Jordan River Events

January 21^st 10AM-12PM TALL POT TREE PLANTING- Did you know that the cold months are the best time of year to plant trees? Cold weather and lack of leaves allow the trees to send all of their energy into their roots to get established. Join us as we wrap up tree planting season with a tall pot tree planting. They are called tall pot trees because they are grown at a nursery to have a root system of 32 inches to get into the ground water. This event will involve digging deep holes with posthole diggers and planting peach leaf willows and Freemont cottonwoods to improve bank stabilization and create habitat. Not up for digging? Fear not! You can help with getting trees to the diggers, back filling holes, or spreading native seed. Location is TBD based on need and will be communicated out the week of the event.

February 11^th 10AM-12PM #LoveYourWatershed TRAIL CLEANUP – Join the Jordan River Commission for their Second Saturday #LoveYourWatershed event. We will be collecting trash and organic matter to keep it out of our waterways. Trash grabbers will be provided to aide in picking things us and wagons will be available for those that are unable to carry a trash bag. Location is TBD based on need and will be communicated out the week of the event.

March 18^th 10AM-12PM UNDERSTORY PLANTING – Many different types of plants are needed to create healthy habitats. Join us to plant shrubs, flowers, and other small plants at a restoration site along the river. You can dig holes, move plants around as needed, spread native seed, or be in charge of backfilling holes with planted plants. Location is TBD based on need and will be communicated out the week of the event.

April 19^th 6PM-8PM CREATE SEED DUMPLINGS AND BEE BUNDLES– Utah is home to more than 1,000 bee species and thousands of other pollinators. Most of the bee species here are solitary and not hive forming. This mean that they need hollow places to lay their eggs. While lots of old trees that have historically provided this are being cut down, we can help by creating bundles of hollow reeds to host bee eggs. We can help our other pollinators by creating dumplings of seed and clay that can be planted at restoration sites along the river to provide food and shelter. Celebrate Earth Day early at the river with a relaxed evening of creating these helpful tools to be taken home with you or used and installed along the river in the future. This is the first in a series of events made possible by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Party for the Planet: Spring into Action grant program. Dinner will be provided thanks to the grant. Location TBD and will be communicated out the week of the event.

April 29^th 10AM-12PM BIO BLITZ– Continue to “Spring into Action” with the annual City Nature Challenge, a worldwide effort to collect information about global biodiversity. Using the iNaturalist phone app we will take photos to document wildlife at a restoration site along the river. This could mean walking the site and finding your favorite species or choosing a spot to sit and document what goes by. This will be our final celebration for Earth Day 2023. Breakfast will be provided thanks to a grant from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Location TBD and will be communicated out the week of the event.

May 10^th 6PM-8PM MONARCH ACTIVITY– Monarchs are one of the most iconic insects in the nation but their populations have seen steep declines in recent years. Come and learn about monarch butterflies, their lifecycle, their migration, and what you can do to help. Each participant will be given milkweed seeds and the information to be able to grown them to help support the monarchs. Location TBD and will be communicated out the week of the event. Dinner will be provided thanks to a grant from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Location TBD and will be communicated out the week of the event.

May 20^th 10AM-12PM MONARCH PLANTING– In celebration of Endangered Species Day and in accordance with The Association of Zoos and Aquariums Monarch SAFE (Saving Animals From Extinction) program we will be creating monarch habitat long the river. This will involve some digging to prep the site, spreading of much, planting of native pollinator plants and milkweeds, spreading of woodchips, and watering in the plants. We will also have the option of making seed dumplings with native pollinator friendly and restoration plants to be used at restoration sites along the river. Location is TBD based on need and will be communicated out the week of the event. Breakfast will be provided thanks to a grant from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

June 14^th 6PM-8PM NATURE FLOAT– Celebrate World Ocean Day with us on a relaxing canoe float of the Jordan River. We will learn about the history of the river, the animals that rely on it, and what we can do to support a healthy river for all. This will not be a working float. Dinner will be provided thanks to a grant from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Attendance is limited by the number of canoes that we can provide. It is very important to do one registration per group member for this event. If you do not do a registration for each individual in your group, we cannot guarantee a spot on a boat. If you have your own boat that you would like to bring, please contact Conservation Action Coordinator, Tori Bird at [email protected]. Location is TBD and will be communicated out the week of the event.

June 24^th 9AM-12PM FLOATING CLEANUP– Join us for our final celebration of World Ocean Day and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Party for the Planet: Spring into Action season. We will float a short portion of the river in canoes using trash grabbers and nets to clean up as we go. This is a fun and often times quite messy way to enjoy the river and help the wildlife that rely on it. Attendance is limited by the number of canoes that we can provide. It is very important to do one registration per group member for this event. If you do not do a registration for each individual in your group, we cannot guarantee a spot on a boat. If you have your own boat that you would like to bring, please contact Conservation Action Coordinator, Tori Bird at [email protected]. Location is TBD based on need and will be communicated out the week of the event.

