Finding Healing through Collaborative Restoration
In partnership with Swaner Preserve and EcoCenter, we're honored to host "Finding Healing through Collaborative Restoration" later this month. There are options for attending both virtually and in-person, so you can join at your level of comfort.
Speakers will discuss a local project restoring the site of the Bear River Massacre, the largest massacre west of the Mississippi. Drawing from Robin Wall Kimmerer's Braiding Sweetgrass, this project weaves Indigenous knowledge, academic scientific pursuits, and local views for an innovative conservation model that serves long-term healing of both land and community.
When: Tuesday, February 22, 2022, 7PM – 8:30 PM MST
Where: This event has both virtual and in-person options for attending. The in-person event will be at Swaner Preserve and EcoCenter in Park City.
Speakers:
Darren Parry - Vice Chairman of the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation
Sarah Klain, Ph.D. - Andrew J. Senti Assistant Professor of Ecosystem Services at Utah State University
Will Munger - Environment & Society Ph.D. at Utah State University
How to Join: Tickets are required. For the in-person event, they are $7 (or free for members of Swaner Preserve and EcoCenter).
Announcing...New Socio-Environmental Research
We're excited to announce that Communications & Outreach Director Sarah Woodbury is beginning socio-environmental research supporting restoration at Boa Ogoi, the site of the Bear River Massacre. As part of our Stream & Riparian Restoration work, we're proud to join with the Northwestern Band of Shoshone, Utah State University, and others in this important effort. Stay tuned for more!
Image Analysis Volunteers Needed
Thanks to our wonderful volunteers, we have analyzed about 30% of our wildlife photos from 2020 and 2021. We're proud to say that we had enough data to contribute substantially to the SNAPSHOT initiative, which now includes all of the U.S. and Europe—or about 3,000 camera sites across 22 countries!
A black bear image captured on a project camera in July 2021.
We still need lots of help to finish this crucial work. Volunteers on this project enjoy working remotely at their own pace, a first glance at the behind-the-scenes of wildlife movement in the Wasatch, and the satisfaction of knowing their work supports wildlife conservation in this area and areas across the world.
This project can also be a lot of fun to do as a challenge between friends and family located anywhere!
Learn More
Even More than Rosy-Finches...
Our Rosy-Finch Project is going great! Our dedicated volunteers are busy recording 20-minute surveys at bird feeders from Montana to Nevada. This information helps scientists understand rosy-finches' locations and movement, building a solid base for conservation planning.
But rosy-finches aren't the only species our volunteers may see during their time outside! Can you name six other high-elevation bird species pictured below? Answers are located at the bottom of the photo.
It doesn't end at birds! Wyoming volunteers Rob and Nancy Tolley spot all kinds of wildlife, including this striking moose.
Did you know? One name for a moose is "rubber-nosed swamp donkey."
Photo by Rob Tolley
If you haven't yet joined the Rosy-Finch Fun, it's not too late! You and your family or friends can start contributing to rosy-finch conservation today.
Anders Eckert
Ecology Intern
Chris Reisinger
Ecology Intern
Adam Culbertson
Stream Ecology Intern
Opportunity Alert: Conservation Fellowship
The National Forest Foundation (NFF) invites graduate students (pursuing a master's or doctoral degree) to apply to the 2022 Conservation Connect Fellowship Program. These fellowships aim to build experience, knowledge, and skills within the next generation of collaborative and conservation leaders and advance the field. Learn more and apply here.
Thank you for your passion for wildlife and lands in the West! To support conservation in the places you love, donate today.
Meanwhile, a response from Wyoming...
"Who are you calling rubber-nosed???"
Photo (and joke!) by Rob Tolley
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.