Swaner Preserve History and Restoration Work Lecture given by Rhea Cone and Hunter Klingensmith

Park City Museum and Swaner Preserve & EcoCenter will host a lecture on the Preserve’s history and restoration work on December 6th from 5-6 pm. This event will take place at the Swaner EcoCenter at 1258 Center Drive in Kimball Junction, Park City. Parking and location can be found on the Swaner website at https://extension.usu.edu/swaner/directions. Doors will open for the event at 4:45 pm and participants are encouraged to explore the wetland pier, exhibit hall, and exhibits at the EcoCenter before the lecture.

The Swaner Preserve and EcoCenter has spent the last 30 years following its mission to preserve the land and the human connection to the natural landscape, educate the local and broader communities about the value of nature, and nurture both the ecosystem and the people connected with it. The Preserve has been many things, including a resource to indigenous people, the location for multiple cattle ranches, a sod farm, and now a nature preserve and education center.

Presented by Swaner staff members Hunter Klingensmith, Director of Exhibits and Visitor Experience, and Rhea Cone, Director of Conservation. Both are long time Park City residents and members of the Swaner team.

Rhea joined the Swaner team in 2017. In her role as Conservation Director, Rhea leads the conservation and restoration initiatives and land management strategy on the Preserve’s 1,200 acres of wetland and upland habitats. You can find her on the Preserve managing projects like willow planting, stream restoration, and invasive weed management. She finished her BS at the University of Utah in 2016 with a major in ecology and minors in chemistry and powder skiing. A born and raised Parkite, Rhea loves being part of the greater Park City community and caring for her home ecosystem. In her free time, Rhea can typically be found mountain biking, skiing, cooking, and gardening.

Hunter leads the creation and implementation of interpretive experiences at Swaner. You can find her working with her team to create unique opportunities for nature engagement at the EcoCenter, researching, installing, and managing fun traveling exhibits, leading tours on the Preserve, and coordinating walks, talks, and workshops. Hunter is passionate about facilitating fun, hands-on, experiences that nurture visitors’ connection to nature. Hunter holds a BS in Environmental and Sustainability Studies and Business from the University of Utah and enjoys ongoing learning opportunities in interpretation and science engagement. Hunter’s passion for the natural world transfers to her free time too – outside of work she can be found stopped on a trail to examine an animal track, interesting plant, or animal skeleton, reading a book about beavers in her favorite hammock, or playing games with friends.