A mess left at a Utah park didn't merely hint that a family somewhere was expected to add a boy into the fold. Unfortunately, the resulting scene also clearly showed they had minimal regard for the area's natural beauty.
Fox 13 Salt Lake City reported on the disappointing scene after the Snow Canyon State Park Instagram account (@snowcanyonstatepark) highlighted the incident.
The situation was no laughing matter. After being alerted to the dyed-blue Petrified Dunes, the park put all hands on deck to restore the rocks' natural red color. The park divulged that the efforts required four-and-a-half hours of work from the rangers, who hauled 24 gallons of water. That amounted to three miles of hiking with 200 pounds of water.
It paid off, as the photos afterward showed the rocks returned to their usual shade. While it couldn't be confirmed the offenders were doing a gender reveal using blue powder, the park reminded visitors in the post that "'toss' and 'release' items such as flower petals, confetti, powder/smoke cannons, etc are not permitted." They also encouraged visitors to follow the "Leave No Trace" principle.
Fox 13 pointed out this came only weeks after an arrest for petroglyph vandalism in Southern Utah. Unfortunately, litter at parks is a growing problem that fellow hikers and rangers are often left to clean up. It's troubling, not just because it can ruin the natural landscape and beauty of nature. Litter can also come with a heavy toll for local animals, especially when it comes to plastic pollution that can result in them ingesting toxic microplastics.
Gender reveals, in particular, have courted controversy. Some have literally sparked wildfires, while others have left beaches and other natural areas littered with confetti. They've even incorporated birds, which puts a target on their back for predators. A more responsible gender reveal can be done on your own turf. If you are doing it in a public space, it's important to pick up after yourself and leave the area like you found it.
Commenters on the park's Instagram post were disillusioned by the display.
"Ban gender reveals 2025, new statewide policy I'm proposing as of today," one poster suggested.
Other posters called the display "absolutely disappointing" and "so upsetting" while thanking the rangers for their hard work in cleanup.
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