In this episode, Denise Peterson and I sit down with Matt Peters, the former UGRC Director. Matt tells us how he went from office intern to director over his 30-year career. He tells us the key to a successful career comes down to relationships and communication. He also shares some of his favorite traveling experiences from around the globe and fills us in on his retirement plan to bike across America. Don’t miss this episode!

This episode was recorded on 8/12/2024

Links mentioned in this episode

• The SGID - Then and Now: https://gis.utah.gov/blog/2019-06-11-sgid-then-and-now/
• Matt Peters on X: https://x.com/MattXAmerica
• Matt’s Blog: https://brigsztravels.blogspot.com/

Music heard in this episode

• Australian Crawl - Errol
• Alice Merton - Run Away Girl
• STING - The Last Ship
• Len - Steal My Sunshine
• Drunken Sailer - Irish Rovers

Audio footage heard in this episode

• 1976 bike trip Coast to Coast Ambassador Touring Team: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mz6vqHrGaWQ
• Birth Of The Bike (1937): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOMlIO0_fEQ&list=PLiDNFeE89L9i9NZQiSRzFc-CpUqAcTF_y&index=2
• Cycling Family (1961): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9M5hM-e_sjQ&list=PLiDNFeE89L9i9NZQiSRzFc-CpUqAcTF_y
• Bicycle Safety (1950): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QEKTZyQmwk&list=PLiDNFeE89L9i9NZQiSRzFc-CpUqAcTF_y&index=4

The Utah Geospatial Resource Center | gis.utah.gov

In this episode, we talk with Blair Stringham from Utah's Wildlife Migration Initiative. He talks about wildlife tracking using GPS and RFID technology on over 28 species in the state, including fish, birds, deer, elk, and even mountain lions. If you have ever wondered how this works, this episode is for you.

Matt and I welcome Denise Peterson to the podcast in this episode. She is one of the newest URGC members and will be co-hosting the show with me once Matt bikes off into the sunset in mid-August—more to come on Matt’s retirement in the next episode.

• Utah Wildlife Migration Initiative: https://wildlifemigration.utah.gov/
• Utah’s animal corridors map: https://wildlifemigration.utah.gov/land-animals/corridors
• GPS tracking of wildlife: https://wildlifemigration.utah.gov/fish-and-amphibians/tracking/
• Utah’s Roadkill Reporter App: https://roadkill-reporter.utah.gov/
• Randy Larson’s (Professor of Wildlife Ecology at BYU) Instagram feed: https://www.instagram.com/wildlifeprof/

The Utah Geospatial Resource Center | gis.utah.gov

In this episode, we talk with Lexie Wilson, an environmental scientist at the Utah Department of Environmental Quality. Lexie helps us break down Utah's air quality science and chemistry. You don't want to miss this one!

Related resources:

• DEQ's interactive web map: https://enviro.deq.utah.gov/
• Air Quality Index (AQI) Basics: https://www.airnow.gov/aqi/aqi-basics/
• Utah Air Quality Forcast: https://air.utah.gov/forecast.php

The Utah Geospatial Resource Center | gis.utah.gov