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The Swaner Preserve & EcoCenter wants community members to help shape its future. The center is currently developing a new strategic plan and is seeking public input to guide its direction over the next three to five years.
Hunter Klingensmith, Swaner’s Director of Exhibits and Visitor Experience, says the open house is Wednesday, September 17, from 5 to 7 p.m.
“You can stop by anytime between five and seven p.m.” Klingensmith said. “We'll have some posters up with everything that we've learned so far from the community and our focus groups and our Spanish language interviews and a chance for you to give feedback as well. Then we'll present that final strategic plan at the end of the year.”
The planning process began earlier this year with a staff and board retreat to establish priorities. Klingensmith says the input so far suggests that major changes aren't needed, but the process is helping identify important areas for improvement.
“There’s not a lot of big changes. Mostly, we haven't had a strategic plan in a long time. But thinking about like those Spanish language interviews, we learned a lot of things about how we can better connect with the Spanish speaking community in Park City. And then we're finding that more land preservation, making sure that we're taking care of the preserve as is, which is great, because that's what we already want to be doing. And then a lot of focus on that, like education, environmental education aspect, and nurturing connection to nature.”
The finalized strategic plan is expected to be released by the end of the year.
Looking ahead, Swaner will host a statewide “Every Kid Outdoors” event in partnership with the Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation. The event is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 9 and the theme is wildlife observation.
“You have to register for a time slot that you’re coming. There's about 50 spots per 30 minutes. And we'll have about seven stations that you can rotate through with your family. We’ll have an owl pellet dissection station. We'll have a wildlife themed craft. We’ll have a how to use binoculars station. There'll be an animal play zone, where you can dress up in costumes, learn about different animals. We'll have scavenger hunts, animal bio facts, and then we have some partner organizations that will be bringing some live animals.”
While the event is free, registration is required. A link with more information is online at kpcw.org.
Meanwhile, regular programming at the Preserve continues as volunteers plant pollinator plants to attract bees, butterflies and birds. Saturday morning nature walks on the preserve will continue every week at 8:30 a.m. and Sunday craft days are held each week between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
