On a drizzly September afternoon, Utah Open Lands Board Vice President Nancy McLaughlin — the Samuel D. Thurman Endowed Professor of Law at the University of Utah — brought her law students to Park City for a field lesson in real-world conservation. Inside the Miner’s Hospital Community Center, they met with Utah Open Lands Executive Director Wendy Fisher and Park City’s former longtime Trails and Open Space Manager Heinrich Deters. The three had each played pivotal roles in protecting Bonanza Flat — McLaughlin as the author of its conservation easement, Fisher as a vital driving force behind its preservation, and Deters as the city’s partner in bringing it to life. Together, they unpacked the story behind the beloved Bonanza Flat: the years of collaboration, the layers of negotiation, the balance between recreation and protection, and the community determination that turned the threat of development into 1,512 acres of forever-protected habitat, trails and open space. The students learned that this landscape — vital breeding ground and habitat for elk, moose, deer, flammulated owls, and more — was a greater save for the character and rhythm of Park City itself. Beyond sustainable trails and forest health protecting it, prevented the kind of density and traffic above Main Street that could have forever changed the entire town and its sense of place. The conversation was rich with insight, humor, and history — a reminder that conservation is both art and effort, guided by expertise, fueled by passion, and made possible by people who believe open space is worth fighting for. For the students, it was a glimpse of how the law takes shape in the real world — where collaboration, creativity, and courage meet. For Wendy and Utah Open Lands, it was time spent planting seeds in the next generation of stewards, ensuring that the spirit that keeps Utah, Utah, continues to grow.