Utah Master Naturalist Program

03/21/2025

Exciting things are coming for Utah Master Naturalist! As we work to hire and onboard a new coordinator for the program, field course offerings will be more limited in 2025 so we can work to update and ramp up programming for 2026.

Keep an eye on our website, social media, or sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date! https://extension.usu.edu/utahmasternaturalist/

03/14/2025

Tiny but tough, American pikas are key indicators of climate change in Utah’s mountains. Some populations are declining or have winked out due to warmer summers and reduced snowpack, while others are proving more resilient. Learn more about these tough but adorable survivalists during our virtual talk on Tuesday, April 1st from 6-7 PM. Zoom instructions will be sent once you register at the link below.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/pika-power-natures-tiny-mountaineer-registration-1268177716689?aff=oddtdtcreator

02/21/2025

The Utah Master Naturalist Program is HIRING! We are seeking a passionate and organized Utah Master Naturalist Program Coordinator to lead, develop, and expand the Utah Master Naturalist Program. The coordinator will be responsible for program administration and facilitation, curriculum development, program growth, and public outreach.

Learn more and apply here: https://careers-usu.icims.com/jobs/8875/utah-master-naturalist-program-coordinator/job

12/03/2024

Already looking for gifts this holiday season? Check out this holiday gift guide from Sageland Collaborative for al the naturalists in your life!

WOAH! We caught some cool critters on our Wildlife Watch trail cameras, and they have all the best gift recommendations for the wildlife lovers in your life! Our local wildlife love supporting small businesses, creators, and fellow non-profits, so this season you can rest assured knowing that y

08/08/2024

Calling all naturalists- Sageland Collaborative’s Riverscape Restoration dates for the 2024 season are now open! 🦫

If you’ve been dreaming of cool mountain streams, underwater basket-weaving, and doing your best beaver impressions, these volunteer projects are the perfect opportunity to get hands-on restoration experience, meet people, and connect with the landscape in a new way.

Learn more and sign up for one (or two or three!) of their fall volunteer dates here: https://sagelandcollaborative.org/riverscape-restoration

07/19/2024

Our 2024 Utah Master Naturalist: Watersheds Investigations course with Swaner Preserve and EcoCenter is a wrap! Every course is an opportunity for naturalists from far and wide to connect and share their interests and knowledge about Utah’s varied landscape. We traveled down the watershed from the Uinta Mountains to the Swaner Preserve and finally the Great Salt Lake, learning about water quality, ecology, and more along the way!

06/14/2024

The summer solstice is coming up! How will you be spending the longest day of the year? Here is one fun idea at Swaner Preserve and EcoCenter!

05/02/2024

Calling all community scientists in the Park City/ Heber area! HawkWatch International is seeking dedicated volunteers to be part of the Cavity Adopting Raptor Ecology Studies (CARES) program. 🐣

Volunteers will monitor assigned kestrel nest boxes every 7-10 days and should be able to commit to the entire nesting season- all necessary supplies are available to borrow as part of the program. Data collected is critical to understand long-term nesting habitats and ecological effects on cavity nesting birds. Learn more about the project and share your availability through the links below!

https://hawkwatch.org/volunteer/
https://form.jotform.com/200777043940050

04/30/2024

Registration for our teacher's only Mountain Adventures course opens this Friday, May 3! Join Natural History Museum of Utah July 17-19.

Professional development opportunity for Utah teachers

04/30/2024

04/10/2024

The City Nature Challenge is coming up! Don't miss this annual event encouraging you to take photos of local flora and fauna to submit to the iNaturalist app for use in research, management, and education.

Learn more about the City Nature Challenge: Wasatch here: https://nhmu.utah.edu/citizen-science/citizen-science/challenge

Send a message to learn more

03/21/2024

Early spring garden cleanup can disrupt critical invertebrate habitat and leave pollinators out in the cold. Our guidelines will help you determine when cleaning up won't bug the pollinators in your space.

03/13/2024

Migration season is here! If you are able, turning off outdoor lights and any other unnecessary lighting helps birds find their way and keeps them from becoming disoriented.

We are heading into Spring Migration Season! A majority of migratory birds travel at night. You can help traveling birds by turning off your outdoor lights between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m.

Learn more about our Lights Out campaign here: https://tracyaviary.org/conservation/projects/lights-out-salt-lake/

03/12/2024

Don't miss out on being part of this wonderful program!

It is the moment we have all been waiting for... 🥁🥁🥁
THE START OF THE UTAH WATER WATCH MONITORING SEASON!🥳

Love water? Want to learn more about Utah’s waterways and water quality? Join Utah Water Watch to help monitor Utah's waterways and collect water quality data!
Join us for our next free, online training on Wednesday, March 20 from 6-8PM to get started.
Register at https://bit.ly/UWWTraining2024

If that day doesn't work for you, have no fear! We will be hosting trainings throughout the summer, the next two dates being April 4th and April 23rd.

Once you have completed all the training, we will send you all the supplies you need to start monitoring water quality!

Utah Water Watch (UWW) is a public water quality monitoring program open to volunteers of all ages. Our goal is to empower the public to learn and share knowledge about their local watersheds and practice good stewardship. Data collected is shared in a public database and with local water managers.

For more information about volunteering, check out: https://bit.ly/UWW-get-involved

03/01/2024

2024 course registration is LIVE! Learn more and reserve a spot on our website, linked below. We can’t wait to see you.

Photo 📸 by: Sierra Hastings

https://extension.usu.edu/utahmasternaturalist/

02/26/2024

Happy Monday, Naturalists!

We're excited to announce that course descriptions and dates are LIVE on our website. Take a look and get ready to register when courses open for registration this Friday, March 1st at 8 am MST.

Our first course of the year for K-12 teachers, Watershed Investigations with Natural History Museum of Utah is open for applications- due THIS FRIDAY. Learn more and submit an application through the link below.

https://nhmu.utah.edu/educators/workshops/UMN/watershedinvestigations

02/22/2024

Whether you call them mountain lions, cougars, or pumas, there have been many sightings of these big cats lately! 👀 Summit County's position on the wildland-urban interface means that interactions with wildlife of all kinds occurs often, but there are ways for people, pets, and wildlife to all stay safe. Learn more about how to stay safe in cougar country at the link below. ⬇️

https://extension.usu.edu/news_sections/general_news/tips-for-living-in-cougar-country

02/20/2024

Have you volunteered in your community this year? From bird counts to helping with educational programming, there are seemingly endless ways to use your Master Naturalist knowledge across the state. Take a look at our volunteer guide linked below to learn more about organizations near you!

https://extension.usu.edu/utahmasternaturalist/volunteer