July 15^th 9AM-12PM FLOATING CLEANUP– Beat the summer heat by joining us for a floating cleanup of the Jordan River. We will float a short portion of the river in canoes using trash grabbers and nets to clean up as we go. This is a fun and often times quite messy way to enjoy the river and help the wildlife that rely on it. Attendance is limited by the number of canoes that we can provide. It is very important to do one registration per group member for this event. If you do not do a registration for each individual in your group, we cannot guarantee a spot on a boat. If you have your own boat that you would like to bring, please contact Conservation Action Coordinator, Tori Bird at [email protected]. Location is TBD based on need and will be communicated out the week of the event.

July 19^th 6PM-8PM TRAIL CLEANUP—Litter is one of the persistent challenges along the river and it can have a big negative effect on wildlife. It crowds their habitat and can even be mistaken for food. Join us at a site along the river to help clean up the habitat and make the river a more pleasant place for our animal and human residents. Trash will be collected with trash grabbers and put into bags. Wagons will be provided for those that are unable to carry a bag. Location is TBD based on need and will be communicated out the week of the event.

August 12^th 10AM-12PM #LoveYourWatershed TRAIL CLEANUP– Join Hogle Zoo and the Jordan River Commission for their Second Saturday #LoveYourWatershed event. We will be collecting trash and organic matter to keep it out of our waterways. Wagons will be provided for those that are unable to carry a trash bag. Location is TBD based on need and will be communicated out the week of the event.

August 16^th 6PM-8PM TBD

September 13^th 6PM-8 PM TBD

September 16^th 9AM-12PM FLOATING CLEANUP – Come out for our final floating cleanup of the year. We will float a short portion of the river in canoes using trash grabbers and nets to clean up as we go. This is a fun and often times quite messy way to enjoy the river and help the wildlife that rely on it. Attendance is limited by the number of canoes that we can provide. It is very important to do one registration per group member for this event. If you do not do a registration for each individual in your group, we cannot guarantee a spot on a boat. If you have your own boat that you would like to bring, please contact Conservation Action Coordinator, Tori Bird at [email protected]. Location is TBD based on need and will be communicated out the week of the event.

October 21^st 10AM-12PM TALL POT TREE PLANTING – October marks the beginning of tree planting season. The cold weather and lack of leaves allows the trees to send all of their energy into their roots to get established. These tall pot trees have been grown to have a 32-inch root system, which allows them to get deep into the water table. This event will involve digging deep holes with posthole diggers and planting peach leaf willows and Freemont cottonwoods to improve bank stabilization and create habitat. Digging not for you? You can still join us and help with getting trees to the diggers, back filling holes, or spreading native seed. Location is TBD based on need and will be communicated out the week of the event.

October 25^th6-8PM MAKING BAT BOXES—Utah is home to 18 species of bats, the only mammal capable of true flight. They provide essential ecosystem services by controlling insect populations and pollinating plants. One of the things threatening bat populations is a decrease in roosting sites. Come celebrate this Halloween icon by making bat boxes to ensure that our flying friends have somewhere to spend their sleepy days. You can take your box home or join us next year install some along the river. This event will be held at the Zoo in the RendeZoo Room.

November 8^th 6-8PM MAKING KESTREL BOXES—The American kestrel is North America’s smallest falcon. They are important predators on small rodents and help to keep their populations down. In recent years, populations of American kestrels have been declining in part due to lack of appropriate nesting sites. You can help this tiny raptor by joining us to create nesting boxes. You can take your box home or join us next year install some along the river. This event will be held at the Zoo in the RendeZoo Room.

November 18^th 10AM-12PM TALL POT TREE PLANTING—This will be our final tree planting of the year. These trees have root structures that are 32-inches long. This helps them reach down into the water in the ground. They will spend all winter getting established so that they can take full advantage of the growing season in spring. This event will involve digging deep holes with posthole diggers and planting peach leaf willows and Freemont cottonwoods to improve bank stabilization and create habitat. Digging not for you? You can still join us and help with getting trees to the diggers, back filling holes, or spreading native seed. Location is TBD based on need and will be communicated out the week of the event.

December 16^th 10AM-12PM WALKING TRAIL CLEANUP AND TOUR – Even with unpredictable weather, the Jordan River Trail is a beautiful place to be. Come to learn more about the river, its history and importance, and the wildlife that rely on it. Walk with us as we explain the necessary work that Utah’s Hogle Zoo and the Jordan River Commission put in to protect and restore it. As we walk and talk, we will clean up the trial to create a better environment for animals and people alike. Trash grabbers will be provided for collecting any trash and wagons will be available for those that are unable to carry bags. Location TBD based on need and will be communicated out the week of the event