Want to help Utah wildlife? Start in your own backyard

The DWR is marking Earth Day with seven everyday habits Utahns can adopt to help native species. Photo: Utah Division of Wildlife Resources

DWR marks Earth Day with seven small habits that make a measurable difference

SALT LAKE CITY — With Earth Day arriving Wednesday, April 22, Utah wildlife officials are urging residents to take simple steps at home and outdoors that can help protect fish, wildlife, and habitat across the state.

The suggestions range from what Utahns do in their own backyards to how they report what they see on the trail. None require special training or equipment — just attention.

One of the easiest contributions, DWR officials say, is logging wildlife sightings through community science platforms. The free iNaturalist app allows users to photograph and submit observations of reptiles, amphibians, insects, and plants, building a record that biologists can draw on.

“Community science observations provide very useful data that can be used to help us monitor native animals,” said Alyssa Hoekstra, the DWR’s native herpetology coordinator. “Reptiles and amphibians, in particular, are usually only active at certain times of the day and year. Records added to specific Utah groups in iNaturalist can help biologists gather information over a broad period and across a large geographic range. This helps us to capture data points that could have otherwise been missed.”

Submissions to the Herps of Utah group feed directly into a state database used to inform conservation decisions. Users concerned about sensitive species can restrict detailed location data to group administrators. Bird watchers can contribute similar data year-round through eBird and seasonal efforts such as the North American Breeding Bird Survey, the Audubon Christmas Bird Count, and Project FeederWatch.

Reducing plastic use and properly disposing of trash also protects wildlife. Animals that ingest paper, plastic, or discarded food can suffer fatal digestive problems, and roadside litter draws wildlife into traffic. Fish and other species can also become entangled in debris.

Light pollution poses a less obvious threat, particularly during spring migration, when many bird species travel at night.

“Light pollution can disorient birds and draw them off course, and can sometimes cause collisions with lighted buildings and other structures,” said Adam Brewerton, coordinator of the DWR’s Avian Conservation Program. “Artificial light has also been shown to impact certain wildlife species, especially during their breeding season. Light pollution can impact the frequency and timing of mating calls and the activity or movement of various nocturnal species.”

Thousands of birds die each year flying into windows. Homeowners can reduce collisions by installing screens or breaking up reflections with film, paint, or string spaced no more than two inches apart.

Feeding wildlife, while legal in most of Utah, is strongly discouraged. The practice raises public safety concerns, can spread chronic wasting disease among deer, elk, and moose, and contributes to the spread of avian influenza among waterfowl and raptors. Human food can also harm animals whose winter diets do not include it, and unsecured food at campsites attracts black bears. Feeding wild animals habituates them to residential areas, where they can cause damage and become nuisances. Backyard bird feeders should be cleaned weekly with a 10% bleach solution or hot, soapy water, and seed should be replaced regularly.

Moving fish or wildlife between bodies of water — or using live bait — is illegal in Utah and can spread disease and introduce invasive species such as the New Zealand mudsnail. Boaters and anglers should clean their gear between outings.

Conserving water at home also supports wildlife. Most of Utah’s residential water comes from the same snowpack-fed reservoirs where residents fish and boat, and lower household use leaves more water in those systems. The Slow the Flow Utah initiative recommends delaying lawn watering until May 15, replacing grass with low-water plants, shutting off sprinklers during rainstorms, installing smart irrigation controllers, and turning off faucets during routine tasks.

Finally, the DWR notes that hunters and anglers remain among the state’s largest contributors to conservation funding. Every dollar from a Utah hunting or fishing license supports the agency’s work to manage and protect the state’s fish and wildlife, including habitat improvement projects.

Licenses are available on the DWR website.