Nature Conservancy, community members create workforce to clean White Dome and save poppies

Written by E. George Goold
April 9, 2023

ST. GEORGE — One of St. George’s most famous scenic sights got a clean slate Saturday morning.

Volunteers at a cleanup for the White Dome Nature Preserve, St. George, Utah, April 8, 2023 | Photo by E. George Goold, St. George News

Volunteers and community members formed a workforce and tackled the tumbleweeds, invasive plants and garbage on the paths of the White Dome Nature Preserve on South River Road.

Home to the unique dwarf bear poppy plant, the preserve is a popular hiking spot offering panoramic views around St. George along with glimpses of the beautiful poppy plants that flourish in the desert terrain at White Dome.

“We do this event twice a year, and the volunteers we have here are so wonderful,” Andrea Nelson, outreach and education manager for the Nature Conservancy, told St. George News at the site of the cleanup.

“We have about 20 folks out here today doing this,” said Nelson. “We have Scouts as well as hiking clubs and others who are here supporting us. We come out here to take care of the preserve. We just try to keep the preserve looking good for the visitors and for the wildlife.”

The sensitive dwarf bear poppies are under threat by tumbleweeds, other invasive plants and humans who damage them by destroying their habitat when using nearby trails.

“We’ve worked all along the road to remove trash and noxious, invasive weeds,” Nelson said. “It’s always wonderful to get here with the volunteers, people who spend their morning here instead of with their coffee at home on a Saturday.”

The worst culprit doing damage to the preserve are Russian tumbleweeds. Nelson said it is an invasive weed that quickly spreads, overcrowding native plants like the dwarf bear poppy.

But that’s not the only worry for poppy lovers. The endangered dwarf bear poppy has lost 50 percent of its historical habitat due to development and other human impacts, Nelson said.

The mound of full trash bags heaped up by the volunteers at the end of the day were testament to the human presence on the preserve.

The heap of garbage bags collected during a cleanup at White Dome Nature Preserve, St. George, Utah, April 8, 2023 | Photo by E. George Goold, St. George News

“I would not say it’s getting worse, I would say it’s getting better,” Nelson said, estimating the amount of garbage. “We’ve been doing this now for about five years. The first year it took all of our time just to clean the parking lot. Every year we’re able to do a little bit more.”

Due to the lingering cold, volunteers estimated that peak dwarf bear poppy budding will occur at the end of April and last through the first weeks in May. Saturday, volunteers reported seeing a few poppy plants that appeared on the verge of budding.

Nelson urged, since peak tourism season is approaching, it’s important to remember to take care of the dwarf bear poppies and that outdoor enthusiasts know the preserve has specific regulations for visitors.

Only hikers are allowed on the paths. Bikes and off-road recreational vehicles do tremendous damage to the soil, Nelson said, and can destroy the poppies. Hikers should also be mindful to stay on the walking paths to avoid stepping on young poppies and other native plants.

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the dwarf bear poppy is protected under the Endangered Species Act since 1979. The species is found only in the Dixie Corridor of southwest Utah.

“Due to the short leafy stems, the white flowers appear to float above the cluster of leaves, accentuating the plant’s low stature,” the government website states. “The flower of A. humilis usually has four petals. The genus name is based on the bear paw-like appearance of the shaggy villous leaves, only slightly lanate, with deeply three-toothed leaves at the apex.”

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2023, all rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Eric George Goold came to St. George News from southwestern Colorado, where he was a radio news reporter. He has been a journalist for over 20 years in five different states. He graduated with a master's degree in English from Kansas State University and writes nonfiction as well. Goold has been published in Sunstone Magazine and has done multiple public readings about local history. When he has free time, he enjoys chess, movies and dogs.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @STGnews

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