Volunteers are Rockin’ the Colorado Plateau

“The pitcher cries for water to carry
and a person for work that is real.”
Marge Piercy

This summer hundreds of GCT volunteers are burning hundreds of thousands of calories to protect and restore the Colorado Plateau. Every single day in the field our volunteers give their time to work long hours doing extremely physical work and make it so much fun! The Volunteer Program staff is constantly fulfilled and uplifted by the spirit volunteers bring to both work and camp life.


Volunteer projects on the Kane and Two Mile ranches ranged from monitoring invasive cheatgrass to building a dozen long term exclosures to study the potential impacts of both bison and cattle on the ecosystems of the Kaibab Plateau. These science-based projects will provide land managers with the tools for management practices in the future. In Utah volunteers are covering lots of ground on the Aquarius Plateau, to assess the upper reaches of the famed Escalante Watershed to assess potential habitat that would support the reintroduction of beavers. Several groups of youth from area reservations and as far away as the East Coast are keeping the legacy of traditional agriculture alive at North Leupp Family Farms on the Navajo Reservation. These young volunteers helped plant over 4 acres of desert-adapted heirloom seeds.


Together we are building a community of smart and committed land stewards dedicated to the future of the Colorado Plateau. This sentiment is best reflected by a comment from a recent volunteer: “My experience with Lauren and Joshua and others on the trip has rekindled my hope that there are too many of us kindred spirits to allow the short-sightedness of man to destroy the world we so love.”

There are many upcoming opportunities with Colorado Plateau springs as a spring steward volunteer. Check out our trip schedule to get in on the action!

A Grand Summer Conservation Experience to Remember:

A hands-on approach to learning while providing services for the greater good of communities.
Lauren Berutich

Somebody pinch me! I must be dreaming. Learning hands-on while actually doing work and getting your hands dirty? Communal living, shared responsibilities, open dialogue about environmental issues and concerns, local food systems, inquisitive students, stand up instructors, all taking place on the beautiful and vast landscapes of the Kaibab Plateau? As I squint back into reality, I realize this is not a dream at all, this is my life as a volunteer coordinator for the Grand Canyon Trust. These bright young minds are indeed right in front of me with large, motorized tools; all displaying smiles, and even bigger hearts as they plow through the fence building process on a sunny July day.

The Dorrance Scholars, as they are referred to throughout our three Arizona state universities, have proven themselves through their rigorous academic achievements, their strong ethic for community involvement, assisted by their down-to-earth, bubbly, and strong-willed personalities. These students are all first-generation college students in their families and seem to be taking this world by storm. They joined us with enthusiasm, curiosity, and a strong motivation to make a difference. The Grand Canyon Trust partnered with Angela Gatto and Dustin Burger from the US Forest Service (USFS) on a fencing project near the North Rim.

There are seventeen natural lakes on the greater North Kaibab landscape negatively impacted by large game and cattle that cause erosion and oxygen depletion in the water. This, in turn, has harmful effects on native plants and wildlife that also try to survive in this unique, riparian ecosystem. The Trust has partnered with USFS over the past few years to build exclosures to prevent further damage from grazing cattle, while allowing deer and other wildlife to continue to enjoy their natural resources.

East Lake was the last of the seventeen lakes in need of protection. The students worked hard to carry large logs and poles around the lake, and piece-by-piece a gorgeous fence was meticulously built. What a masterpiece. What a huge accomplishment.

In between hammering and hurling heavy loads of old, burnt wood into piles, the students engaged in complex discussions about science and conservation across the Colorado Plateau. They played games, read articles, and participated in observation journaling (what is “observation journaling”?) allowing the natural surroundings to silently guide them.

We are products of what we do. Our actions determine who we are and who we will become. Action makes movement and movement creates change. By immersing oneself in this environment and learning from the surrounding landscape, we are able to find solutions for all life across the Colorado Plateau. Thanks to each and every individual that donated their time, energy and spirit to these important conservation and restoration efforts. You do indeed make a difference.

Please stay tuned for updates on the second part of the trip involving Upward Bound and North Leupp Family Farm with co-lead Deon Ben. Cheers!