Abigail MacKay

Environmental Educator for Friends of Great Salt Lake

Antelope Island, UT

October 11, 2024

The Great Salt Lake’s briny waters expand into the stillness of the horizon; the smell of stale dry salt lingers through the warm breeze and a hot sun shines down onto the sand nestled in between my toes. It is 15 degrees hotter than average for autumn in Salt Lake City. Here we meet with Abigail MacKay, an environmental educator with Friends of Great Salt Lake, an organization dedicated to protecting the essential waters of Salt Lake.

Part of Abigail’s job is guiding field trips on the lake shores for school groups, and her passion for environmental education was present throughout our time with her. She explains that her love for enacting change drew her to studying law, but she soon discovered that the best way to make a populous change in the world is through education. By digging in the oolitic sand, building water basin models with fourth graders and opening their eyes to water conservation Abigail is changing the world. Not to mention it is fun, “Taking kids outside is just the best thing ever.”

After playing in the sand, catching brine shrimp, wading in salty waters then watching the salt crystallize on our feet as the sun wicked away the wetness of the lake, we made our way back to the parking lot. We ask Abigail about the complexities of water rights in the area and the community’s response to conservation efforts. Water is a contentious issue and as we look out over the glassy waters, I can imagine a hopeful future for this lake. A lake with high waters and a bustling refuge for birds as it once was.

by Cameron Collister