Meet Kane County Steward, Katie Wallace. Katie is a Kanab local who made her way to Utah from the Bay Area in Northern California. She was introduced to the Colorado Plateau in college when she took a field studies course on the cultural history and current environmental issues that impact descendant communities in the region. Katie quickly fell in love with not only the human history but the public land access and incredible wealth of natural resources.
Katie found the Utah Cultural Site Stewardship (UCSS) Program through some of her fellow Kanab community members. A couple of the things that have kept Katie in southern Utah are the pace of life and the strong sense of community that is felt there. Her passion for history and archaeology made joining the UCSS Program a no -brainer!
Not only does Katie have a passion for history, she is also always looking for ways to give back, and volunteer programs like UCSS allow her to do that. By putting in her time to monitor cultural sites in her area, Katie is able to spend time in the places she holds dear to her heart but also assist in stronger management of these important places.
Katie has always loved to volunteer and highly recommends it to anyone who is interested. Her advice to anyone who is on the fence about joining the UCSS Program is that you will not regret it. Not only do you get the opportunity to learn about the significance of the places you monitor but you get to walk along the greatness of those who came before us.
“You get to spend time in beautiful places and there is something very special about protecting these spaces that are so important to our culture and others. It is a great way to think about human history and your own future in a more unique way and continue to learn from and appreciate it. “
Katie Wallace
Outside of stewardship Katie spends a lot of her time volunteering for Kane County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue. You can also find her exploring her backyard trails. Katie is a huge trail runner and has used her experience as an assistant race director in California to create her own trail race in Kanab. The Over the Rainbow Runs are described as “a fun day on the trail with your friends” and an event where “we don’t take ourselves too seriously.” So, if you find yourself in the Kanab area this October, be sure to join this awesome event. You can learn more about the race here.
We can’t thank Katie enough for her efforts within the UCSS Program. She has been a joy to have in the program and we highly recommend reaching out to Katie for a fun hike or run through the Kanab area!
