These beavers will continue the habitat-healing work started with the installation of restoration structures. Check out our video for the behind-the-scenes of this work. Video: Sarah Woodbury

Staff from Sageland Collaborative recently joined partners at Utah Division of Wildlife Resources to release beavers onto a Utah stream.

*Stream Ecologist* *Rose Smith* *greets a beaver before releasing her into a degraded Utah stream to support restoration in the area. Photo:* *Sarah Woodbury*

The stream was primed for the beavers' arrival through human-made beaver dam analogues, which are simple restoration structures that improve unhealthy habitats and support biodiversity.

Now, the beavers will take over this habitat-healing work! Watch our video to get a front-row look at the process.

As Wild Utah Project celebrates 25 years of science in service of wildlife and wildlands, we start our next quarter century with a new name. Wild Utah Project is now Sageland Collaborative.

Don’t worry—our mission is the same, and we’re the same organization. We have even more opportunities for people to get involved on behalf of our wildlife and lands. So why change our name? Read our latest blog post to find out.

New (Slimy) Project Coming Soon

We're excited to announce a brand new project coming soon: Herp Search! This herpetofauna-focused project will be starting in Spring 2022.

What is "herpetofauna," you ask?

Passionate "herpers" will know that herpetofauna, or "herps," refers to amphibians and reptiles. Toads, salamanders, and snakes, for example—all friends of ghouls or witches in our favorite October-themed stories—are herps.

*A juvenile boreal toad found on a project trip this summer. Photo:* *Sarah Woodbury*

To lay the groundwork for conserving these special species and their shrinking habitats, Herp Search will answer big questions about Utah's "herps" by harnessing the power of community science.

Are you like us and love seeing scales slide across your path or a slimier creature shimmy out from under a log? Sign up below if you'd like to receive updates on this project in the coming months. Thank you for making projects like this possible!

Sign up to receive project updates

Join an Autumn Stream Restoration Day

*Our 2021 Stream Program Sticker, featuring watercolors (painted by our staff!) of macroinvertebrates found in healthy streams. Join us on a project to earn this badge of honor!*

A huge thank you to all our volunteers who have been busy installing stream restoration structures to heal degraded Western streams. Thanks to you and our partners and donors, this has been the biggest season ever on our Stream & Riparian Restoration program!

If you'd like to get out in the autumn air with this hard-working team and be a part of hands-on restoration, visit our project page to sign up. There are still dates that need volunteers through the end of the month.

*Enter our raffle for a chance to win awesome prizes, from outdoor gear to local art to our much-anticipated Alta Package. The Alta prize includes Alta Ski Area passes, meals, and a stay at* *Alta Peruvian Lodge!* *Photo courtesy of Alta Peruvian Lodge.*

25-Year Virtual Celebration & Raffle

Wild Utah Project is now Sageland Collaborative. To celebrate our new name, we're wrapping up our 25-day virtual celebration of 25 years of wildlife and land conservation with our virtual Anniversary & Volunteer Celebration on October 13 at 7pm.

Make sure to enter our raffle TODAY or join us virtually tomorrow (October 13) for a chance to win awesome prizes, like ski passes and a stay at the gorgeous Alta Peruvian Lodge!

Volunteers of the Month

"I am newly retired and wanted to join a citizen science project to get outside and get moving. Toads and trails were a perfect match and I enjoy being able to hike for a conservation cause!

On a recent project trip, I experienced a different aspect of the Boreal Toad Project. Beyond the critical need for observation and data collection, volunteers can also provide an important advocacy component. I was amazed at the number of other hikers who stop to ask us, “What are you looking for?” They were genuinely interested. Their curiosity provided many small
moments to engage and educate the public about Utah amphibians and the vital role we all play in
protecting the watershed and surrounding habitats."

“I was drawn to participate in this project because, quite simply, I’m bee obsessed!

I didn’t realize the number of Bombus species that we actually have here in Utah. Learning how to distinguish between different bumble bees has been interesting and rewarding. By no means have I observed all there are, and that’s part of the fun of this project. It’s like a treasure hunt every time I see a new (to me) bumble bee.

I’ve also been on the lookout for the elusive Monarch, and while I have yet to see any this year, I have stumbled across several patches of Milkweed in southern Utah and a even a few spots in my neighborhood. I know where to start looking again next season.”

A huge thank you to these and all our amazing volunteers and donors. Our projects are only possible because of your commitment to wildlife.

If you have photos or experiences to share from your time on a project this year, we'd love to hear from you and share your stories to inspire other volunteers! You can email us to get started.

In the News: Interview with Executive Director Josh Wood

You won't want to miss this episode of KRCL's RadioACTive, produced and hosted by Lara Jones.

Executive Director Josh Woodtalks more about our new name, our projects, the conservation impact your support makes possible, and how you can get involved to conserve wildlife and lands in the West.

Listen Now

To the Next 25 Years of Conservation!

Thank you so much for all you've done for our beloved wildlife and lands over the past 25 years. Donors and volunteers like you are the backbone of Western conservation and the reason we can do the work we do.

Haven't yet participated? To make the next quarter century of conservation possible for the wildlife and places you love most, donate or visit our website.

Join Us

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.

Up Close with Beavers, A (Spooky) New Project, and More!