The Utah Cultural Site Stewardship (UCSS) program celebrated another incredible year of dedication and preservation with a special two-day event on November 14 and 15. This annual get-together was our unique way of saying thank you to the UCSS volunteers who donate so much time and personal resources to monitoring Utah’s archaeological and cultural sites.
This year’s theme showcased that Utah’s history is just as present in our urban centers as it is in the backcountry.
Night of gratitude and awards at the Utah Capitol
The weekend kicked off on Friday night with a dinner and awards ceremony held in the beautiful Capitol Rotunda.
Attendees enjoyed dinner, mingled, took tours of the Capitol building, going underneath the building to learn more about its earthquake protection, and had the opportunity to view a special display of artifacts and photos from the Alta archaeological project.
The evening program featured an engaging presentation and UCSS volunteers received a powerful address from Major Chad Bettridge with the Division of Law Enforcement. Chad and the law enforcement officers he manages have been a vital partner to the UCSS program this year and will continue to pursue the protection of cultural resources on public lands alongside volunteers.
We also share a video message from Lt. Governor Dierdre Henderson, created by her office to personally thank volunteers for their efforts during the shutdown, which you can view here. We finished the night up with the highly anticipated UCSS Awards, recognizing the outstanding work and commitment of Utah site stewards.
A weekend of exclusive exploration
On Saturday, volunteers traded in the trails for a double-decker bus tour of downtown Salt Lake City, designed to give them one-of-a-kind, behind-the-scenes access to the city’s rich urban history.
Site stewards were treated to unique and one of a kind tours, including:
- An ascent to the famous clock tower of the City and County Building.
- A trip to the roof of the Walker Center.
- A visit to the Greek Orthodox Church and Hellenic Museum (pictured right).
- A walk through the historic Alta Club.
The entire tour was designed to provide the opportunity for volunteers to meet one another, explore new places, network with UCSS partners and see first-hand how well Salt Lake continues to showcase and incorporate its history to the world.
Fueling up on cultural favorites
We know the way to our volunteers’ hearts is through great food! We made sure no one on the tour went hungry, eating our way through several local culinary favorites:
- Siegfried’s Delicatessen
- Crown Burgers
- Vosen’s Bread Paradise (pictured left)
- Mrs. Backers Bakery
This was a one-of-a-kind event, and we truly appreciate everyone who spent the time with us! Thank you again to all the amazing partners that made these tours and opportunities possible for our volunteers.
