Environmental Awareness

Awareness & Understanding

Utah has some of the most dramatic landscapes in the country — and some of the most serious environmental challenges. Salt Lake City regularly experiences some of the worst winter air pollution in the nation, and the Great Salt Lake is shrinking fast. Start by noticing your local environment. Go outside for 15 minutes and observe: What do you see, smell, or hear? Then visit the Utah Division of Air Quality website (airquality.utah.gov) and check today's air quality index. Look up one fact about the Great Salt Lake crisis. You're ready for the next step when you can name two specific environmental challenges facing the Wasatch Front area.

Research & Investigation

Investigate the science behind a local environmental issue. Pick one: air quality, water use, the Great Salt Lake, or urban heat. Use free resources like the Utah Division of Environmental Quality (deq.utah.gov), the Great Salt Lake Institute at Westminster University, or Khan Academy's ecology unit. Find out: What causes the problem? Who is affected? What solutions exist? Take notes in at least three categories: causes, impacts, and possible fixes. You're ready for the next step when you can explain one local environmental issue using causes, impacts, and at least one proposed solution.

Planning & Preparation

Plan a personal environmental action. Choose one thing you can realistically do in your home, school, or neighborhood to reduce your environmental impact — like cutting water use, reducing car trips, starting a composting bin, or planting a native Wasatch Front plant species. Research what it takes: tools, time, and any local resources. The Salt Lake City Green program (slcgreen.com) has free resources and sometimes free supplies for residents. Write a two-step action plan: what you'll do and how you'll track it. You're ready for the next step when you have a written, specific action plan with a timeline.

Taking Action

Carry out your action plan. Do the thing you planned — start the compost, plant the native seedling, track your water use for a week, or reduce one type of waste in your daily routine. Keep a simple log: date, what you did, and what you noticed. If your action involves water, use the Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District's conservation tips (jvwcd.org) to benchmark your savings. Take a photo or write a short description of your progress each week. You're ready for the next step when you've completed your action and have at least two weeks of documented observations.

Leadership & Expansion

Expand your impact by bringing others in. Share what you learned with at least five people — your family, classmates, or neighbors. You could give a short presentation, make a poster for your school, or lead a small cleanup at a local park or trail in the Wasatch foothills. Check for volunteer opportunities with groups like Great Salt Lake Audubon, Wasatch Clean Air Coalition, or Salt Lake City's Parks & Public Lands department. You're ready for the next step when you've engaged at least five other people in an environmental action or conversation.

Impact & Reflection

Reflect on what changed — in your habits, your knowledge, and possibly your community. Write a short reflection: What did you learn about Utah's environment that surprised you most? Did your action make a measurable difference? What would you do if you had more time or resources? Look up one Utah environmental organization doing long-term work on the issue you studied and think about how you could stay involved. You're ready for the next step when you can connect your individual action to a larger environmental challenge facing the Great Salt Lake region.