In the spring of 2022, Save Our Canyons joined forces with three amazing groups in Northern Utah. We partnered with Coalatree and The Hex Press Printing to create fabulous custom sun shirts with an original SOC design to celebrate our 50th Anniversary. On July 21, 2022, we hosted a community event at Fisher Brewing Company to fundraise for SOC, expand on current campaigns, sell sun shirts, promote our volunteer season, and engage with locals. This was a wonderful way for us to celebrate 50 years of protecting the Wasatch mountains. We couldn’t have asked for better company or felt more supported by our community partners.
Fisher Brewing Company is a local hotspot in downtown Salt Lake City. They have shown themselves to be not only interested in selling great beer, but also in the betterment of Utah’s community and the Wasatch Mountains. Fishers’ reputation for advocacy has led them to become a gathering place for dedicated folks in Salt Lake County. The owners and staff never fail to make SOC feel welcomed and the patrons are always earnestly interested in learning more about the issues the mountains are facing. In a state where legislators, developers, and politicians don’t always see SOC as a friend, it is great to spend an evening at Fisher Brewing Company and feel the community’s passion for conservation.
SOC is thrilled to partner with Coalatree in creating merch for our 50th anniversary celebration. Coalatree is an outdoor rec equipment company that was founded on the principles of sustainability. Every step of their production process uses methods that reduce waste, utilize renewable energy, and consume less resources. We are ecstatic to highlight a company that is at the forefront of the sustainable clothing movement. Their high-quality sun shirts were the perfect product to carry SOC’s anniversary logo.
Another group that has made SOC’s 50th anniversary extra special is Utah’s very own Hex Press Printing company. The owner, Anna Hansem, created an original design for SOC’s anniversary commemoration. She then painstakingly carved it into multiple wooden blocks, which were used to print the multiple designs by hand onto each Coalatree sunshirt. Anna’s creation is a perfect example of how art is an invaluable tool in the fight for the Wasatch mountains. Her pieces wordlessly capture the beauty of the biodiversity of plants, animals, and people who exist across the Wasatch. Showcasing native wildflowers, a curious fox, the Lone Peak Wilderness, and the Salt Lake Valley beyond - it silently reminds the viewer how crucial it is to protect the environment and stay involved in the fight.
Save Our Canyons feels privileged to have been able to operate in Utah for the past 50 years. We were founded in 1972 in response to development pressures in Little Cottonwood Canyon. Since then, we have worked relentlessly to protect, restore, and educate. Countless recreationalists enter these canyons every day. People don’t often stop to think about the effort that goes into conserving them. And that’s how it should be- the mountains and the beauty they contain ought to be unquestionably secured for future generations. Unfortunately this isn’t the case- yet. But SOC will not rest until that goal is reality. We are so grateful to know that we are not alone in this fight. We at SOC know that even if we are furiously typing up a rebuttal against a proposed mine in Parleys or gondola towers in Little Cottonwood, there is an army of Utahns cheering us on every step of the way. Thank you to you, who is reading this, for your support of us and all of the groups that we mentioned before, in trying to make Utah a better place.
