Among the many restoration projects UOL pursued this year, one of our favorites was located at the beloved Redford Family Elk Meadows Preserve in Sundance Canyon. Last year, a small area on the Preserve was impacted and UOL worked with the landowner as well as the Sundance Nature Alliance to establish a restoration plan for the site. The plan included planting larger, more established native shrubs and wildflowers where vegetation was removed, in addition to broadcast seeding the area with a native seed mix. The project doesn't end with the initial planting and revegetation efforts, as UOL will continue to monitor and survey the area for success rates of revegetation, potential invasive species encroachment, and the health of the soil at the restoration site. Healthy soil is crucial to ecological restorations as it underpins the entire ecosystem's functionality: healthy soil supports plant growth, stabilizes the land, improves water infiltration, and promotes biological diversity. UOL is excited to continue working with the landowner and the Sundance Nature Alliance in the restoration and stewardship of this site through the 2025 season and on, it is because of valuable partnerships like these that makes restoration of these areas possible.