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The Nature Conservancy Launches New Public Tours at Great Salt Lake

Free, Guided Tours Promise Fun for All Ages at Great Salt Lake Shorelands Preserve

Salt Lake City, Utah — May 25, 2007 — The Nature Conservancy wants Utahns to get up close and personal with our state’s world-class wetlands this summer through a series of free, public tours at its Great Salt Lake Shorelands Preserve and award-winning visitor center. 

“So many people still haven’t experienced the wonders of the Lake’s wetlands,” said Heidi Nedreberg, the Conservancy’s Community Outreach Coordinator. “These tours are a way of sharing this special place with the public, from the globally significant birdlife to the spectacular scenery and unique habitats.”

Each tour in the series will be led by trained, expert guides, and will focus on a different theme, such as “BirdWatching 101,” “Dusk in the Preserve” and even a “Grandparent’s Day,” where grandparents are encouraged to bring their grandchildren on an outdoor adventure.  Tour participants will explore the Lake's wetland and upland habitats, view and identify seasonal birds and other wildlife, and learn about the unique Great Salt Lake ecosystem.  (Tour dates and times are listed below.)

Tours will take place in the heart of the Conservancy’s Great Salt Lake Shorelands Preserve, which is a 4,000-acre protected area on the eastern shore of the Great Salt Lake.  The preserve is a unique system of salt and fresh water marshes and is a rich feeding ground for tens of thousands of migrating birds, which use the Great Salt Lake as a resting point on their journeys from Canada to points in Central and South America. In fact, some of the largest gatherings of wildlife ever recorded on the Great Salt Lake have been observed at the Preserve.

“The Great Salt Lake is one of the world’s most important migratory bird habitats, and it’s right here in our own backyard,” said Nedreberg. “The Preserve and visitor center are only a 35-minute drive from downtown Salt Lake City—it’s so easy for people to experience this natural treasure.”

The Conservancy’s award-winning visitor center has made access to the Preserve even easier. With a one-mile boardwalk trail, a 30-foot-viewing tower and a suite of educational exhibits, the visitor center allows Utahns of all ages to enter the heart of the wetlands while keeping their feet dry.

TOUR DATES AND TIMES:
All tours begin at the Conservancy’s Great Salt Lake Shorelands Preserve.

8 am - Sat, May 26: National Wetlands Month

8 am - Sat, June 16: Birdwatching 101

8 pm - Sat, July 14:  The Preserve at Dusk

8 am -Sat, August 11:  Kids in the Marsh

8 am - Saturday, September 8: Grandparent’s Day

Space is limited and advance sign-up is required. For more information, call (801) 531-0999 or visit www.nature.org/utah.

The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. To date, the Conservancy and its more than one million members have been responsible for the protection of more than 15 million acres in the United States and have helped preserve more than 102 million acres in Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific. Visit The Nature Conservancy on the Web at www.nature.org.