**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

Southern Utah is home to a number of mountain ranges surrounded by incredible red rock desert landscapes. The Abajo Mountains, located in Bears Ears National Monument are home to black bear, elk, streams and ponds, as well as aspen and ponderosa pine trees. Even more magical is the space below, where these mountains meet the desert in an incredible network of canyon systems that stretch toward the San Juan River. Due to the mountain snowmelt, these canyon systems are home to pockets of riparian zones which have allowed for wildlife and people to thrive in this area for millennia. Cultural sites are visible high up on canyon walls, and desert toads and crickets sing under incredible dark skies at night.

In addition to its incredible ecosystems, another special thing about Bears Ears is its collaborative management. The monument is co-managed by the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition, the Bureau of Land Management, and the U.S. Forest Service—a partnership that honors the deep and ongoing relationship between Tribes and this land. Bears Ears contains an exceptional diversity of cultural sites and continues to be used by Tribes throughout the region for medicinal plant gathering, firewood collection, and other traditional practices. This is a living, breathing, sacred landscape.

An important part of stewarding this unique landscape is ensuring that its waterways remain healthy. In the canyon systems below the Abajos, riparian corridors support abundant wildlife, but they have also attracted intensive grazing and enabled the spread of invasive plant species, particularly tamarisk. Tamarisk consumes large amounts of water and displaces native vegetation, threatening both wildlife habitat and the health of these fragile waterways. Its removal is a critical step toward restoring resilient, native ecosystems.

The Work

This project will focus on invasive plant removal and hiking trail remediation. In partnership with the Forest Service, volunteers will work alongside trail crew professionals to identify and eliminate invasive tamarisk stands. In addition, volunteers will partake in trail management, which includes lopping or brushing out overgrown sections of hiking trail and mitigating eroded portions of trail.

Volunteers will:

• Be in proximity to active herbicide application
• Saw, cut, and lopping plants
• Use hand tools to mitigate erosion
• Hike over uneven terrain

All work tools will be provided, including gloves, eye protection, and masks which will be worn around herbicide applicators. Volunteers will be trained in trail work and tool use techniques. If you love gardening and want to take it to the next level, this project is for you.

Project Rating

Strenuous – Expect hiking over uneven terrain. Project work may include lots of lifting and tool use. Strenuous trips often involve large fencing projects in which materials need to be carried into work sites, or backpacking trips in which participants are responsible for hiking in tools and personal overnight gear to work and campsites.

All projects take place outdoors: Please consider your comfortability 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: (8)
Project Lead: TBD
Contact: volunteer@suwa.org

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

•  Tuesday, May 26 – Friday, May 29

Camping & Meals

Specific location of camping site(s) will be provided in the Welcome Letter sent to registered volunteers. As this project is a backpacking trip, camps will be remote dispersed sites with no running water. Packing wag bags for solid human waste is mandatory.

Volunteers are responsible for all meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) during the project.

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.

APPLY NOW