People

Shaela Adams

Communications Manager, Great Salt Lake Watershed Enhancement Trust & Saline Lakes Program

Shaela Adams is the Communications Manager for the Great Salt Lake Watershed Enhancement Trust (GSLWET) and Audubon's Saline Lakes Program. Housed within Audubon’s Western Water and Saline Lakes program, GSLWET focuses on increasing water flows to Great Salt Lake—and its wetlands—as it faces precipitous water level decline and record low levels.

Born and raised in Utah, Shaela has observed Great Salt Lake throughout her lifetime and regards it as a critical keystone ecosystem indicating the overall health of the complex desert state that she calls home. As we bear witness to the impacts of a changing climate, Shaela believes it is our responsibility to protect and advocate for critical ecosystems, like Great Salt Lake, that define environmental health equity for both humans and wildlife, especially birds.

Shaela graduated from the University of Utah with an Honors Bachelor of Science in Environmental Sustainability Studies, a minor in Urban Ecology, and an Honors Bachelor of Arts in Film and Media Arts. Outside of work, Shaela volunteers within the community to ensure younger generations have the necessary tools and strategies to mitigate climate anxiety while remaining energized enough to continue in this important work through workshops and writing. Her interdisciplinary experience and studies inform her work at Audubon and her passion for environmental advocacy.

Articles by Shaela Adams

Three grebes swim in a line on a lake; distant mountains out of focus in the background.
Increased Water Flows and Control Bring Benefits to Great Salt Lake and Wetlands
August 20, 2024 — More water is better to combat botulism outbreaks and invasive plants
The Monumental Effort to Understand Migrating Shorebirds
July 02, 2024 — Community science and Audubon bring unparalleled coordination to understand shorebirds and improve wetlands
Birders Flock to Great Salt Lake for Annual Birding Festival
June 20, 2024 — How birding festivals bring people together for birds and the habitats on which they depend
Great Salt Lake Levels Rising but Not Healthy Yet
May 13, 2024 — A seven-year lake level high brings relief, but not permission to slow down
Replicating a Census from the Past to Protect Shorebirds of the Future
February 27, 2024 — Thirty years later surveying methods haven’t changed, but have the shorebirds we’re counting?