Year of the Shorebird, the Impact of Healthy Streams, and Cool Mountain Air

It's official. In Utah, 2021 has been declared "Year of the Shorebird" by the governor. What does this have to do with Wild Utah Project's work? Read our first blog post to find out.

Red-necked Phalarope. Photo ©Dorian Anderson (donated for project use)

The Impact of Just One Healthy Stream

Recently, Wild Utah Project staff, interns, and partners joined forces to continue restoration work on a degraded stream in Utah. We also recorded important data on stream health to measure how the stream ecosystem is responding to our work.

Ecologist Janice Gardner records stream health data at the restoration site. Photo: Alhondra Lopez

We observed some exciting signs of wildlife in the area where you—our dedicated volunteers and donors—helped install restoration structures last year. We were thrilled to have two potential boreal toad sightings and what appears to be recent beaver activity around the stream.

One way we measure stream health is by identifying macroinvertebrates. Can you name any of the species on our project sticker?

Want to be a part of healing wildlife habitat? Our first fall stream restoration project dates are posted! Sign up to make a difference for wildlife.

Visit our project page to sign up for upcoming dates.

If you're not able to volunteer, you can still provide crucial support by donating or sharing our work.

Boreal Toads and Cool Mountain Air

Field ecology intern Saya Zeleznik measures water quality as part of our boreal toad project.

Looking for a way to participate in conservation while beating the heat? 

Boreal toad volunteers turn their outdoor time into conservation. They visit mountain areas to look for the boreal toad, a species that has seen serious population declines in recent years due to drought, a deadly fungus, pollutants, development, and other threats. 

Donor Spotlight

Meet one of our dedicated monthly donors, Bryn Watkins.

What is your personal connection to wildlife conservation in the West? "It began when I moved here eight years ago. I had never climbed a mountain before, but suddenly without more than a couple hours’ consideration I was climbing Timpanogos. I’d never experienced such a beautiful journey as I did that middle-of-the-night hike, and I’ve been in love ever since.

Donor Spotlight Bryn Watkins on Pfiefferhorn

After spending time studying conservation at university, I feel more passionately than I did even then about the preservation of what remains. We have a serious duty to participate in the stewardship and care of our modern natural world, even as it continues to change right under our feet. I climbed Timp again a few days ago and the scant patches of snow felt like an admonishment! We have to protect what is left or it won’t be. For that reason I am so grateful Wild Utah Project remains engaged in this crucial labor."

What originally drew you to Wild Utah Project's work? What keeps you involved? "Wild Utah Project is doing the work I find most vital in today’s world. Simultaneously, science and the natural world are both losing their priority as other considerations take precedence. But science-based conservation has actually never been more necessary for our survival, so Wild Utah Project’s eagerness to get in the literal weeds to secure a more beautiful future is super-heroic. I find the specific projects they choose so prescient as we survey the work we must do as a society. They are smart, and good, and focused. I love the Wild Utah Project!"

Why do you choose to give monthly? "Because I am not personally and daily involved in this science-based conservation we and our environment most need, I’ve found I can participate by donating my money instead. A monthly donation gives me the opportunity to funnel what I earn from entirely unrelated work towards the planet.

Bryn at Utah's beloved Lake Blanche

I feel grateful for the chance to express my values even as my time engages me in other efforts than Wild Utah Project’s. Plus, those donations of money or volunteer time seem to make all the difference in the infrastructure of a non-profit like Wild Utah Project. If you’re considering donating, don’t give it another thought! This work matters so much and your contribution will go a long way."

Thank you so much for all your support, Bryn!

Bryn Watkins is a cook, writer, dancer, and expert on food systems, economics, & sustainability. She spends most of her time wandering ridgelines or delivering homemade marmalades and other creations to friends.

An Easy Way to Have a Big Impact on Conservation

Thank you to all our volunteers, donors, and supporters who make our work possible. If you're not already, will you consider signing up for a regular donation (as little as $5 per month)? 

Regular support is an easy way to make a big impact on conservation, and it allows us to plan our work with confidence in steady funding. Thank you for your dedication!

Interns survey for boreal toads, a species that has seen serious declines in recent years due to many threats.boreal toads

Way to Go, Pollinator Volunteers!

©Janice Gardner

Thank you to everyone who is supporting bumblebees and monarchs through our Utah Pollinator Pursuit Project. You are helping us learn where pollinators are and how we might best support conservation planning.

A big thank you as well to everyone who joined us in the field this month to search a landowner's property for pollinator resources and plan for future flowers at the site.

If you haven't yet started on the project, it's not too late! Learn how on our website.

Volunteers of the Month

Azadeh Saljooghi

Azadeh in Dasht-e Lar, close to Mount Damavand (18,406) in Iran

"My favorite part of volunteering so far happened with the first camera I installed. It picked up the image of a young mountain lion near where I have been hiking over the years. To know that such wild creatures live so close to us, yet they manage not to be seen much, is admirable and exciting."

Azadeh volunteers on the Wasatch Wildlife Watch project.

Curtis Soderborg

Curtis on a boreal toad survey in Utah's mountains

"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."

Curtis volunteers on our boreal toad project.

A huge thank you to these and all our amazing volunteers. If you're just joining a project or planning to volunteer during the fall, don't forget to take our start-of-season survey here to be entered in an outdoor-themed drawing!

Don't Forget

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 Highlights

Alex Altherr, Ecology Intern, University of Utah

Eva Quintus-Bosz, Communications & Outreach Intern, University of Utah

Nominate a Fellow Volunteer

The Trisha J. Worthington Community Service Award is an annual award given to an individual who has been generous with their time and talent to charitable and community endeavors. If your nomination is selected for the award, a local nonprofit of their choice will receive $1,000.

Don't miss this opportunity to honor fellow volunteers and the community! The last day to nominate is August 4th.

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 uswith any questions or suggestions.