Forest Bathing event set for Aug. 21 at Marchant Meadows Preserve, Peoa, Utah

Photo: Summit Land Conservancy

PEOA, Utah — The Summit Land Conservancy has converted a six-generation ranch on Wooden Shoe Lane into Marchant Meadows Preserve—a protected landscape acquired to safeguard wildlife habitat while supporting agriculture and low-impact recreation. Although not yet open to visitors, it will welcome the public once conservation work is complete.

The nonprofit entered into a contract in 2020 to purchase the 86-acre heritage farm, once known locally as Three Rivers Ranch, to halt residential development, maintain the fields in production, and create a low-impact window overlooking the Weber River. Money for the deal came from Summit County, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, private foundations, and a community fundraising campaign, according to a conservancy news release.

Two branches of the Weber split and rejoin within the preserve, feeding wetlands and cottonwood groves that support mule deer, coyotes, cottontail rabbits, and a diverse roster of birds, ranging from red-winged blackbirds to mallards. A long-standing great blue heron rookery nests high in the cottonwoods and will remain active until the trees collapse. Anglers can cast for trout, although the water levels drop after spring runoff.

The purchase fits into the land trust’s Utah Headwaters Initiative, an NRCS-backed program to improve trout habitat in the Weber and Provo watersheds and connect private landowners with conservation financing. All told, the conservancy now safeguards 144 acres along the Weber between Peoa and Oakley, including YR Ranch, Stevens Grove, and Riverbend Park.

Future trail hub

A gravel lane at Marchant Meadows’ main gate is slated for trailhead parking, and ranch roads crossing the meadows have been flagged for a soft-surface trail network. Since 2016 the conservancy, Oakley City, South Summit Trails Foundation and landowners have worked on a seven-mile non-motorized route that will run from Wooden Shoe Lane to the base of the Uintas.

August Outings

On Aug. 21, mindful outdoor guide Ian Napper will lead a 90-minute Forest Bathing session at Marchant Meadows, a current conservation project that the Conservancy plans to open to the public in the future. Rather than a fitness hike, the program “is more of a meditation,” said Michayla Herr, the conservancy’s engagement manager. “We won’t be going very far. A lot of the journey is just connecting and feeling grounded.”

Forest Bathing, the Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku —encourages slow, sensory exploration of natural settings. Research shows regular practice can lower stress hormones, reduce blood pressure and boost immune function, according to the conservancy. Space is limited; registration is required through the group’s website.

Six days later, on Aug. 27, the nonprofit’s popular Moon Shine Adventure heads to Stevens Grove in Oakley for a dusk walk along the Weber River. Herr said the two-mile, out-and-back stroll offers “a way to go on a hike with other people, talk about the land we’re saving and why we’re saving it, and hopefully watch the moon rise together.” Participants are asked to carpool, pack a headlamp and bring water and a jacket for the 7–9 p.m. outing.

Herr said the events serve a triple purpose: community building, hands-on environmental education and fundraising. “One of the things that makes Park City so great is our open space, and Summit Land Conservancy is a local nonprofit dedicated to saving it,” she said. “We can’t protect land without community buy-in and without funds. These programs let people experience what’s at stake.”

Register here or email Herr at michayla@wesaveland.org.