S WA NER PR ESERV E AND E COCE NTE R
Field Guide 2018
WHAT DOES SWANER DO? Conservation & Research
Swaner Preserve permanently protects nearly 1,200 acres of open space, including a historic farm, 850 acres of valuable wetlands, 8 miles of streams, and diverse wildlife and plant habitat. It also includes nearly ten miles of heavily used recreational trails known commonly as Lower Glenwild. Swaner focuses restoration efforts on wildlife habitat and water quality, including everything from water quality monitoring and reinforcing the stream banks to planting trees and installing human-made beaver dams. Swaner also hosts innovative research projects. For example, the Swaner team is currently studying the viability of a new biocontrol for use in Canada thistle management in Utah.
Community and Adult Education A Lifetime of Learning
Swaner’s 2018 Community Series of walks, talks, and workshops highlighted important environmental issues, sparked important community discussions, and provided opportunities for Utahns to learn more about the world around them. Presentations included research on sage-grouse conservation, wild bee diversity, Utah’s moose populations, monarch butterfly citizen-science efforts, and the little-known fireflies of Utah found right here on the Preserve. Our guided tours included an Owl Prowl led by Hawkwatch International, a Wasatch Wildflower Walk, a Winter Wetland Excursion, four Avian Adventures tours, and a Great Salt Lake Bird Festival tour. New workshops on Astrophotography and Birding Basics were a hit. We partnered with Park City Film Series to host a free screening of BUGS the Film, and the Utah Humanities Book Festival to welcome special guest speaker and best-selling author, Florence Williams, to discuss her new book, The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative. Members are welcome to attend our series of workshops for free or discounted rates. Find information on upcoming events on our Facebook page and our website’s calendar.
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Swaner Preserve and EcoCenter Field Guide 2018
Visitor Experience
There are so many ways to interact with nature, and Swaner brings it all to life at the EcoCenter. From traveling exhibits – including the largest collection of arachnids in the country – to monthly Coffee on the Preserve; from Sunday Kids’ Crafts to Saturday Nature Walks to a Wetland Discovery Climbing Wall. Anyone can connect with nature up close at Swaner. Look for our upcoming exhibit, Nature’s Ninjas, this Spring.
Youth Education
Swaner EcoCenter provides a variety of youth education programming to inspire the next generation of environmental stewards. At Swaner, children are active and engaged in science-based learning about nature. Programs include the following: • Little Naturalists (Ages 3-5). Sponsored by Rebecca Marriott Champion. • Field trips to Swaner Preserve (Grades K-12). Sponsored by John C. Kish Foundation. • Field trips for every 4th grader in Summit and Wasatch County schools. Sponsored by Vail Resorts EpicPromise.
• Spring & Ski Break Camps (Grades 1-5) • EcoClub (Grades 6-8). Sponsored by Judy Kirst Kolkman & Craig Kolkman. • College Internships
• Outreach and Classroom visits (Grades K-12) • Summer Camps (Grades K-8, with opportunities for high school students to act as counselors). Sponsorship available.
Why do we focus on hands-on youth education? In many cases, kids learn better when they get outside. Time outside in nature is proven to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. It also helps to prevent obesity. It increases memory capacity and attention spans and helps youth that struggle with ADHD. Swaner Preserve and EcoCenter Field Guide 2018
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DON’T TAKE OUR WORD FOR IT... Summer Camp
“My daughter loved it! I think she has discovered a love for biology that will last a lifetime. Thanks!” “I was in education for 38 years and I can honestly say this is a great run camp with an excellent staff!” “My child skipped into camp every morning, which was awesome!” “My 7 and 9-year-olds love Swaner camps! These are the first camps they ask me to get for them for summer. They come home full of exciting and cool ideas.” “I love seeing my child come home excited about nature and our environment- and learning how to become the next generation of conservationists.”
