Gearing Up for Warm Weather & Outdoor Volunteer Projects
Plus, see where our interns have ended up and check out a new publication!
We loved seeing so many of our incredible volunteers and community members at our Community Science Training! Thank you for joining us as we presented ways to get involved in our Boreal Toad Project and Utah Pollinator Pursuit projects.
2024 project stickers by Kristen Vardanega
If you weren't able to make it, not to worry—you can still volunteer with us and dedicate time this summer to conservation! Check out our project pages to learn how to get started.
¡También tenemos materiales del proyecto disponibles en español!
Start-of-Season Survey
If you're planning to volunteer this year, we want to hear from you! Understanding your experiences and perspectives helps us improve our conservation work with communities across the West.
Will you take our 5-10 minute survey? (You'll get a chance at a Sageland hat!)
Photo by Sierra Hastings
Sageland Interns: Where Are They Now?
Since interning with us, Lexie Chamberlain has graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Biodiversity and Conservation. Now, she works with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources!
We're lucky to have an incredible group of interns join us every year. For the interns, these experiences develop skills in wildlife and conservation science. They do hands-on work in the field, receive mentorship from our experienced staff, and expand their professional conservation network across the West.
Read our recent blog post to meet four of our former interns, learn about their experience, and take away some advice for navigating the world of internships!
An International Wasatch Wildlife Watch Publication
2021 was unique for Snapshot USA, as it provided the ‘after’ dataset for a lot of pre, during, and post COVID case studies, including this international study published last month.
It was also the first year that the project started using Wildlife Insights for data entry, which greatly increased the capacity of the project and added a number of new contributors. As one of the main projects active for Snapshot USA during this season, Wildlife Watch contributed 1150 survey days across 21 sites during a relatively short window from September - November.
Check out two of the best photos below!
Thank You, Shorebird Surveyors!
Two surveyors at the Inland Sea Shorebird Reserve. Photo by Russ Norvell.
Our deepest thanks to all of you who joined us for the Spring 2024 Intermountain West Migratory Shorebird Survey! It was a wet and windy day, and everyone who came out demonstrated their love for our shorebirds.
Nearly 120 people covered the entirety of Great Salt Lake's shorelines and wetlands, plus Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge and the Amalga Barrens Sanctuary. We are currently tallying the shorebird counts and predict that it will be a good year for birds because of the lake's current water levels.
Stay tuned for updates and outcomes from this survey, and please feel free to reach out with any feedback!
Congrats, Sarah!
Sarah and Sageland Board member Dr. Mark Brunson
Congratulations to Communications & Outreach Director Sarah Woodbury, who just graduated from Utah State University with a Master of Science in Environment & Society!
Check out her thesis defense seminar, "The desert will blossom: LDS relational values and multispecies justice in the Intermountain West."
Her interdisciplinary research explored how two LDS communities in the Intermountain West relate to water and land, at the site of the Bear River Massacre and across the entire Great Salt Lake Watershed. This research supports water conservation in the West.
A bumblebee digs into a flower. Photo by Sierra Hastings.
Thank you for loving wildlife and lands in the West!
Make your gift today to support the future of conservation.
Visit the project page on our website, check out our Impact Report, or connect with us on social media (see links below) to learn more about our conservation work. Please feel free to contact us any time to share your volunteer stories, questions, or suggestions.