Mr. Parson’s students of Custer Elementary School wrote their song with songwriter Keith Burden, inspired by Jewel Cave National Monument.
“The Jewels of Creation”
Words and music by Keith Burden
with Mr. Parson’s 5th Grade Class
©2016 National Park Service
Where can we go … when we need silence?
Far from the noise … of the world where we live
Where can we turn … to find some perspective?
To sweetly remember … what nature can give
High on a mountain … deep in a canyon
There’s beauty and mystery … that’s awesome to see
From the stars in the sky … to the depths of a cavern
The jewels of creation … are precious to me … … …
Where can we seek … the wisdom of ages?
Where can we reach … eternity’s hand?
Where are we filled … with new inspiration
Freely bestowed … on the spirit of man?
In forest and prairie … wetland and desert
The cycles of nature … are vibrant and free
By glaciers and geysers … the spirit remembers
The jewels of creation … are precious to me … … …
Where can we find … some unsullied beauty?
Where can we feel … the wonder of old?
Where in the world … can we rise to the moment
To let out the music … that’s deep in our souls?
High on a mountain … down on a river
We find our connection … is setting us free
From the stars in the sky … to the depths of my being
The jewels of creation … are precious to me
The jewels of creation … are precious to me
The jewels of creation … are precious to me … …
Jewel Cave National Monument
Mr. Parson’s 5th Grade Class
Jewel Cave is the third largest cave in the world. The tour was about a hour and a half. The cave is over 180 miles long. The average passage diameter is about 13ft. You can feel that the cave is consistently 49 degrees Fahrenheit. Walking through the cave was a cool experience: I loved the cool wind. It’s very dark when the Ranger turned off the lights.
One of the features in the cave looks like popcorn but is actually Dog-Tooth Spar. Stalagmites are on the floor. Stalactites are on the ceiling. A Soda Straw is when a stalactite drips on a stalagmite then they connect and make a Soda Straw and it is hollow. Another of the features in the cave is a Hydromagnicite Balloon. It is a balloon that is on the wall, and if you get too close and blow on it, it will deflate. There is a feature that looks like bacon and it hangs off of the wall and it’s layered rock. Jewel Cave thinks that Wind Cave and Jewel Cave connect, and Wind Cave doesn’t think that they do connect.
Did you know that pine trees smell like vanilla/butterscotch? Also, did you know bats can live in logs, not just caves? Sometimes you will feel like you’re being watched because of all the wildlife around the monument. There’s more than just a cave: you can take a hike. The surface has lots of nature walk areas. Some spots on the surface you might get to see elk or deer.
There are 411 national sites around the United States. Jewel Cave was the first Monument and it was made in 1908. A Monument is established by the president and a National Park is made by Congress. The people at Jewel Cave try to preserve everything around nature. We all should care for animals and different things, and we should care for our National Parks too. We should protect the plants and animals. There are many different animals like bats, coyotes, squirrels, chipmunks, and many more.