Nurturing the Wild Spark: How Lea Long Inspires Utah’s Next Generation to Connect with Nature

In a world increasingly shaped by screens and schedules, Utah educator and ethologist Lea Long is on a mission to reconnect children with the wonder of the natural world. Through her immersive wildlife education initiatives, Long is helping young minds rediscover the joy, curiosity, and respect that come from learning in—and from—nature itself.

The Science of Connection

As an Ethologist, Founder, and Educator, Lea brings together a rare blend of expertise in Ethology, Child Development and Psychology, and Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation. Her background in Outdoor Education, Emergent Curriculum and Lesson Planning, and Wildlife and Environmental Education gives her programs both scientific depth and child-centered creativity.

“Children are naturally curious about the world around them,” Long explains. “When we create opportunities for them to explore, observe, and interact with living things, we’re not just teaching science—we’re nurturing empathy, awareness, and a sense of belonging.”

Learning Beyond the Classroom

From Outdoor Emergent Education to hands-on wildlife educational outreach, Lea brings the wild directly to the classroom—introducing students to live animals and sharing engaging, educational Utah wildlife presentations that spark curiosity and excitement. Beyond the classroom, Lea offers private guided hikes for children, creating opportunities to fully immerse themselves in Utah’s natural landscapes while learning about the ecosystems, plants, and animals that make the state so extraordinary. Her programs also incorporate Animal Assisted Therapy, Biofield Tuning and Sound Healing, and Positive Precognition—integrative practices that help children and families develop emotional balance and holistic awareness while engaging with the natural world.

A Legacy of Stewardship

Today, Lea brings together years of hands-on experience, professional training, and field research in her educational outreach. She believes that wildlife and environmental education are vital to restoring our relationship with the land and to remembering our shared sovereignty with nature. Her goal is to nurture curiosity, preserve the “wild spark” in future generations, and strengthen the bond between people, animals, and the environments we all call home. Long’s programs inspire both knowledge and stewardship. She encourages every learner—young or old—to see themselves not as separate from nature, but as an essential part of its story.

Inspiring Utah’s Future Explorers

As Utah continues to balance growth with conservation, leaders like Lea Long remind us of the importance of keeping the next generation connected to the land. Her work is a call to action: to raise children who are not only informed but inspired—children who see the earth not as a classroom or a playground alone, but as a living community to learn from, care for, and protect.