Oral history interview with Don Paul, conducted by Greg Smoak (audio and transcript)

In this interview, Don Paul talks about his formative years and his parents' influence on his love of the outdoors. He describes his first experiences exploring the Great Salt Lake. Mr. Paul then discusses his education, which led him to a career as a biologist. He worked as a conservation officer for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, and then later as an information specialist. Mr. Paul also worked on a television program called "Utah Trails" and participated in writing a book on raptors in Utah. He became the first non-game manager in Utah for the Division of Wildlife Resources. Mr. Paul was the principal biologist for the reintroduction of Peregrines to the northern part of Utah. He then became chief of the information education section before becoming a wildlife biologist for the Great Salt Lake area. Mr. Paul also became the first avian biologist with the Great Salt Lake Ecosystem Project. He describes his work with the Linking Communities program. He talks about the Great Salt Lake's ecological diversity, complexity, and importance, and compares it with other, similar ecosystems elsewhere in the world. Mr. Paul discusses the changes he has seen to the Great Salt Lake and challenges to the ecosystem.