Help Utah Wildlife From Your Backyard

July 28 is World Conservation Day and Utah has plenty of great conservation groups that work year-round to keep the state thriving, but there are things you can do to help out. 

World Conservation Day “acknowledges that the foundation for a healthy society is a healthy environment. It’s also a day to increase awareness about the importance of protecting our natural resources,” The National Day Calendar said.  

With several state and national parks in Utah, preserving and conserving the state is vital both for economic purposes and for maintaining natural resources.  

So how do you honor World Conservation Day in Utah? 

Well, there are a ton of options to choose from for those who want to be involved. In Southern Utah specifically, the Red Cliffs Reserve is very popular. The organization works to preserve not just the land but also the creatures that inhabit it. 

“I think we all want to see our desert home conserved: it’s just a matter of getting everybody on the same team,” Red Cliffs Desert Reserve Outreach Coordinator Ammon Teare said. “That’s a big part of why Washington County has spent almost 3 decades and over $16 million to coordinate and contribute to the efforts of cities, state and federal agencies, and private citizens in planning the future of our county’s land. We want to preserve the splendor of the ecosystem, provide information to the public to promote stewardship, proactively protect and recover threatened and endangered species, and ensure community development is ecologically responsible.” 

Here is what you can do to help: 

• Plant more native plants in your yard. The Animal Welfare Institue said that this will help wildlife gather food and it can provide shelter.  
• If you can, reduce the lawn in your yard. In Southern Utah, this is a great practice anyway to conserve water. Lawns don’t provide shelter and only limited food for wildlife.    
• Get rid of artificial lights if you can. This light pollution can negatively impact wildlife that may come into your yard. Go for timed lights instead. 
• During the fall, those dead leaves and plants can provide shelter and food for creatures like birds, butterflies, and bees.