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SUWA’s Stewardship Program


“We abuse land because we see it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.”

Aldo Leopold

Have you considered what you can do to make a difference on the ground in Utah?

Join SUWA in the field and experience the outstanding beauty of Utah’s public lands while protecting some of our most essential natural and cultural resources. Our Stewardship Program offers service-learning opportunities for supporters and members to experience firsthand the lands we are all fighting to protect. Help us build a culture of respect and protection for wilderness in the 21st century. If you live out-of-state, consider a service-oriented vacation in Utah’s redrock country!

Apply Now


“We will be known forever by the tracks we leave.”

Lakota Proverb

Program Mission

Our mission is to foster a stewardship ethic and promote service as recreation in Utah through opportunities to work directly and actively to preserve and enhance the wilderness character of our public lands. This is accomplished through hands-on service projects supporting state and federal land managers in their efforts to enhance resilience and protect Utah’s wild lands from diverse impacts.

Through partnerships with local land agencies we address the areas of most critical impact throughout Utah, with an emphasis on wilderness-quality lands preservation, cultural and archaeological resource protections, habitat preservation, and overall ecosystem health.

We provide opportunities to experience the diverse character of Utah’s public lands. Our volunteers learn directly from land managers, SUWA staff, and other professionals about management practices, ecological and land sciences, regional history and more – to foster an informed and engaged outdoor community.

Central to our mission, we work to explore, exchange, find common ground, and have fun while connecting with our magnificent public lands!

Statement of non-discrimination: SUWA is a safe, inclusive space and bigotry, mysogyny or other expressions of intolerance will not be tolerated on projects.


Our Volunteers

We are project and site specific with everything we do. Each trip maintains its own criteria for participation. We work with individuals to determine the best project for their skill and fitness levels. We offer opportunities for all ages. Our process of recruiting volunteers is transparent and meticulous. We believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to experience their public lands and we strive to provide those opportunities to all people. We work hard to match the right opportunity with the right volunteer.

A Culture of Cooperation

Our volunteers come from all walks of life and backgrounds. While many of us will find we share certain ethics and opinions, we remain open to different perspectives and dissenting views. We do not discourage or belittle others. While working, traveling, eating, and camping together in the field we are observant collaborators and attentive listeners. We are here to learn from one another, from our guides
and leaders, and from the experience of the land. It is okay to disagree, but it is essential to remain respectful at all times.

Project Ratings

Our ratings system provides a comparative understanding of difficulty and fitness levels pertaining to individual trips. Review the level-system below and be sure to carefully read each unique trip description:

Level 1 – These family-friendly trips often involve hiking and monitoring sessions with minimal-to-no heavy lifting. Identifying landscape impacts, raking, light lifting and walking and hiking on relatively level terrain are common.

Level 2 – Our most common trip incorporates mid- to heavy-lifting, work in remote landscapes at varying elevations, an increased diversity of tool use, and an emphasis on physical fitness. The nature of Level 2 projects vary. Read specific project descriptions thoroughly for comprehensive expectations.

Level 3 – Heavy lifting, high-elevation, remote travel, and extended durations away from common conveniences. Leave No Trace principles are essential during all of our trips but require the most thought and planning at Level 3. These trips may involve on-site training for technical skills and tool use. Excellent physical fitness is a must at this level.


Visit our Upcoming Projects Page to get the redrock rolling! Read more about where we will be and what we will be working on in the coming year. Then fill out the 2024 Volunteer Application.