Volunteers are at the heart of what we aim to do — protect and restore the Colorado Plateau. Each year, hundreds of volunteers help us survey springs, plant native grasses, and document grazing impacts. Sometimes we pull weeds, other times we collect data, but thanks to our volunteers, we always bring passion and laughter to the task at hand.
Whether you’re an artist, academic, entrepreneur, or unemployed, we want you! The Grand Canyon Trust offers a variety of trips and volunteer opportunities to fit your lifestyle, interests, and skills. Trips usually run from April–September and are between one and five days long. Browse all volunteer opportunities ›
Can't join us on a volunteer trip? Contribute to one of our citizen science projects when it fits into your schedule. Browse current opportunities ›
Itching to get outside? Volunteer on a research or restoration trip and spend time roaming around the plateau's mountains, canyons, and forests. Learn about our projects ›
If you live in New York, California, or anywhere in between, no problem. You can advocate for public lands on the Colorado Plateau anytime, anywhere. Here's how ›
Our top priority is the safety and comfort of our trip participants. Safety measures that will be taken on trips will be communicated in pre-trip emails. If we feel that a trip cannot be safely conducted due to public health conditions, we will cancel the trip with as much notice as possible. For the safety of all trip participants, we require everyone to be fully vaccinated prior to attending, unless a reasonable accommodation is approved. Volunteers or participants in need of an exemption from the vaccine requirement due to a medical reason, or because of a sincerely held religious belief, must submit a request for accommodation to volunteernow@grandcanyontrust.org. Reasonable accommodations will be granted where they do not cause the Grand Canyon Trust an undue hardship or pose a direct threat to the health and safety of others.
Cutbacks in funding, staffing, and resources for managing our public lands mean we need volunteers to complete research and restoration projects on public and Native American lands. Our growing community of passionate citizens is our best hope for conservation on the Colorado Plateau — and beyond.
Like a lot of folks, it means a lot to me to do more for causes I believe in than just cut checks. I really value the opportunity to get my hands dirty and up close to that which we're fighting for."
— Matt McWright, Atherton, CA
Questions? Email volunteernow@grandcanyontrust.org.
We know you volunteer out of love for the Colorado Plateau, but here's what's in it for you:
We're growing our community of volunteers and putting boots and shovels to the ground for conservation. In 2019, over 200 people collectively contributed more than 4,500 hours to restoration and research projects across the Colorado Plateau. Explore the map to see what we accomplished in the field.
Curious about the menu on volunteer trips, or the gear you'll need?
Read through our FAQs or get in touch ›
Volunteers gathered in forest meadows and desert washes, eagerly lending their time and expertise to protecting the plateau this year.
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Some good old-fashioned weed removal helps scientists understand what healthy forests look like.
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Grand Canyon Trust volunteers document pinyon jay sightings to help protect the pinyon and juniper forests they rely on.
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