Creative Call to Action to Save our Great Salt Lake: Panel Discussion

20 January 2024 
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In conjunction with the opening artist reception of Lake Effect, we are pleased to host a Creative Call to Action to Save our Great Salt Lake panel discussion on Saturday, January 20, from 12-2 PM. The discussion will take place at Modern West (412 S. 700 W).

 

The panel will include Grow the Flow Executive Director Ben Abbott, Great Salt Lake Institute Director Bonnie Baxter, Grow the Flow Government Relations Coordinator Jake Dreyfous, Great Salt Lake Collaborative Director Heather May and Diane Tuft, a celebrated photographer and environmentalist represented by Modern West. The panel will be moderated by Anne Palmer with the Contemporary Arts Group of Utah.


There are limited spots available for the panel discussion –– RSVP here. 

 

We invite all guests to join us after the panel for a Rally to Save Our Great Salt Lake with the Save Our Great Salt Lake organization. The rally will take place on the south steps of the Utah State Capitol at 3 PM. RSVP at this link and find more information on the event here.

 

 

ABOUT OUR PANELISTS

Ben Abbott is Grow the Flow’s Executive Director. He teaches Environmental Science and Sustainability at BYU. He works on global water security and environmental health. Abbott works primarily on the permafrost climate feedback and water quality in river networks. Drawing on biogeochemistry, evolutionary biology and social science, his research investigates how the co-evolution of landscapes and ecosystems results in broad-scale patterns of biological, hydrological and socioeconomic behavior. 

 

Bonnie Baxter studies the photobiology of halophiles (salt-tolerant bacteria) and microbial diversity of Great Salt Lake (GSL) with her undergraduate students. She is interested in the astrobiology applications of extremely hypersaline ecosystems, in particular resistance to ultraviolet light and desiccation by halophiles. Dr. Baxter is also dedicated to integration of research in undergraduate science education and to outreach efforts that inspire learning and stewardship. She is also engaged in efforts to support underrepresented groups in STEM fields. All of these interests merge in her role as Director of Great Salt Lake Institute.

 

Jake Dreyfous is a fifth-generation Utahn and recently returned home after graduating Summa Cum Laude from Middlebury College with a degree in Conservation Biology. He grew up fly-fishing, camping, skiing, bird-watching and hunting. He recognizes Great Salt Lake as Utah's most pressing environmental issue, and works for Grow the Flow as a Government Relations and Program Coordinator. Jake returned home to Utah from Vermont passionate about supporting the homelands that have nurtured and taught him all his life. 

 

Heather May directs the Great Salt Lake Collaborative, a group of 19 news, education and civic organizations that includes KSL, The Salt Lake Tribune, Fox13, Deseret News and many more. This groups has come together to better inform and engage Utahns about the crisis facing the Great Salt Lake — and what can be done to make a difference before it is too late. Heather brings three decades of journalism experience to this role, having covered food, health, education and politics for multiple Utah news outlets. 
 
Anne Palmer is a founding director of the Contemporary Arts Group of Utah, arts writer and public art advisor who professionalized the art collection policies for the University of Utah. She was a guest lecturer for the Wallace Stegner Center for Land, Resources, and the Environment in 2023.
 
Diane Tuft is a photographer currently based in New York City. Tuft has always been fascinated by how environmental factors shape the Earth’s landscape, and capturing this through her camera has been a guiding principle in her work. Her photographs largely focuses on the effects of ozone depletion as it accelerates detrimental ultraviolet and infrared radiation absorbed by the Earth’s atmosphere. By traveling to the most remote places throughout the world, Tuft has been able to document the visual effects of climate change and global warming on our planet.