Authored by Brian Tonetti

Salt Lake County Zoo, Arts, & Parks funding will support the Seven Creeks | Walk Series and bi-monthly watershed walks. Programming lays the foundation for participants to become community leaders to fight for natural spaces, public health, and environmental justice.

The Salt Lake County Zoo, Arts & Parks has provided $7,500 in grant funding to support the Seven Creeks | Walk Series. Funds will be used to host bi-monthly watershed walks with students and residents throughout Salt Lake County. Through a watershed-based education curriculum, participants will learn about the significance of riparian corridors to regional water quality. Participants will learn native plant identification skills and its value to migratory birds and local wildlife. Walks will get youth and families outdoors in healthy activity. Meaningful, on-the-ground restoration work, including noxious weed removal, native habitat plantings, and trash clean-ups, will ingrain concepts.

Last year, the Seven Canyons Trust hosted 31 watershed walks, which engaged 749 residents to walk approximately 39,250 feet of creek. An estimated 3,037 pounds of trash, debris, and noxious weeds were removed from our creek channels and 10 trees were planted through programming. At Independent Sector’s 2023 estimate for the value of volunteer time ($31.80), participants have contributed $50,912 in labor.

Learn more about the Seven Creeks | Walk Series and join the next event here: sevencanyonstrust.org/seven-creeks-walk-series.