we restore the wild lands and waters of Arizona and beyond…

we do it by hand.

Our Wilderness Stewardship program, affectionately dubbed ‘Wild Stew,’ connects people with nature and public lands through on-the-ground projects designed to fulfill our mission to protect, unite, and restore wild lands and waters across Arizona and beyond, for the enrichment and health of all citizens, and to ensure Arizona’s native plants and animals a lasting home in wild nature.

Wild Stew began as a handful of volunteers in 2010 and has grown to an award winning program and Arizona’s only full-time and year-round professional field crew. Volunteers now work in collaboration with our professional crew, complimenting and learning from an expert skill set in order to accomplish real and meaningful stewardship projects.

Trail Maintenance and Restoration

We restore trails in the wilderness and wild lands of Arizona and New Mexico. We currently have projects across the Mogollon Rim, in the Sky Islands and in all six Arizona National Forests. We use ancient and well tested tools like the cross-cut saw and appropriately applied modern tools of the trade including chainsaws.

It’s hard work! And we take pride in what we do. We shape and maintain trails through all sorts of wild weather, from high mountain wind and snow to desert canyon heat. Since we pay well and take care of our crews, if you meet us on the trail you’ll find that spirits are high and we enjoy working together.   We provide ongoing training to keep crew members at the highest level of expertise including cross-cut, chain-saw, rock work, first-aid and leadership training.

The aim of our work is to protect the integrity of the ecosystems we visit. Trails are the lifeline connecting us to wild areas. By improving and restoring trails we shape mobility, keeping forests and watersheds intact, and reducing erosion and sedimentation that are harmful to habitat. Current and ancient human cultures have for millenia used and shaped trails to hunt, gather, and travel. Now they are more important than ever to bring us into the peace of wild things, at the pace of the natural world, where ‘human works do not dominate the landscape.’

feature project: Healing the Highline, 50 miles of trail along the Mogollon Rim
trails
stewarded in 2023 🥾
volunteer service in 2023
riparian habitat restored in 2023

Watershed Restoration

Our watershed and riparian restoration projects range from simple removal of invasive plants to multi-year projects that include comprehensive biological monitoring and assessment, stream restoration, springs protection and multi-year native replanting projects.

Projects enhance habitat quality and connectivity for aquatic and terrestrial species, supporting biodiversity and ecosystem resilience. Restored habitat can provide food, shelter and breeding grounds for a variety of plants and animals.

feature project: Arnett Creek, Gila watershed

Youth Programs

youth conservation corps. For six weeks in the Chiricahua Mountains each summer, our youth conservation corps members live, work and play in the wild lands of Arizona. They learn the skills needed to maintain hiking trails, travel and camp outside, and steward our public lands.

restoring the Colorado River at Paria Beach. As part of this multi-year project to restore ecological health to the Colorado River corridor, indigenous youth and youth from Page High School remove invasive tamarisk sprouts, collect and plant native willow poles, help to establish recently planted native trees through watering, and maintain protective caging around native trees. We partner with Hydroflask, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Grand Canyon National Park and the Arizona Water Protection Fund.

restoring ecosystem function to Dry Blue Creek. At this six day field camp for indigenous youth from the Fort Sill Apache Tribe, youth create one-rock-dams and other erosion control structures, plant willow poles for stability and shade along the creek, and work to protect and restore aquatic habitat. Youth learn outdoor camping and travel skills under the wide wild sky of the Gila National Forest.

youth conservation corps stories
iN SERVICE OF OUR PUBLIC LANDS

get involved

Get outside, have some fun, and learn the skills to protect and restore your favorite wild places. Our goal is to provide communities with the techniques and resources to protect our beloved wild lands and waters. Plant some trees! Learn how to use a cross-cut saw! Be a wilderness solitude monitor! There’s a lot to do and we need your help.

volunteer

We need your help to bring outdoor skills and smiles to kids that haven’t historically been represented in outdoor programs. The goal of the Outdoor Equity Fund is to engage indigenous and under-served youth in wilderness and public lands by increasing access to existing programs and creating new opportunities in partnership with tribal communities. We break down barriers by spending extended time in regions youth call home, and by providing resources partners ask for, like transportation and gear. With the help of the Chiricahua Regional Council and private donors like you, we were successful in meeting our 2024 goals . A huge thank you to our partners, the San Carlos Apache Tribe and the Fort Sill Apache Tribe. You help to make our programs better.

Click below to donate, select or type in your amount, and then be sure to choose Outdoor Equity Fund on the payment page…

donate to the Outdoor Equity Fund

donated so far in 2024

☞  Want to do something more meaningful for the wild outdoors in 2025? Give back with a contribution that keeps giving all year long! Join our new sustainer giving circle: the Wild Stew Giving Crew. ⭐ Make it a one-time donation of $120, Give Monthly at just $10/month, or choose your own flavor!

A WILD thank you for your support!

DONATE to join the Wild Stew Giving Crew!