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Grand StaircaseâEscalante National Monument â larger than all five of Utahâs national parks combined â is one of the most extraordinary landscapes in America. It was protected because it matters: to science, to history, and to the people who call this region home. Its cliffs and canyons hold fossils that reshape our understanding of life on Earth, sacred and historic sites that carry deep cultural meaning, and fragile desert ecosystems found nowhere else.
But protection on paper is not enough.
Grand StaircaseâEscalante Partners is a rural nonprofit rooted in the communities that surround the Monument. We work alongside local residents, scientists, land managers, and Tribal partners to care for this place every day. We support research and education, preserve cultural memory, improve trails and habitat, and create opportunities for local people to stay connected to the land and benefit from it responsibly.
The Monumentâs future depends on steady, local stewardship. Our job is to make sure this landscape â and the communities tied to it â remain strong for generations to come.
Meet our new Seed Technician Adam Memmott!
Adam has always loved the natural world. He spent his childhood hiking the Wasatch Mountains and Southern Utah deserts. He would also check out huge stacks of books about plants, animals, and space from his local library to feed his curiosity. Adam received a bachelorâs degree in environmental science and management from Utah Valley University so he could help protect the wild landscapes he loves.
While at Utah Valley University, Adam had the opportunity to research pinyon juniper woodland management practices across Utah. Adam recently spent a summer in Capitol Reef National Park helping to monitor the parkâs natural resources, including the endangered flora and fauna found in the park. He enjoys hiking, backpacking, photography, amateur stargazing, studying maps, reading, and spending time in the desert.
Jul 6
The Escalante River is home to six native fish species. Watch the water to learn about their unique personalities and habitat needs.
Jul 3
Want to help us protect Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument?
Trail Ambassadors are an important part of preventive search and rescue, and they help us identify problems in high visitation areas on the Monument.
Learn more about our program here: https://sites.google.com/gsenm.org/stewardship-project-site-draft/trail-ambassadors?authuser=0
(Link in IG bio.)
Jul 1
Volunteer opportunity! We just had one spot open up for our Escalante River backpacking stewardship project July 9-11. Registration link in our bio:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfR9For78JIz_KaKcM-W9aTiHtLRoe3cadbr-s4PkSK6TrkCw/viewform
Details: This is a 3 day, 2 night backpacking project July 9th-11th. Volunteers will need to provide their own backpacking gear and food (packing list is below). GSEP does have some backpacking gear that volunteers may borrow including tents, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, backpacking packs, camp stoves, and headlamps; please reach out to the volunteer@gsenm.org email if you would like to use any of this gear during the trip. Usually, personal gear + project gear will be about 40 pounds of total weight in your pack that will have to be carried about 5 miles each day. We will take breaks on the hikes and will go at a pace everyone is comfortable with. Additionally, some of this work will be taking place in the Death Hollow creek so volunteers should expect to be wet for a duration of the hike.
We will be hiking the popular Escalante River Gorge beginning at the east side and hiking west, ending at the Escalante River Town Trailhead in Escalante. The total hike is about 15 miles with most of it along (and through) the Escalante River. We will be focusing on delineating campsites, remediating unneeded campsites, picking up trash (GSEP and BLM staff will handle any human waste removal) and providing graffiti remediation where necessary throughout the hike.
Jul 1
Behind the scenes with our Stewardship crew scouting locations for the July volunteer trip in the Escalante River. Itâs a beautiful job taking care of this watershed and we are here for it!
Jun 29
We love our PAWtners! But be sure to take extra precautions for your four legged hiking friends during the hot summer months.
Remember to bring water for your dog and check for algal blooms if you are headed to Calf Creek. Pay attention to sand temperatures for sensitive paws and consider hiking early in the morning or evening for optimal conditions.
Rosie, a PAWtner since 2025, enjoys her runs on the Monument and stays safe with her bright orange vest!
Learn how your dog can become a PAWtner here: https://gsenm.org/pawtners/
Jun 27
đ„This post has been updated as of June 27!đ„
There are six active wildfires in the state of Utah right now. The Cottonwood Fire, nearest to Grand Stiarcase-Escalante National Monument, was human caused. To protect public lands, the state of Utah has enacted stage 2 fire restrictions on all public and private land. What does this mean?
-NO OPEN FIRES OF ANY KIND - Devices using pressurized liquid or gas fuels (stoves, grills, or lanterns) with a shut-off valve are allowed when used at least 3 feet from flammable material.
Stage 1 Restrictions also apply:
-No outdoor smoking except within a vehicle or enclosed area.
-No grinding, cutting, or welding of metal.
-No operating or using any internal combustion engine without a properly installed spark arresting device and in effective working order.
Additional details are linked in our bio: https://utah-fire-info-utahdnr.hub.arcgis.com/pages/active-fire-restrictions
Concerned about air quality? Grand Staircase Escalante Partners has a PM monitor at our offices and you can check it for air quality updates throughout the monument (link also in our bio). Be sure to check and consider this before you hike! Yesterday, pm levels increased to unhealthy levels by the afternoon/evening.
https://map.purpleair.com/air-quality-standards-us-epa-aqi
Jun 24
Want to learn more about Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument?
Thanks to the efforts of the Bureau of Land Management, GSEP, and hard-working volunteers such as Barbara Mossinghoff, who collected more than 500 digital versions of scientific research papers, the public now has unrestricted access to a remarkable collection. You can access these materials here: https://gsenm.org/education-2/
Jun 22
The sedimentary rocks of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (GSENM) reflect ever changing environments as a result of tectonic shifts, sea level fluctuations and changing global climate. These rocks range in age from the middle Permian (260 million years ago) to the Late Cretaceous (70 million years ago).
Instead of a desert filled with cacti and canyons, the area that we now know as Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument looked much different, particuÂlarly during the latter part of the Age of the Dinosaurs(Mesozoic Era). It is these rocks, chock full of important fossils, that have been called out for protection in the Presidential Proclamation that established the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.
Dinosaurs found in GSENM include several species of ceratopsians, tyrannosaurs, and duck-billed dinosaurs, as well as troodontids, oviraptors and ankylosaurs. Often preserved in exquisite detail (including skin impressions), many of the discoveries have challenged long-standing assumptions about
dinosaur evolution and behavior. Most recently, findings at a tyrannosaur mass mortality site in Grand Staircase suggest that tyrannosaurs may have lived in family groups.
Read more in our Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Naturalist Guide: https://gsenm.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/GSENM-Naturalist-Guide.pdf
Jun 21
