(cheerful music) - From iconic landmarks to neighborhood treasures, Preservation Utah works to protect historic places that define Utah.

Brandy Strand is here with more details about what you can do to help preserve these places for future generations.

Welcome, Brandy.

- Oh, thank you so much for having us.

- So tell me about some of the latest work that Preservation Utah is up to.

- Oh, thank you.

So we are actually hosting tours all over the state, and right now we're really focused on celebrating the historic architecture along the west side of Salt Lake City, particularly the west side of I-15, in our Rose Park, Fair Park, and Poplar Grove neighborhoods.

- What are some unexpected things that are there that people may not know about?

- Oh my goodness, so you may not know that we have a lot of Victorian cottages, some bungalows, and even some ranch homes along our West Side neighborhoods.

- Really?

- Absolutely.

And along there, you may even be surprised, along those little Victorian cottages, you're gonna see some railroads, like our 9 Line rails.

- That's amazing, incredible, and we're seeing people on the screen participating in this.

What do people take away when they come to these events?

- So we actually work with our neighbors in these communities to open up their private homes.

So our volunteers will stand outside of our homes, and they'll tell you about the history, the people who lived there, the immigrants from China, Syria, Mexico, who built these homes, multi-generations who've lived here, and they tell you the stories, they open it up, the architecture, the people who made these places special.

And then you go inside with our volunteers, and you get to see the moldings, the windows, the original pieces that have been there for hundreds of years.

And you get to learn right then and there.

And then you get to move on to the next home.

And then you walk the streets where people have been day after day.

- Yeah, I love that you guys are honoring and respecting the past, and also educating folks about things that are right in their backyard that they may not know about.

How can people get involved and participate with Preservation Utah?

- Well, there's two great ways to do that.

First, follow us on social media.

Follow us at Preservation Utah.

Our socials are alive and strong, and we're always sharing a history about everything in Utah.

And then also preservationutah.org.

- All right, thank you so much.

Yes, preservationutah.org is the website.

If you would like to learn more information about how you can get involved, what's going on, where to go, the conventions and everything that they offer, the education aspect of it, too, just head to that website.

It's all there for you.

And for more details, uh yeah, check it out.

I'm Liz Adeola, and thank you for watching "Contact."

(cheerful music) Philanthropy, Arts, culture.

It's what brings us together.

Hi, I'm Liz Adeola, the host of Contact, a show that connects you with local events and organizations that serve your community.

If you work for a nonprofit and would like to be on Contact, please visit pbs.org/contact