EcoCenter Visitors
“My granddaughter loves it here, we spend at least 2 hours here every time, and we’re here at least once a week.” - A grandmother with her 6-year-old granddaughter “This place is AWESOME!” - 4-year-old visitor “I asked my son to wait for me to go up to the tower, and he ran away shouting ‘there’s NO time!’” - A mom with her 7-year-old son “How special it is to have this gem in the middle of all of this development; thank you!” - A couple visiting from out of town “I’m a bit afraid of spiders, but my son has been talking about coming to the exhibit for months now so we had to come. He had such a blast and I’m excited to conquer my fear.” - A dad with his 3-year-old son talking about the Arachnids Exhibit
Donor Events
“We did a round robin wine tasting this winter with chocolates and learned how to make a fishing line from a grocery bag at the survival skills gathering this summer. […] I give because I want to see kids learning science and getting outside. But, the casual events are a nice bonus!” - Sandhill Society member
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Swaner Preserve and EcoCenter Field Guide 2018
SWANER BY THE NUMBERS 10 miles of trails managed 1,400 native trees planted
8 acres of riparian habitat restored
150 bird species 1,885 volunteer hours
Over 40 mammals
35,040 water quality measurements taken
200 native plant species 500 pounds of native seeds spread across 35 acres
Swaner Preserve and EcoCenter
FY 2018 Budget
3,415 total youth participants in scheduled programs
Fundraising 7%
Endowment Distribution 6% Donations 34%
*See endowment information on next page.
13,882 visitors explored the EcoCenter
150 acres of 10 species of noxious weeds mapped, reported, and eradicated
USU Support 35%
Grants 14% Program Income 11%
525 kids made Sunday Crafts
437 adventurers scaled the Climbing Wall
Field Trips & Classroom Visits served: 2,770 students 124 classrooms 34 Title I classrooms
FY 2018 Revenues $753,875
Facilities 12%
Operating Reserve 10%
Exhibit Hall Programming FY 2018 19% Expense Land $753,875 Conservation & Research 23%
Education Programming 29%
89 visitors enjoyed Coffee on the Preserve
100 arachnids inhabited the exhibit hall
587 people learned at 18 Lectures and Wild Walks
215 three to five-yearolds participated in 18 Little Naturalist reading sessions
414 campers attended 32 Youth Camps
16 EcoClub teens completed 4 community projects
Swaner Preserve and EcoCenter Field Guide 2018
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WHAT’S YOUR LEGACY? Introducing the Swaner Conservation Endowment
Would you like to see your impact continue to live on at Swaner Preserve and EcoCenter? When those that love nature and science join forces, they build a healthier future for our next generation. Swaner Preserve consists of 1,200 acres of rare and critical habitat on the entryway to Park City. This land is protected forever. That’s why we must ensure our ability to steward it forever! These wild spaces are constantly being impacted by outside forces, so they need a helping hand to retain their special value to wildlife, to our water and air quality, and to our community. Swaner Preserve’s Conservation Endowment will ensure restoration and research for years to come.
In 2018, we raised $2.05 million or Swaner’s Conservation efforts. We want to thank the Gates Frontier Fund, The Swaner Sargetakis Family, Jennifer Speers, Dale and Susan Poulter, Bob and Mary Chamberlain, David Moore and Suzanne PierceMoore, and the John C. Kish Foundation or making this possible. But, the work is not done! To fund the annual cost of conservation on the Swaner Preserve in perpetuity, we still need to raise $200,000 more. David Moore and Suzanne Pierce-Moore have pledged $100,000 as a matching grant, and we look to you - our community - to help us meet this match. We are looking or donors that can give a gift of $10,000 or more over the next 3 years to meet this challenge grant and to help fund Swaner’s baseline conservation program in perpetuity. Any additional funding will go toward conservation research and innovation at Swaner that will help land managers throughout western states. The Swaner Conservation Endowment is a giving option that allows you to make an impact that lasts forever!
