Lynn de Freitas
Thursday | June 13, 2019 | 7:00-9:00 pm
The largest natural body of water west of the Mississippi. The largest salt water lake in the Western Hemisphere. Critical habitat for local and migrating fowl. A unique ecology for profitable brine shrimp and mineral evaporation extraction. A rare and surreal landscape full of otherworldly beauty and mystery. Will we let it die a slow death?
GATHERING AT:
Home of Ed and Kristen Iversen
3582 Oak Rim Way Salt Lake City, UT 84109
If there is no parking to be found near the home you can also park in the “park & ride” lot on the NW corner of 3900 South and Wasatch Blvd. Oak Rim Way is just east of the intersection on the north side.
You’re invited to bring some finger food to share
THE DISCUSSION:
Lynn will lead us on an exploration of the Great Salt Lake, it’s importance to birdlife, wildlife, waterlife, and human life, including the greater ecology of the Great Basin. We will discuss why this lake’s health is so vital to so much of what we value—including our health not to mention clean air, snow in the mountains, and sufficient water.
What we do now will decide the fate of this great lake and our personal well being. Water usage laws, housing developments due to population growth, and business projects such as the Inland Port will impact the future of the lake. So will our personal water use, including landscaping, agriculture, and recreation.
We will explore all this and more. But before you come, please explore this fascinating living descendent of the even greater Lake Bonneville. Read, watch, listen to the provided resources. Discover the gifts the lake brings to our lives and the devastation that will occur if we cause it’s extinction.
As with all our gatherings, there is no pressure to speak. But what makes Think Again and Faith Again valuable is not just who presents but who is present, prepared, and willing to share. Suggestions on how to listen and share can be found on the intentions page.
ABOUT LYNN:
Lynn de Freitas is the Executive Director of FRIENDS of Great Salt Lake.
FRIENDS of Great Salt Lake is a 501 c3 membership organization founded in 1994. Its mission is to preserve and protect the Great Salt Lake Ecosystem through education, research, advocacy, and the arts. The long-term vision of FRIENDS is to achieve comprehensive watershed restoration and protection for the Lake to sustain it for future generations of people and wildlife.
Lynn began her involvement with FRIENDS of Great Salt Lake shortly after it was founded in 1994. She became President of the board in 1996 and Executive Director in 2002. She is a full time volunteer. She especially enjoys working on developing policies that address the unique role and characteristics of the Great Salt Lake to ensure its long-term sustainability.
Prior to her affiliation with FRIENDS, she was a library media coordinator for 18 years in both public and private schools in Salt Lake City. She graduated from Montclair State College, N.J. with a bachelor’s in science, and a master’s in Educational Systems and Learning Resources from the University of Utah.
In 2007, she received the Girl Scouts of Utah Award for Courage, Confidence and Character. In 2006, she received the Calvin K. Sudweeks Award for outstanding contributions to water quality in the State of Utah by the Utah Water Quality Board. In 2002, she received the Utah Environmental Educator Volunteer of the Year Award from the Utah Society for Environmental Education.
In her free time, she is an avid birder, enjoys travel and is learning dressage.
STUFF TO CHECK OUT:
Scientists say the Great Salt Lake is disappearing, but could Utah residents save it?
Still Great? Decreasing water levels threaten the Great Salt Lake’s future
Desert Water: Climate Change and the Future of Great Salt Lake
Why worry about Great Salt Lake drying up? Owens Valley story gives insight
Some of the World’s Biggest Lakes Are Drying Up. Here’s Why
