diff --git a/src/components/MyObservations/MyObservationsContainer.tsx b/src/components/MyObservations/MyObservationsContainer.tsx
index 37d7ad075..49d64b510 100644
--- a/src/components/MyObservations/MyObservationsContainer.tsx
+++ b/src/components/MyObservations/MyObservationsContainer.tsx
@@ -5,6 +5,11 @@ import { useFocusEffect, useNavigation } from "@react-navigation/native";
 import type { FlashListRef } from "@shopify/flash-list";
 import { fetchSpeciesCounts } from "api/observations";
 import { RealmContext } from "providers/contexts";
+import {
+  MY_OBSERVATIONS_ACTION,
+  MyObservationsProvider,
+  useMyObservations,
+} from "providers/MyObservationsContext";
 import React, {
   useCallback,
   useEffect,
@@ -16,9 +21,9 @@ import { Alert } from "react-native";
 import Observation from "realmModels/Observation";
 import Taxon from "realmModels/Taxon";
 import type { RealmObservation } from "realmModels/types";
+import type { SPECIES_SORT } from "sharedHelpers/speciesSort";
 import {
   sortSpeciesCounts,
-  SPECIES_SORT,
   speciesSortToApiParams,
 } from "sharedHelpers/speciesSort";
 import startupPerformanceTracker from "sharedHelpers/startupPerformanceTracker";
@@ -62,7 +67,7 @@ interface SyncOptions {
   skipSomeUploads?: string[];
 }
 
-const MyObservationsContainer = ( ) => {
+const MyObservationsWithProvider = ( ) => {
   const { isDefaultMode, loggedInWhileInDefaultMode } = useLayoutPrefs();
   const { t } = useTranslation( );
   const realm = useRealm( );
@@ -71,6 +76,8 @@ const MyObservationsContainer = ( ) => {
   const taxaListRef = useRef<FlashListRef<SpeciesCount>>( null );
   const navigateToObsEdit = useNavigateToObsEdit( );
 
+  const { state: myObsState, dispatch: myObsDispatch } = useMyObservations( );
+
   const setStartUploadObservations = useStore( state => state.setStartUploadObservations );
   const uploadQueue = useStore( state => state.uploadQueue );
   const addToUploadQueue = useStore( state => state.addToUploadQueue );
@@ -126,8 +133,12 @@ const MyObservationsContainer = ( ) => {
 
   const [openSheet, setOpenSheet] = useState<ACTIVE_SHEET>( ACTIVE_SHEET.NONE );
 
-  const [speciesSortOptionId, setSpeciesSortOptionId]
-    = useState<SPECIES_SORT>( SPECIES_SORT.COUNT_DESC );
+  const setSpeciesSortOptionId = ( value: SPECIES_SORT ) => {
+    myObsDispatch( {
+      type: MY_OBSERVATIONS_ACTION.SET_SPECIES_SORT,
+      speciesSort: value,
+    } );
+  };
 
   const toggleLayout = ( ) => {
     writeLayoutToStorage( layout === "grid"
@@ -322,8 +333,8 @@ const MyObservationsContainer = ( ) => {
 
   // Map the selected sort option to API params
   const sortAPIParams = useMemo(
-    () => speciesSortToApiParams( speciesSortOptionId ),
-    [speciesSortOptionId],
+    () => speciesSortToApiParams( myObsState.speciesSort ),
+    [myObsState.speciesSort],
   );
 
   const {
@@ -333,7 +344,7 @@ const MyObservationsContainer = ( ) => {
     totalResults: numTotalTaxaRemote,
     refetch: refetchTaxa,
   } = useInfiniteScroll(
-    `MyObsSimple-fetchSpeciesCounts-${currentUser?.id}-${speciesSortOptionId}`,
+    `MyObsSimple-fetchSpeciesCounts-${currentUser?.id}-${myObsState.speciesSort}`,
     fetchSpeciesCounts,
     {
       user_id: currentUser?.id,
@@ -394,13 +405,13 @@ const MyObservationsContainer = ( ) => {
     }
 
     // For logged-out users: apply client-side sorting to local data
-    return sortSpeciesCounts( unsortedTaxa || [], speciesSortOptionId );
+    return sortSpeciesCounts( unsortedTaxa || [], myObsState.speciesSort );
   }, [
     currentUser,
     isConnected,
     remoteObservedTaxaCounts,
     localObservedSpeciesCount,
-    speciesSortOptionId,
+    myObsState.speciesSort,
   ] );
 
   if ( !layout ) { return null; }
@@ -449,11 +460,17 @@ const MyObservationsContainer = ( ) => {
       setOpenSheet={setOpenSheet}
       setSpeciesSortOptionId={setSpeciesSortOptionId}
       showNoResults={showNoResults}
-      speciesSortOptionId={speciesSortOptionId}
+      speciesSortOptionId={myObsState.speciesSort}
       taxa={taxa}
       toggleLayout={toggleLayout}
     />
   );
 };
 