The Swaner Preserve is forever. Help steward it forever! 5
Swaner Preserve and EcoCenter Field Guide 2018
WE NEED YOU! Sandhill Society
Moose Backcountry Gates Frontier Foundation Clark and Christine Ivory Fnd. John C. Kish Foundation David Moore & Suzanne PierceMoore Park City Mountain Summit County RAP Tax Swaner Sargetakis Family Jennifer Speers Utah Department of Agriculture and Food Vail Resorts EpicPromise The Walbridge Fund
Elk Rebecca Marriott Champion Dale and Susan Poulter Summit County Restaurant Tax USU Extension Grants Utah Division of Arts and Museums Wells Fargo Foundation Owl Alpine Distilling Chevron Glenwild Community Association Blake and Dove Kirby The Lemons Family Promontory Foundation Hummingbird Adobe Done to Your Taste Jill Johnson and Hobie Kellis Judy Kirst Kolkman and Craig Kolkman
Mairi Leining and Ravi Adusumalli Shirley Moore The Mellor Family Newpark Town Center Newpark Owners Association Brooks and Phyllis Robinson
Annette Herman Harder and John Harder Todd and Shauna Hood Julie Hopkins Ari Ioannides and Ember Conley Roger and Jean Jester The Kalinski Family The Kohler Family Peter and Kathleen Metcalf Julie Monahan Park City Community Fnd. Park City Nursery Park City Sunrise Rotary Rod and Sallie Rinderknecht Rick and Julie Robideau Richard and Jill Sheinberg Bob and Margaret Sloan The Solomon Fund Sotheby’s Cares Peter and Susan Stevens Max and Ann Sturgis Diana Seung Diana Sabino Swaner
Spotted Frog BARC Realty Andrew and Courtney Caplan Mary and Jim Carlson Bob and Mary Chamberlain Chuck and Carla Coonradt Barbara Collins Matt and Marissa Day Destination Hotels Utah Brad and Janet Dickson Gail and Bill Engvall Andy Fletcher Craig and Terri Foster Harry and Tyffanee Fugate Peter and Heidi Gatch
Traeger Grills Bill and Donna Vogel Vine Lore Bee Brian Anderson Kerry Armstrong Graham Anthony and Sharyn Jones Jana and Gary Cole Anne and Bob Hoffman Jay Jackson and Barbara Waugh Rob and Linda Karz David and Alli Kizer Mashoff Brennan Alicia O’Meara Jason Owen Papa Murphy’s Park City Dick and Susan Roth Meg Steele and Chris Pray Richard Keith Taylor Glen and Shirley Wright
Thank you to all our Sandhill Society donors, Swaner Members, Live PC Give PC donors, and those that give what they can. EVERY dollar makes a difference at Swaner!
Why Give?
Your donation makes conservation and environmental education possible. You create a thriving habitat for wildlife, a sanctuary of fresh water and air, and gorgeous views for Park City. You bring nature alive for all ages and inspire the next generation of environmental stewards.
Ways to Give
1. Give an annual gift. It’s an easy and meaningful way to support conservation & education. 2. Endow your gift to nature & give to the Swaner Conservation Endowment. 3. Sponsor a program. Call us to chat about what it takes to sponsor and name a program 4. Make a planned gift. There are many ways to make your assets work for you while supporting a nonprofit. Call us to talk about the options.
How to Give
• Mail a check to Swaner EcoCenter, 1258 Center Drive, Park City, UT 84098 • Give online at www.SwanerPreserve.org • Call Development Director, Peregrine Bosler at 435-797-8939
Swaner Preserve and EcoCenter Field Guide 2018
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Swaner’s Mission
To preserve the land and the human connection to the natural landscape. To educate the local and broader communities about the value of nature. To nurture both the ecosystem and the people connected with it.
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435-797-8939 SwanerPreserve.org Swaner Preserve and EcoCenter and Utah State University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity institution.