ZION NATURAL HISTORY ASSOCIATION

Protecting forever - projects that conserve the park's most vital cultural and natural resources. Initiatives include a focus on securing numerous critical conservation easements on land adjacent to zion national park, funding for tribal youth summer camps, support for dark sky research and programming, and investments in the park's animals and scientific studies, including fundamental research related to bats, ringtail cats, and new techniques for digital fossil recording. The organization also holds, maintains, and monitors several parcels of land that the park has identified as crucial for boundary, watershed, and wildlife corridor protection. To learn more, read our annual field guide at zionpark.org.

In 2024, the zion forever project focused on several critical initiatives to enhance the visitor experience and conserve the natural and cultural heritage of our supported parks and monuments. Significant accomplishments included: zion forever proudly continued its commitment to preserving the stunning landscapes and vibrant ecosystems of cedar breaks national monument. This support included the opening of a much-anticipated new visitor center, designed to enhance the visitor experience while minimizing environmental impact. Alongside this milestone, we funded critical employee housing and infrastructure projects, expanded educational programs to deepen visitor connections to the monuments natural and cultural heritage, and reinforced our commitment to dark sky preservation, ensuring the night skies above cedar breaks remain among the clearest in the world. Together, these efforts underscore our mission to safeguard this remarkable landscape for future generations. Pipe spring national monument funding supported various events and programs that celebrated the rich cultural heritage of the area, fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of this unique historical site, bringing together diverse communities, offering educational experiences, and promoting the preservation of both paiute and pioneer histories. Zion education initiatives: we continue to provide all of the funding for zion's education initiatives, which include distance learning programs that broadcast globally, bringing zion and zion rangers into classrooms around the world. Our junior ranger program engages 38,000 children annually, helping them explore and learn about the park. Additionally, our flagship programs like "concrete to canyon" bring title 1 children into the park for their first zion experience and fund rangers to visit local title 1 classrooms, providing invaluable educational experiences. We also fund the local southern utah university (suu) intergovernmental internship cooperative (iic), which places students in public land positions across the region, offering hands-on experience and fostering the next generation of conservation leaders. Funding for search and rescue (sar) training programs: in 2024, we provided essential funding for various search and rescue (sar) training programs, enhancing the capabilities and preparedness of our responders. These comprehensive trainings covered basic sar techniques, climbing and rappelling, swift water rescue, and psychological training. Acknowledging the tough conditions and challenging scenarios that sar teams encounter, we also emphasized mental health support for responders and caretakers. These programs ensure that our sar teams are not only equipped with the essential technical skills but also possess the emotional resilience needed to cope with the stresses of being on-site during critical incidents. This funding has significantly improved the safety and effectiveness of our sar operations, benefiting both the responders and the communities they serve. Additionally, zion forever project offers free and confidential access to professional mental health support for national park service (nps) employees, zion forever staff, volunteers, and interns. This initiative includes weekly, hour-long sessions with licensed therapists focused on trauma therapy, stress management, and overall mental well-being. The program is part of a larger commitment to fostering a resilient and supportive workplace culture for zion forever and the national park staff.