+const MyObservationsContainer = ( ) => (
+  <MyObservationsProvider>
+    <MyObservationsWithProvider />
+  </MyObservationsProvider>
+);
+
 export default MyObservationsContainer;
diff --git a/src/components/MyObservations/MyObservationsSimple.tsx b/src/components/MyObservations/MyObservationsSimple.tsx
index 970b83d5b..630c4653e 100644
--- a/src/components/MyObservations/MyObservationsSimple.tsx
+++ b/src/components/MyObservations/MyObservationsSimple.tsx
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ interface Props {
   openSheet: ACTIVE_SHEET;
   setActiveTab: ( newTab: string ) => void;
   setOpenSheet: ( value: ACTIVE_SHEET ) => void;
-  setSpeciesSortOptionId: React.Dispatch<React.SetStateAction<SPECIES_SORT>>;
+  setSpeciesSortOptionId: ( value: SPECIES_SORT ) => void;
   showNoResults: boolean;
   speciesSortOptionId: SPECIES_SORT;
   taxa?: SpeciesCount[];
diff --git a/src/providers/MyObservationsContext.tsx b/src/providers/MyObservationsContext.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8ccad9dce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/providers/MyObservationsContext.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,102 @@
+import * as React from "react";
+import { OBSERVATIONS_SORT } from "sharedHelpers/observationsSort";
+import { SPECIES_SORT } from "sharedHelpers/speciesSort";
+
+export enum MY_OBSERVATIONS_ACTION {
+  SET_OBSERVATIONS_SORT = "SET_OBSERVATIONS_SORT",
+  SET_SPECIES_SORT = "SET_SPECIES_SORT",
+  SET_TAXON_SEARCH = "SET_TAXON_SEARCH",
+  CLEAR_TAXON_SEARCH = "CLEAR_TAXON_SEARCH",
+}
+
+export interface MyObservationsTaxon {
+  id: number;
+  name: string;
+  preferred_common_name?: string;
+}
+
+export interface MyObservationsState {
+  observationsSort: OBSERVATIONS_SORT;
+  speciesSort: SPECIES_SORT;
+  searchedTaxon: MyObservationsTaxon | null;
+}
+
+export type MyObservationsAction =
+  | {
+    type: MY_OBSERVATIONS_ACTION.SET_OBSERVATIONS_SORT;
+    observationsSort: OBSERVATIONS_SORT;
+  }
+  | {
+    type: MY_OBSERVATIONS_ACTION.SET_SPECIES_SORT;
+    speciesSort: SPECIES_SORT;
+  }
+  | {
+    type: MY_OBSERVATIONS_ACTION.SET_TAXON_SEARCH;
+    searchTaxon: MyObservationsTaxon;
+  }
+  | { type: MY_OBSERVATIONS_ACTION.CLEAR_TAXON_SEARCH };
+
+export const initialMyObservationsState: MyObservationsState = {
+  observationsSort: OBSERVATIONS_SORT.DATE_UPLOADED_NEWEST,
+  speciesSort: SPECIES_SORT.COUNT_DESC,
+  searchedTaxon: null,
+};
+
+export function myObservationsReducer(
+  state: MyObservationsState,
+  action: MyObservationsAction,
+): MyObservationsState {
+  switch ( action.type ) {
+    case MY_OBSERVATIONS_ACTION.SET_OBSERVATIONS_SORT:
+      return { ...state, observationsSort: action.observationsSort };
+    case MY_OBSERVATIONS_ACTION.SET_SPECIES_SORT:
+      return { ...state, speciesSort: action.speciesSort };
+    case MY_OBSERVATIONS_ACTION.SET_TAXON_SEARCH:
+      return { ...state, searchedTaxon: action.searchTaxon };
+    case MY_OBSERVATIONS_ACTION.CLEAR_TAXON_SEARCH:
+      return { ...state, searchedTaxon: null };
+    default: {
+      // https://www.typescriptlang.org/docs/handbook/2/narrowing.html#exhaustiveness-checking
+      const _exhaustive: never = action;
+      return _exhaustive;
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+interface MyObservationsContextValue {
+  state: MyObservationsState;
+  dispatch: ( action: MyObservationsAction ) => void;
+}
+
+const MyObservationsContext = React.createContext<
+  MyObservationsContextValue | undefined
+>( undefined );
+
+export const MyObservationsProvider = ( {
+  children,
+}: React.PropsWithChildren ) => {
+  const [state, dispatch] = React.useReducer(
+    myObservationsReducer,
+    initialMyObservationsState,
+  );
+
+  const value = React.useMemo(
+    () => ( { state, dispatch } ),
+    [state],
+  );
+
+  return (
+    <MyObservationsContext value={value}>
+      {children}
+    </MyObservationsContext>
+  );
+};
+
+export function useMyObservations( ): MyObservationsContextValue {
+  const context = React.useContext( MyObservationsContext );
+  // Pattern from https://kentcdodds.com/blog/how-to-use-react-context-effectively
+  if ( context === undefined ) {
+    throw new Error( "useMyObservations must be used within a MyObservationsProvider" );
+  }
+  return context;
+}
diff --git a/tests/unit/providers/MyObservationsContext.test.js b/tests/unit/providers/MyObservationsContext.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..778c6db09
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/providers/MyObservationsContext.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+import { initialMyObservationsState } from "providers/MyObservationsContext";
+import { OBSERVATIONS_SORT } from "sharedHelpers/observationsSort";
+import { SPECIES_SORT } from "sharedHelpers/speciesSort";
+
+describe( "initialMyObservationsState", ( ) => {
+  it( "starts with obs sorted by date uploaded (newest), species sort desc, and no taxon", ( ) => {
+    expect( initialMyObservationsState.observationsSort )
+      .toBe( OBSERVATIONS_SORT.DATE_UPLOADED_NEWEST );
+    expect( initialMyObservationsState.speciesSort ).toBe( SPECIES_SORT.COUNT_DESC );
+    expect( initialMyObservationsState.searchedTaxon ).toBeNull( );
+  } );
+} );