The Tamarisk Stump
Plateau Restoration, a nonprofit organization since 1995, is a licensed guide and outfitter that offers land-based excursions, river journeys, and custom trips throughout southern Utah, western Colorado, and northern Arizona. They provide meaningful, fun-filled opportunities for people to participate in the preservation and rehabilitation of public lands through service-learning, volunteer vacations, and adventure education programs.
Service-learning is defined as educational enrichment programming integrated with active, hands-on community service. Plateau Restoration’s focus is on building a connection with nature and encouraging an active role in long-term conservation. Activities include trail building, fencing, planting, seed collection, controlling exotic species, research, and monitoring recreation impacts. Programs emphasize the interconnections between soil, vegetation, wildlife, humans, and the landscape. Interactive, multi-environment experiences encourage you to become better informed about desert ecosystems and the forces that give rise to the dramatic landscapes.
Plateau Restoration works with instructors and guides with over 20 years of field experience leading and instructing courses in the canyon country. University credit is available on many programs.
Brad’s Story, Plateau Restoration, Moab, Utah (also included in my book, VOLUNTEER VACATIONS ACROSS AMERICA)
“I had so much fun. I flew out to Moab, Utah, from
Johnson City, Tennessee, to volunteer with five groups
of college kids on service-learning vacations. It was
absolutely wonderful. That’s one of my favorite things
to do, and I’m very proud to be part of it.
We did projects in a number of locations around
Moab. We worked and stayed at Ken’s Lake, named for
a gentleman who was the mayor in Moab. My goodness,
we did trail maintenance and rerouting trails,
where we actually had to go in and create new trails,
building water breaks and cribbing high-erosion areas.
“The biggest project was at Arches National Park by
Delicate Arch. We were removing some vegetation,
digging out roots—holey moley, some were 3 to 4 feet
long. Hard work when it’s so hot out there; those kids
just ate it up.
“I go on a service-learning vacation every year. It’s
awesome, and the kids really benefited from it and
enjoyed themselves, and so did I. It was my vacation
time away from my job, and as always, it was time very
well spent. I returned home revved, revived, rejuvenated,
and looking forward to next year.”
Plateau Restoration: P.O. Box 1363, Moab UT 84532; 435-259-7733; http://www.plateaurestoration.org; info@plateaurestoration.org; daily rate ranges from $20 to $75 per person.
ImmersionTraveler 