The Nature Conservancy. Protecting nature. Preserving life.™

4th grader Natalie Weed at the Great Salt Lake Shorelands Preserve during a Wings & Water Wetlands Education Program field trip. © Stuart Ruckman

it matters to me

“I like being out here because you can actually experience it and feel how the animals feel in their habitat. In the classroom you look in a book and it doesn’t look as magnificent.”

Natalie Weed, 10, student in the Wings & Water Wetlands Education Program at the Great Salt Lake Shorelands Preserve.

Our rich heritage as Utahns includes a deep and profound connection to the land.  As Utah grows, we must forge new relationships with nature and find innovative ways to safeguard the lands and waters that support our health, economy and quality of life.

Our choices relating to nature are paramount to our future: how we expand our industries, grow our communities, uphold our working farms and ranches and even how we teach our kids to appreciate the great outdoors.  The way that we connect to and value nature will determine whether Utah will continue to fulfill and sustain future generations.

Campaign Goal

Through the Nature of Utah Campaign, the Conservancy will use collaboration, research and education to help communities in Utah and worldwide protect their natural resources and preserve their quality of life.

Campaign Projects

Canyonlands Research Center

Bringing together private, agency and academic partners, the Canyonlands Research Center will generate climate science and land management strategies to address concerns about water supply, invasives and land uses such as grazing and recreation. The Center’s outdoor laboratory will yield practical solutions that aid ranchers, communities, agencies and policy makers in efforts to sustain the region’s lands and waters.

Climate Change Solutions

The Conservancy is working with scientists, land users and policy makers to determine which Utah habitats and wildlife are most vulnerable to climate change, and develop management strategies to prevent loss.

Building a Conservation Ethic

The Conservancy is launching new outreach initiatives to create an environmental ethic that resonates with Utahns, and reminds them how much nature impacts their everyday lives. We will pursue targeted engagements with civic leaders, form new partnerships with academic communities and expand our youth-based efforts.

Global Connections

As we balance our growth and the protection of our natural resources, we can learn from and help communities facing similar issues regionally, nationally and worldwide. We will share science, tools, staff and resources to support the Conservancy’s priority conservation projects around the globe.