Ann and John Ribera have a unique piece of property and an uncommon sense of responsibility and stewardship for their land and the surrounding ecosystem. Their 5 acre back yard in Cache Valley was once habitat for cranes, pelicans, heron, geese, and other wetland wildlife and vegetation. Unfortunately, years of drought and invasive weeds have damaged this formerly vibrant environment. Over the last several years, the water saturation of the land has deteriorated, which has caused the wildlife habitat to slowly disappear. Read the KSL article about their project
Community volunteers have banded together to help restore the wetlands ecosystem on the Ribera’s property. Boy Scouts, church groups, local service organizations, undergraduate and graduate students from Utah State University have participated in the restoration of this community treasure.
This multi-phase project has included the planting of wetland vegetation, protection of Spring Creek’s banks and vegetation from livestock, buffer fence creation, vegetation inventory and analysis, and the removal of invasive weeds. Future plans include constructing a boardwalk that will be accessible to the public and building elevated nesting boxes for the plethora of bird species.
You can read more about the future goals of the Spring Creek Wetlands on the “Future Plans” section of this site. The Riberas’ ultimate goal is to make this area accessible to local residents, artists, youth groups, students, naturalists, and all other interested visitors.
Contributors
This project couldn’t be possible without the selfless pro bono advice and diligent work of AXIA Public Relations and Marketing, Providia Management Group, LLC, Harmony Lodge #21 of the Free and Accepted Masons of Utah, the Bear River Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Bridgerland Audubon Society, Boy Scouts of America, the Northern Utah Shrine Club, the Utah State University Range Club/Society for Range Management, and the College of Natural Resources of Utah State.
Please visit the “Contributors” section of this site to access the websites of these noble organizations.
