Toad Buckets & National Get Outdoors Day
Across Utah, volunteers are hefting toad buckets and hiking poles into beautiful mountain sites to search for the cryptic boreal toad and suitable habitats.
With yesterday (June 13) being National Get Outdoors Day, we celebrate all of you who are turning your outdoor time into wildlife conservation! We'd love to hear your stories if you're out with the Boreal Toad Project or one of our other projects.
Wild Utah Project volunteers join scientists in the field to search for boreal toads.
If you haven't yet joined our boreal toad volunteer team, it's not too late! You can be a part of this work and make a difference for conservation in the West. Check out our website to learn how you can get involved.
Thanks to everyone who joined us at Patagonia Outlet this weekend and signed up to volunteer. We can't wait to see you in the field.
Plus, looks like we can now confidently say it: Everyone and their dogs are excited about conservation!
An excited volunteer signs up with Communications & Outreach Director Sarah Woodbury and Communications Intern Alhondra Lopez.
June is Pride Month, a time to celebrate and reflect on the triumphs and trials of the LGBTQ+ community. Head to our social media this month to hear from one of our interns and a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community about the spaces this community and conservation meet (and celebrate together)!
Bumble Bees At Work
A bumble bee in a flower. ©Janice Gardner
Those among us who enjoy loud buzzing, flower-burrowing, and a fuzzier existence are officially out on the town! You may have seen us bursting from your garden blossoms, looking a bit frazzled while searching for spots to nest, or exploring your favorite flowering tree.
Pollinator populations are facing huge declines, but you can help #SavetheBees and #SavetheMonarchs and get outside by joining our project in Utah. Plus, don't miss our Monarch Field Trip THIS Wednesday! Learn more on our website.
Volunteers work to restore a degraded stream. ©Adam Culbertson
Give a Gift That Will Give Into the Future
If you'd like to see community- and science-based conservation in the West continue to grow in coming years, please consider signing up for a regular donation (as little as $5 per month) today. Thank you so much for your dedication to wildlife.
June Volunteer of the Month
Meet our June Volunteer of the Month and Stream Restoration volunteer, Carter Boyd! Carter learned about Wild Utah Project through a podcast he was listening to while painting houses.
What has been your favorite part of volunteering? "Being around so many smart, dedicated, and friendly people who have made careers out of conserving wildness and nature is such a gift.
Carter Boyd in the field
I didn't go to school for biology or conservation, and so I love having the opportunity to do something and learn about why it's important and how it works. All of the Wild Utah Project and partner agency staff...were so happy to answer questions I had about the project or about the trees and birds around us on site, and as someone always eager to learn, that alone made it worth my time."
What keeps you continuing to volunteer? "I keep a piece of paper pinned to the wall of my room with this quote on it from Ellen Meloy, who was a nature writer known for her work about the deserts of Utah:
"Wherever you are, wherever you go, there are untamed creatures that need your attention. Unplug your modem. Slam shut your self help books. Quit standing around like a wall trout and get to work . . . We will need these things so that we may speak."
For me, that sums it all up! I want to "get to work," and I want to use my time when and where I can to protect the natural world and keep as much life in it as possible. I try to understand that everything is connected, that protecting one little section of a small creek can have much wider resonance, and also that failing to protect that same little section of creek can cause much wider harm. I'm lucky enough to have the time and ability to get out and do these things, and so I do."
Carter works with literary organization EcoTheo Collective, which is focused on writing about ecology and theology. The organization publishes writing online and in print and hosts readings and workshops.
Other Volunteer Opportunities Coming Soon
Other volunteer opportunities in the next few months are listed below. Sign up for the email lists to be the first to hear about updates!
Photo by Lindsay Aman
Photo courtesy of Wasatch Wildlife Watch
Training: No training required
Signups: Dates will be posted for mid to late summer and fall
Save the Date!
On Saturday, July 31, we'll be having an event at Little City in Salt Lake. Keep your eye out for more details from us soon.
For now, mark your calendars to join us for food, conservation-minded mingling, and fun!
Intern Spotlight
Anna Jackson, Ecology Intern, Westminster
Alhondra Lopez, Communications & Outreach Intern, Westminster
Visit the project page on our website or connect with us on social media (see links below) to learn more about our conservation work, and please contact us with any questions or suggestions.