Mid-Season Triumphs on Our Projects
A boreal toadlet found on a recent survey. Credit: Sarah Woodbury
It's no secret that 2020 has been a challenge for many organizations. From training volunteers to completing projects, practices have had to change drastically for crucial conservation work to continue.
As we've reworked our projects to keep volunteers and staff safe, we're excited and humbled to share that our conservation work is not only continuing, but also receiving more engagement than ever.
We want to thank you—our volunteers, donors, and friends—for making possible the continued conservation of Utah's wildlife and lands.
Partnerships (with Masks!) for Lasting Restoration Work
Ever since the 2012 Seeley Fire swept through the already-degraded Miller Creek in rural Utah, the area has struggled to recover. This is especially concerning because when it comes to the recovery of ecosystems, stream health is vital.
Jordan Nielson, our project partner at Trout Unlimited, says, "All ecosystems start with a healthy stream and riparian corridor. I see it as the foundation that the ecosystem builds on."
When one rancher in the area noticed restoration work improving neighboring lands, he reached out to Nicole Nielsen at Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. They formed a plan to help his land recover as well.
As part of this plan, we met at Miller Creek for a day of restoration work—masks included.
Wild Utah Project and our partner organizations and landowner join forces for a big day of social distanced stream restoration in rural Utah. Credit: Sarah Woodbury
When the rancher was told that some areas of the creek were ready to have Colorado River Cutthroat trout reintroduced as a result of restoration work on his land, he was thrilled. He even revealed a 30-year-old ecology textbook from his time studying fisheries biology at Utah State University.
Landowners like this enthusiastic rancher make our work possible. "We rely on private landowners to work with us in a partnership to improve habitat on these private lands," says Clint Wirick, one of our partners at US Fish and Wildlife Service.
Additionally, creating strong and diverse partnerships ensures that projects continue over the long-term. We're grateful to our partners and volunteers for making projects like this possible.
July Volunteer Highlights
This month, we'd like to highlight two stellar community scientists on our pollinator and boreal toad projects.
Courtney Johnson became involved with the Pollinator Pursuit Project because she wanted to connect with nature on a deeper level.
She says, "By being a community scientist, I am in a position to really take in my surroundings, look closely at the things I’m observing, and spend time in nature without any distractions. Visiting the same site multiple times, watching the changes that occur, finding new flowers, or new signs of monarchs is like a treasure hunt every time! Wild Utah Project gives community members, like myself, a chance to make a difference in our local ecosystems."
Courtney is an artist in Salt Lake City. She's both the creator of Wild Earth Market and the artist behind Little Canyon Press.
Alex Baldwin is a first-year community scientist on the boreal toad project. On a project field trip this summer, he got to see all life stages of the boreal toad, from egg strands to juveniles to a toad so old its tag type had never before been seen by the team.
He says of his experience, "This was a wild experience from beginning to end. To get to spend three days camping and collecting data with a wildlife biologist and passionate interns steeped in all things herptology was amazing. They taught me so much about toads and their habitats, and really broadened my awareness for future independent surveys."
Alex is a writer in Salt Lake City. You can visit his blog here.
A huge thank you to these volunteers, as well as everyone else volunteering and donating to make our conservation projects a reality.
Join these and our other wonderful community scientists supporting local conservation by visiting our project page.
Progress for Pollinators
A monarch caterpillar found and photographed by community scientist Courtney Johnson.
We're excited to announce our mid-season progress on our Pollinator Pursuit Project.
Just halfway through the 2020 field season, our community scientists across the state have logged over 280 pollinator records into our phone app. Some volunteers are also completing recurring visits to stewardship sites, where there is potentially suitable milkweed and nectaring plant habitats.
Importantly, some of the observations of Western monarchs made by community scientists were in areas not previously identified as suitable habitat. With these kinds of observations available, wildlife and habitat managers will gain an increased understanding of where species utilize habitat and where important migratory and breeding locations occur in Utah.
This provides conservation planners with crucial information regarding rapidly declining Western monarch and bumble bee populations, allowing for more effective plans to conserve the species and their habitats.
Thank you to all our dedicated volunteers who are working hard to support the conservation of these vulnerable species.
Meet Our Summer Interns
Alli Hoffman just finished her third year at The University of Utah pursuing Bachelor's degrees in biology and French. With substantial experience conducting research during her undergraduate career, she pursued an internship with Wild Utah Project to explore the conservation side of biology. Over the summer, she has performed boreal toad and pollinator surveys and rapid stream-riparian assessments (RSRAs). She says, "I’m excited to…spend a summer in the field, where I'll learn more about the natural ecosystems of the place that I call home."
Dominic Snyder is a senior at the University of Utah majoring in biology with an environmental and organismal emphasis. During his summer at Wild Utah Project, he is performing RSRAs and boreal toad and pollinator surveys. The stream health analyses he contributes will support future installations of beaver dam analogues, which have the goal of turning unhealthy western streams and water bodies into diverse, flourishing ecosystems. He grew up in Utah and has always loved being in the outdoors, whether he's skiing, camping, or hiking.
Alex Lemons grew up in Colorado doing all things outdoors. After receiving his BA in History/English and spending seven years in the Marine Corps, helping Great Salt Audubon with a restoration project convinced him to further his training. He received an MA at Reed. After starting work on an applied science degree in restoration, he has become passionate about ensuring that fish & wildlife management are in his future. As part of Alex's capstone project, he writes grants and permit applications, builds BDAs, and collects stream data in the field.
Our Current Projects
There's still time to get involved in wildlife conservation this summer. Whether you spend your summer tackling challenging hikes, taking walks in your garden or neighborhood, or working on the computer, there are all kinds of ways you can be a part of our wildlife conservation team.
Check out our project pages below to learn how you can get involved.Utah Pollinator Pursuit Project
Thank you for making our conservation projects possible, whether through volunteering or donating.
We know not everyone can be involved in all of our projects—but there are other ways to help! If you are in a position to give, please consider donating to ensure that this work continues.
Thank you so much for your dedication to Utah's unique wildlife. This work is only possible because of your generosity.
Visit the project page on our website to learn more about our conservation work, and please contact us with any questions.