Swaner Preserve & EcoCenter Unveils 5-Year Strategic Plan

Swaner Preserve & EcoCenter has announced the release of a new five-year strategic plan, outlining a bold and thoughtful vision for the future of conservation, education and community engagement in the Park City and greater Wasatch Back areas.

After a year full of conversation and careful consideration, the strategic plan will serve as a roadmap for the staff and board to focus efforts to best serve the community, including both people and the environment, over the next 5 years.

“This plan is both a promise and a call to action,” said Lewis Kogan, executive director. “With continued collaboration, partnership and care, we can ensure Swaner remains a place where nature brings people together today and for generations to come.”

Swaner Preserve & EcoCenter’s 2026-2030 Strategic Plan was developed through a robust, community-driven process that brought together staff, board members, partners, neighbors, educators, families and community members.

Through focus groups, surveys, Spanish-language interviews and community gatherings, one message came through clearly: Swaner is deeply valued as both a protected landscape and a trusted community resource.

"We were pleased to hear from so many community members during this process,” said Janna Coulter, community engagement manager. “It's clear there is great appreciation for Swaner in our community and exciting dreams for the future. We look forward to growing the reach of our programs and adding even more value for wildlife that find refuge on the Preserve."

The staff and board’s strategic plan committee developed a strategic lens based onthe insights collected through the process to ground ideas and discussions in “Nature As Common Ground.” Using the data, strategic lens and Swaner’s mission, they revised the priority areas and generated goals within them during a Fall 2025 retreat. Discussions resulted in five final priority areas and preliminary goals:

• Ecological Stewardship.
• Environmental Education.
• Nature Connection.
• Awareness.
• Organizational Health.

About Swaner Preserve and EcoCenter

Swaner Preserve and EcoCenter sparks curiosity about the natural world and inspires a connection to it. It encompasses a 1,200-acre nature preserve in Park City, Utah, including wetlands, public trails and wildlife habitat. Both on the Preserve and in their LEED Platinum museum, they provide community events, exhibits, adult education and engage over 3,500 kids annually in science-based, environmental learning.