Cool Mountain Air on the Boreal Toad Project

Wild Utah Project interns Saya Zeleznik and Alex Altherr survey a mountain site for boreal toads.

Thank you so much for signing up for our conservation projects. Summer has announced itself (loudly), and our volunteers, interns, and staff are out finding refuge from the heat while searching Utah's higher elevations for boreal toads and habitat. 

We want to know: how's it going? Respond to this email if you still have questions about the project or need help signing up.

If you haven't yet joined the Amphibian and Aquatic Habitat Assessments project, it's not too late to participate through independent surveys or by joining a led survey with a scientist.

Volunteer Highlight

Meet Curtis Soderborg, our Boreal Toad Volunteer Highlight! This is Curtis's second year volunteering with boreal toads.

Curtis says, "I was first drawn to this project because I wanted to do something meaningful that would contribute to the health of the ecosystem. I spend a lot of time recreating in nature, and I wanted to give back to these wild places and wildlife that add so much to my life.

It has been great to visit the same site repeatedly and see how it changes throughout the year. I feel a greater connection to a place after watching it so closely." 

Thank you so much for your support of boreal toad conservation, Curtis!

Volunteer Survey & Prize Drawing

As we head into our busiest time of year, we'd like to learn a bit more about our volunteers and their experience and perspectives. If you're planning to volunteer during our 2021-2022 season, will you take our survey to support conservation? You'll also be entered into our drawing for an outdoor-themed prize!

How to Get Involved

Wild Utah Project field intern Alex Altherr records boreal toad data.

1. Review the Training - Watch our recorded training to get started or refresh your knowledge.

2. Complete the Volunteer Form - Before participating in this project, volunteers must fill out our Volunteer Application Form.

3. Sign Up for a Field Visit - Sign up online for either independent surveys or scientist-led surveys.

Additional steps for Independent Surveys ONLY:

4. Print Materials - Review/print the Individual Survey protocol and print field forms and a cheat sheet to take with you on site visits. 

5. Pick Up OPTIONAL Toad Buckets: To gather extra data, pick up a toad bucket from the Guest Services office at Hogle Zoo, any day, 9am-1pm. Four day checkouts max.

Had something come up this summer? If you can't get out into the field but still want to be part of conservation, please consider supporting this work through a donation of any amount. 

Monthly donations are an easy, automatic way to offer consistent conservation support, and they allow us to plan our work with greater confidence in funding. However, any gift is greatly appreciated.

If you're unable to donate, you can help by sharing our work, whether on social media, through emails, or among colleagues and friends.

Call for Toad Buckets

We're excited to have so much interest in the project this year! However, we've had a few volunteers unable to get buckets over the past few weeks. Moving forward, we ask that volunteers do not keep the buckets longer than four days.

If you currently have a toad bucket, please make sure to check it in ASAP. Thank you so much!

Thank You

This huge effort to conserve sensitive amphibians would not be possible without your dedication. Thank you!

For printable resources, signup sheets, field forms, project updates, and survey protocols, visit our Project Page. Please contact us with any questions.

As always, your stories can help reach others and make a difference for boreal toads. If you have any stories, photos, or videos from the project, please feel free to share them with us by emailing sarah@wildutahproject.org.