Shorebird science sparks exploration for West Side artists

Salt Lake City, UT– As dawn light begins to wash over the waves of Great Salt Lake, exclamations ring out on the shore, echoing the flurry of distant Black-necked Stilts. Four artists huddle around a spotting scope, training their eyes on the dozens of shorebirds. They represent the inaugural cohort of Sageland Collaborative’s Sci-Art Initiative; a program to provide opportunities for West Side artists to visit Great Salt Lake and create works highlighting their unique experiences with shorebirds and conservation. 

Over the summer, Kate Jarman-Gates, Teresa Okawa, Felix Phoenix, and Alethia Rodriguez visited Antelope Island’s causeway and Lee Creek Natural Area, learning more about the ongoing efforts of shorebird conservation at each site. As they laid down pencil sketches, the cohort mused over the data collected through Utah’s Intermountain West Shorebird Survey, a collaborative effort across 11 states to replicate censuses of the past to better understand shorebird migration. 

On July 23rd, from 6:30pm-8:30pm, artists and scientists will share remarks at the opening reception of the Sci-Art Exhibition at the Sorenson Unity Center, bridging the science of shorebirds and art through painting, collage, glasswork, and more! 

For more information about the Sci-Art Exhibition and to RSVP for the gallery reception, follow the link here.

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About Sageland Collaborative

For nearly three decades, Sageland Collaborative has provided science-based strategies for wildlife and land conservation. Our approach to conservation is through our partnerships, putting science into action, and basing our work in community. Together, we build on our shared values for wildlife and the land, we celebrate the wins, and we find joy in our work together. Our conservation goals focus on increasing biodiversity, ensuring wildlife can move freely across the landscape, and restoring habitats. 

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For Immediate Release
09 July 2026

Contact:
Frances Ngo
Sageland Collaborative
frances@sagelandcollaborative.org | 909-242-2520