WALNUT CANYON NATIONAL MONUMENT

AS AN INTERN, Steven Rossi lived on the edge of Walnut Canyon in housing the Civilian Conservation Corps built. He and his wife spent a lot of time listening to birdsong echo off the canyon walls and watching the seasons turn. Living there, seeing the dwellings of the ancient people and telling their stories gave him a deep appreciation for the ancients’ ability to create a community in the canyon for 200 years. “I really started to feel part of it,” says Rossi, the park’s education coordinator. He also felt a connection to the young men of the CCC who helped build the park during the Great Depression. Now, as a ranger, he carries that work forward. Rossi still comes to Walnut Canyon when he wants to escape the stresses of modern life. “It’s something that is very peaceful to me,” he says. “It’s like going back in time. It’s like walking back into history.”