**THIS PROJECT INVOLVES MULTI-DAY BACKPACKING**

If you choose to apply for this project, please include your previous backpacking experience in your application. Don’t hesitate to reach out to volunteer@suwa.org to learn more about the details of this trip, including mileage, strenuous terrain, and water availability.

The Landscape

Deep in Bears Ears National Monument, a wild section of designated Wilderness carves a rugged path on its way down to the Colorado River. Dark Canyon Wilderness is a massive drainage, descending from the pine-covered heights of Elk Ridge. Like much of the monument, this area is home to a number of cultural sites, and to this day remains an important place for tribes in the region. With towering walls, springs, streams, and lush pockets of cottonwoods, Dark Canyon supports a diversity of wildlife, including mule deer, black bear, mountain lion, and bighorn sheep.

Healthy riparian areas are especially important in the desert, providing habitat for plant and animal communities that depend on reliable water sources. These waterways are increasingly vulnerable, as drought, erosion, and human impacts strain already limited water resources. Cattle, road construction, invasive plant species, and climate change all contribute to ‘incised’ waterways that cut deeply into the ground in sharp channels rather than meandering streams and ponds that promote a diversity of life. To restore these channelized waterways, and to protect springs, thoughtful stewardship is needed.

In recent years, the Forest Service has focused on riparian restoration in this region, providing an opportunity for such stewardship. The goal is to restore ecological integrity to riparian plant and animal communities. This project offers an opportunity to train in riparian restoration strategies in the high desert.

The Work

To restore riparian zones, managers must focus on slowing down the flow of water and preserving the integrity of springs. A variety of techniques will be used to do this, including upland plant removal and the installation of Beaver Dam Analogs. Beaver Dam Analogs are build out of natural materials and mimic and promote beaver activity, encouraging thriving communities of beaver and other wildlife whose ecological role includes maintaining healthy waterways through the slowing of flowing water to create ideal conditions for fish and other aquatic life, while preventing waterway incision and erosion. This sets the stage for natural restoration of native flora such as cottonwoods, coyote willow, and other bank-stabilizing plants.

Volunteers will:

• Backpack into a remote area, and hike and work on uneven terrain
• Collect and carry (alone and as teams) natural materials for use in Beaver Dam Analogs
• Removal of upland plants from waterways to make room for bank-stabilizing species

All work tools will be provided, including gloves, eye protection, and ear-protection. Volunteers will be trained in riparian restoration techniques and tool use. This is rewarding and physically strenuous work.

Project Rating

Strenuous – Expect to hike into the backcountry and help carry a tool or two. Project work is physically exerting with the need to move natural materials and work in areas with steep banks.

All projects take place outdoors: Please consider your comfort level working in remote landscapes at varying elevations and under variable weather conditions. Our team strives to ensure that all projects provide meaningful work for volunteers of all abilities. Please reach out to the Project Lead if you have questions or concerns.

Volunteers Needed: (6)
Contact: volunteer@suwa.org

Itinerary
A general itinerary will be provided to registered volunteers in a Welcome Letter.

• Monday, September 28th – Thursday, October 1st

Camping & Meals

Specific location of camping site(s) will be provided in the Welcome Letter sent to registered volunteers. For backpacking trips, volunteers and agency staff will typically backpack into the work area, and then base camp for the remainder of the project, day hiking to work sites.

Volunteers will need to provide all their own backpacking camping gear, as well as their own meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) for this trip.

Volunteer Responsibilities

Participants are responsible for their own food, water and camping gear as well as transportation to and from the project site(s). Volunteers should plan to be away from camp all day each of the work days. A recommended packlist will be sent along with the project Welcome Letter (4) weeks prior to the start date. If camping gear is a barrier to your attendance, please reach out to the Project Lead to discuss options.

Registration & Acceptance Timeline

A 2026 General Volunteer Application is required for this project.

• Once we have received your application, you will receive a confirmation email within (5) working days of submission.
• We log all applications until (8) weeks prior to the project. At this point, you will first receive an email confirming whether you have been placed on the“project roster” or a “waitlist.” If you are selected for the project roster, you will then complete a Volunteer Agreement.
• At (4) weeks before the project start date, registered and confirmed participants will receive a Welcome Letter with a comprehensive itinerary, including: driving instructions, a Project Map for mobile devices (when applicable), a notification about carpools and/or caravans, and any additional information pertinent to the project.
• Within (2) weeks of the project you will receive a direct call from the Project Lead to answer any additional questions you may have.
• Individuals on the waitlist will be contacted if space opens due to cancellation within (2) weeks of the project start date.

If you have any questions at any point throughout the process, please do not hesitate to contact us here.

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