Watershed Symposium 2024

Ever wondered how social media trends could enhance your watershed conservation or management efforts? This session is designed for natural resource professionals interested in harnessing the power of social media to boost their impact. We’ll explore how to create engaging content that converts followers into your biggest supporters.

Full Abstract:
It’s 2024, and everywhere we look there’s a new TikTok dance and Instagram trend and we’re left wondering – how does any of this relate to the important work we’re doing in our watershed? In a time where digital engagement shapes public perception and drives action, it’s more important than ever to have a strong brand identity online. Social media has revolutionized the way we communicate with volunteers, donors, stakeholders, and the public. Through social media, we have the opportunity to engage diverse audiences, raise awareness, and drive actionable change to conserve our watershed. This presentation explores the strategic approaches any individual, organization, or agency can take to leverage the power of social media to increase the awareness of your work in the watershed, build trust, and further your mission. This presentation also explores how “viral” content can help build up your community. We explore case studies from popular digital campaigns (including our own!) that have effectively led to real-world impacts in our watershed. We will look into the key elements that contribute to successful social planning, including compelling storytelling, visual appeal, and audience engagement strategies. This presentation will provide practical insights on creating content that resonates with our unique online audiences and sparks viral momentum. Attendees will learn about the importance of tracking digital analytics to tailor campaigns to best succeed, while addressing the challenges of social media – capacity, managing misinformation, addressing negative feedback, and maintaining brand authenticity. By diving into the current trends, we will illustrate how your teams can design and execute social media campaigns. Attendees will leave with actionable strategies to enhance their social media presence, foster meaningful connection, and ultimately create a community that is more engaged on the resources and issues in our watershed.

Learn how Utah’s Hogle Zoo has leveraged their position in the community to grow local conservation programs, support research, connect Zoo guests to conservation actions, and protect and restore parts of our watershed. As they aim to expand their conservation work, learn how you can join them and how they may be able to support your work.

Full Abstract:
Utah’s Hogle Zoo has supported conservation efforts around the world for decades. However, we also recognize that conservation is not just an “over there” issue and that there is meaningful conservation work to be done everywhere, including right here in Utah and the Salt Lake Valley. In looking at conservation needs around us, we have recognized our watersheds as areas of need and opportunity. We also recognized our unique position, as an organization with 1 million guests annually, to engage our community in our conservation work. In 2014, we started our western toad community science program which continues to this day. Western toads are native to Utah and found in high elevation wetlands. Their population numbers have declined throughout their range over the last 20 years, primarily through habitat loss and the fungal disease, chytrid. In Utah, small populations of toads are located large distances from each other, often in hard to access wetlands. Alongside our partners, our program utilizes community scientists guided by zoo biologists to gather as much data as we can about this elusive amphibian. This includes monitoring populations, tracking water quality, restoring habitats, and protecting critical wetlands. This project allows us to conduct more surveys with more eyes on the ground while building trust and increasing transparency between the public and governmental agencies and their management of our watersheds. Further expansion of our local conservation work identified the Jordan River as an area of importance to both our community and our local wildlife. This river connects Utah Lake to the Great Salt Lake wetlands, carving a path through the Salt Lake Valley. Though the local community loves the river, it has seen pressure from human development and is in need of restoration. In partnership with the Jordan River Commission, we started our Jordan River Conservation and Restoration program in 2018. Through this program, we connect our community to this vital resource through volunteer events ranging from creation of pollinator gardens to floating cleanups. In addition to our volunteer events, we have also run a wildlife camera project along the river since 2020 as part of the larger Wasatch Wildlife Watch project. Using non-invasive trail cameras, we are able to observe the wildlife that relies on this river to better understand what is using it and how. Through this presentation you will learn how Utah’s Hogle Zoo has leveraged our position in our community to grow our local conservation programs and partnerships, support important research, connect our guests to conservation actions, and protect and restore parts of our watershed. As we continually aim to grow and expand our conservation work, learn how you can join us and how we may be able to support your work.