From Arizona Soils to the Great Salt Lake
Me and a fellow lab technician from Sanyal Lab in Maricopa sampling at Santa Rita Experimental Range in Tucson, AZ.
Me and Gornish Lab folks discussing media lunas (rocks placed in crescent moon shapes that reduce erosion, trap moisture, catch seeds, and promote plant growth) at Elkhorn Ranch in Tucson, AZ.
When I first heard about the Natural Resources Workforce Development (NRWD) fellowship, I was initially drawn by the "wildlife" part of the theme, "Functional Flow for Wildlife and Water Quality." I felt that coming from soil sciences, this opportunity would give me more ecological experience working to improve wildlife habitat along with learning more about the water aspect of environmental science. As someone who is deeply passionate about animals, I was a bit sad that the work in the fellowship didn’t end up in that direction.
In the beginning, as our project began to take shape, I felt that I was a bit out of my element (figuratively AND literally) because of my master’s research on arid soil health in rangeland restoration using media lunas. Being born and raised in Arizona, and given my research focus, I felt unmoored. I didn’t think I could offer the group much perspective, and I definitely wasn’t aware of the plight of the Great Salt Lake until the project began. However, this didn’t stop me from becoming intrigued by the concepts. I was eager to learn from my fellows, and each of them had a different box of knowledge to share.
Learning about the different policies and challenges that Utah was facing surrounding the Great Salt Lake, water rights, and water leasing was interesting not only outright, but also because there were fellows that were personally connected to it. It helped me to gain an understanding of how our project actually might make a difference in guiding future decisions, especially since impacts to the Great Salt Lake reach beyond Utah. Gaining insights into what may need to happen to get the ball rolling on conserving the lake became something that connected back to my initial interests.
So, although this project wasn’t directly about animals like I hoped, it turned out to be good. Our research creates a ripple effect: future conservation decisions heal the landscape, healthier landscapes support wildlife, and thriving ecosystems benefit humans too. As a long-time champion for the animals, and now the Great Salt Lake, I hope that the fellowship work leaves a long-lasting impact, for the better and for good!
This post was written by Mercedes Martinez, a 2025-26 NRWD Fellow from the University of Arizona (UA).