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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 and community of Utah’s public lands while protecting some of our most essential natural and cultural resources. Our Stewardship Program offers hands-on learning opportunities for all. Whether you’ve been a member for decades or learned of us on social media, join a project to experience firsthand the lands we are working 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!
“We will be known forever by the tracks we leave.”
Lakota Proverb
Program Mission
Our mission is to foster a stewardship ethic and provide opportunities to work directly to preserve and enhance the wild character of our public lands and all of its inhabitants and ecosystems. This is accomplished through hands-on stewardship projects supporting and guiding federal land managers in their efforts to enhance resilience and protect Utah’s wild lands from diverse, human-caused impacts.
Through partnerships with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) United States Forest Service (USFS) and National Park Service (NPS) 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 these opportunities to all people. We work hard to match the right opportunity with the right volunteer.
Volunteer Positions
Stewardship Crewmember
The backbone of our Stewardship Program, our crewmembers join for a single project or a multi-project season, traveling far and wide across Utah’s magnificent and diverse public lands to serve on reclamation and wilderness protection projects. Commitments vary from 1-5 days and are determined on a project-by-project basis. Apply today to join our monthly mailing list and stay informed about upcoming opportunities.
Wilderness Steward
The Wilderness Stewards are our local eyes and ears on the ground. Based in the county in which they reside, our Stewards maintain a regular schedule of public lands monitoring, focused on wilderness study areas (WSAs), lands with wilderness characteristics (LWCs), natural areas, America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act parcels (ARRWA), and more. Our Wilderness Stewards ensure ongoing impacts and illegal actions committed on Utah’s public lands are reported swiftly and effectively. Through field data collected on independent and group outings, our Stewardship Program develops comprehensive project proposals, keeping our stewardship crews busy and our public lands protected.
Our Wilderness Stewards program is dependent upon local volunteers across the state. Regional Wilderness Steward training sessions are organized periodically. To join an existing group or to propose organizing a chapter in your region, county or community, contact volunteer@suwa.org
A Culture of Cooperation
Our volunteers come from all walks of life and backgrounds. While some of us share certain ethics and worldviews, we remain open to all perspectives and dissenting views. We do not discourage or belittle others. While working, traveling, dining 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. All of our backpacking trips are Level 3.
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 2025 Volunteer Application.
