Mending fences at the Swaner Nature Preserve

Swaner Nature Preserve fence update project. Photo: Michele Roepke

PARK CITY, Utah — Driving parts of the perimeter of the Swaner Nature Preserve and Ecocenter in the Kimball Junction area, it’s hard to miss the fact that the fences are being removed. Workers on the project told Townlift that they are updating and upgrading the original fence. Instead of putting up the new fence first, then tearing down the old one, they said they’re replacing the fence with the same footprint.

Administrators said in a statement, “The 850-acre wetland parcel of the Preserve, south of I-80, is fenced to denote the Preserve boundary line and keep humans and pets out of this sensitive and critical wetland, but never wildlife in. Wildlife is free to move in and out of the Preserve at all times. The new fence will be more wildlife friendly, as the old smooth wire fence was broken and down in many places. No other fence work is planned on the Swaner Preserve this year, and this project will only encompass the section along Highland Drive, tying into existing fencing on Old Ranch Road.”

The Swaner Preserve permanently protects more than 1,200 acres of open space, including a historic farm, 800 acres of valuable wetlands, miles of streams, and diverse wildlife habitat. The Preserve also boasts nearly ten miles of trails open to the public for hiking, biking, and snowshoeing.

Its mission is to:

1. Preserve the land and  the human connection to the natural landscape
2. Educate the local and broader communities about the value of nature
3. Nurture both the ecosystem and the people connected with it

This season’s exhibit inside the Ecocenter is called Soar with Bats, and it runs until January 8. 

View the Live Preserve Webcam, where dancing cranes, grazing elk, and burrowing beavers can often be seen.

Swaner is a nonprofit managed by Utah State University (USU).