Grand Staircase Escalante Partners
Honor the past and safeguard the future of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument through science, conservation, and education.
Come Work With Us
Grand Staircase Escalante Partners is a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) organization founded in 2004 to protect and preserve Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.
What we Do
Our Focus
Grand Staircase Escalante Partners is a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) founded in 2004 to protect and preserve Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.
We are committed to:
- Promoting science, conservation, and education on the Monument.
- Increasing public awareness and understanding of the Monument.
- Providing resources to support the Monument’s scientific, interpretive and educational programs.
- Expanding our membership so we represent a diverse constituency that supports the Monument.
For Science
This natural area remains a frontier, a quality that greatly enhances Grand Staircase’s value for scientific study and presents unique opportunities for geologists, paleontologists, archaeologists, historians, and biologists.
For History
The Monument is home to countless Native American cultural sites, western pioneer history, and the greatest diversity of dinosaur fossils found anywhere on Earth. Since time immemorial, Native American people have inhabited, crossed, lived on, and been stewards of the lands that make up what we now know as Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. The Hopi, Zuni, Diné/Navajo, San Juan Southern Paiute, Kaibab Paiute, Ute, Ute Mountain Ute, Jemez Pueblo, and Acoma nations have deep connections to the Grand Staircase-Escalante region.
Science
Expanding knowledge and understanding of the natural wonders, biodiversity, and unique ecosystems with which this landscape is endowed by participating in scientific inquiry and historical investigation, as well as advocating for the inclusion of Indigenous knowledge in land management decision-making.
Conservation
Ensuring Grand Staircase-Escalante’s culture, ecology, history, recreation, and science are recognized, sustained, and enhanced. Work on the ground with organizations, government agencies, and volunteers to repair and restore the Escalante River watershed, as well as prevent and mitigate damage at cultural and ecological sites.
Education
Providing in-person and virtual learning environments in which people can engage with Monument topics, and practice critical thinking, as well as exchange ideas, and learn from one another, thereby fostering the connection and understanding needed to support the Monument’s long term well-being and respect ancestral lands.
Upcoming Events
May
Honoring the Land Trail Ambassador Program
Sign up here. Training required.
Ambassadors volunteer their time at popular trailheads and hiking the trails of the Monument to educate recreators about how to minimize their impact.
Upcoming Events
10
May
Fisheries Stewardship Project on the Escalante River
Tuesday, May 10, 11:00AM-5:00PM MDT
Help promote the health of aquatic ecosystems by protecting native fish populations through river and fish management strategies. All GSEP volunteers must be fully vaccinated.
Upcoming Events
13
May
Anthropology of Paleontology: A Brief Look at Indigenous Depictions of the Fossil Record in the Greater Grand Canyon Region
Friday, May 13, 7:00PM-9:00PM MDT
Author R.E. Burrillo will be giving a talk at our Headquarters. Come for a fun night of learning and discussion and to check out our building at 530 West Main Street in Escalante, UT.
Upcoming Events
14
May
Graffiti Remediation
Saturday, May 14, 9:00AM-5:00PM MDT
Help GSEP remediate drawn-on and scratched-in graffiti in GSENM. All GSEP volunteers must be fully vaccinated.
Upcoming Events
1
June
@ Yonder Escalante: Escalante Film Festival
Wednesday, June 1, 7:00PM-9:00PM MDT
Join Grand Staircase Escalante Partners and Yonder Escalante for the screening of the world-wide premier of the Mark We Make Film – a visual exploration into Utah’s slot canyons to witness the majesty, power, and the impact we leave. We will also be screening other Monument-based films including Desert Mourning, Messengers, Ace and the Desert Dog, and the Bees of GSENM.
For All
Grand Staircase Escalante Partners is committed to fostering an equitable and inclusive environment in our workplace and across the Monument. We recognize the complex and difficult histories that have shaped American public lands, from dispossession of Native lands and forced removal of indigenous communities to create public lands and parks, to the ongoing exclusion of people of color from conservation and preservation movements.
We acknowledge that the area known as Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and its surrounding areas are the ancestral land and historical territory of the Hopi, Zuni, Dine/Navajo, San Juan Southern Paiute, Kaibab Paiute, Ute, Ute Mountain Ute, Jemez Pueblo, and Acoma nations.
We are on a journey to transform our work–to foster diversity through equitable actions that create a just and inclusive environment, within and beyond our organization. Learn more about how we are integrating justice, equity, and inclusion into our work.
Volunteer Opportunities
Join us in the field or online.
Support
Discover ways to support Partners!
Latest News
PRESS RELEASE: President Biden to Order Complete Restoration
Today, President Biden will issue a presidential proclamation to fully restore the boundary protections of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (GSENM) and Bears Ears National Monument.
A Letter from Board President, John Holland
This week Grand Staircase Escalante Partners joins the BLM and our supporters, donors, volunteers, and partners in celebrating the 25th Anniversary of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (GSENM).
Juneteenth National Independence Day
This year, 2021, marks the first year Juneteenth is recognized as a federal holiday. This holiday commemorates the end of slavery—specifically when the last enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, were given word about the Emancipation Proclamation on June 19, 1865.
Join our mission. Volunteer, Donate, Advocate. Get Started Today.
Email: admin@gsenm.org
Call Anytime: (435) 644-2724