traveling exhibit that explores a unique aspect of natural history in the state, region and beyond.

For additional details about future Traveling Treasures stops and locations, visit nhmu.utah.edu/programs/traveling-treasures.

– Zions Bank