Conserve Southwest Utah

Support Our Work

WATER

Safeguarding the health and availability of our water supply, and fostering a community-wide culture of conservation.

PUBLIC LANDS

Advocating for the protection of Southern Utah’s irreplaceable landscapes, recreation spaces, wildlife, and cultural heritage.

DESERT LIVABILITY

Promoting smart growth principles that guide our region toward a sustainable future while preserving our quality of life.

STEWARDSHIP

Empowering community members to take action through volunteer opportunities that protect our natural resources.

CREATE YOUR VOLUNTEER PROFILE

Volunteer with us.

Current Actions

Conserve Southwest Utah (CSU) is committed to protecting Washington County’s intricate desert ecosystem by addressing a wide range of conservation issues.

Our efforts wouldn't be possible without the support of people who share our vision for a thriving, protected Southern Utah. We're deeply grateful for a community that cares as much as we do and invite you to get involved in our work.

There are countless ways to make an impact—signing a petition, volunteering, or simply committing to use less water. Explore some of CSU’s current efforts below.

Northern Corridor Highway Hub

Parade of Gardens

Protect Greater Moe's Valley

Stay Connected

Subscribe to our newsletter for updates, events, and conservation tips.

Upcoming Events

Multiple Dates
Wed, Dec 17
Strong Towns Holiday Meet Up
St. George Town Square Park Bell Tower
RSVP
Dec 17, 2025, 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
St. George Town Square Park Bell Tower, 50 S Main St, St. George, UT 84770, USA
This monthly meeting creates a space for community members to learn, brainstorm and develop innovative solutions for sustainable urban development.
Fri, Feb 06
Love Letter to Suburbia - An Afternoon with Diane Alisa
St. George Chamber of Commerce Building
Buy Tickets
Feb 06, 2026, 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM
St. George Chamber of Commerce Building, 136 N 100 E Ste 6, St. George, UT 84770, USA
Join author Diane Alisa for A Love Letter to Suburbia and discover how our suburbs can become more connected, sustainable, and vibrant.

All Upcoming Events

This is the first in a new series where we’ll break down your biggest questions about the Northern Corridor Highway and Zone 6.

Have a question or a thought? Drop it in the comments! We know this is a complex issue with a lot at stake. Let’s work together to find solutions that serve everyone!

You can also find more information on CSU’s Northern Corridor Highway Hub (link in bio).

A huge thank you to @ecoflight for getting us up in the air yesterday for an aerial view of the proposed highway route through Red Cliffs National Conservation Area as well as the Greater Moe’s Valley Area.

We will be sharing more photos, videos and graphics of the proposed construction soon, but in the meantime enjoy a bird’s eye view of our invaluable public lands.

Thank you also to everyone who commented on the Northern Corridor Highway proposal. Public comments are now closed but our work to protect southwest Utah’s public lands is just beginning. We hope you will stay engaged.

The tortoise is deliberate. The tortoise is thoughtful. When the tortoise comes across a challenge, it does not make rash decisions. It stops and considers the best path forward. We would all do well to learn from the tortoise 🐢.

We had a lovely hike with @prideofsouthernutah yesterday complete with dino tracks and a tortoise spotting!

Have you ever ridden the bus in St. George? CSU’s Desert Livability Team and @strongtownswashco set out to see how our transportation system could improve… and had a little fun along the way!

The weather is cooling down so we’re getting back out on the trails with @prideofsouthernutah 🏳️‍🌈🌵 Join us — link in bio!

Parade of Gardens - Day Three 🪻

That’s a wrap! What an incredible three days!!

We are so grateful for everyone who came out to explore the many faces of water-conscious gardening.

🌸 See you all next year!

PGSU is organized by @conservesouthwestutah in collaboration with @the_wcwcd

Thank you to our sponsors:
@tetonwealthgroup
@stgeorgeutahrealty
@oasisgardens.stgeorge
@bloomgardens1
@starnurserylv
@utahwaterways
@southernutah_hba
@gaiasgardencafe
@cachevalleynativeplants

Parade of Gardens - Day Two 🌸

Tomorrow is the last day to see these amazing water-wise gardens. Use code LASTDAY for 50% off your ticket price.

www.paradeofgardenssouthernutah.com

PGSU is organized by @conservesouthwestutah in collaboration with @the_wcwcd

We are grateful for our sponsors:
@tetonwealthgroup
@stgeorgeutahrealty
@oasisgardens.stgeorge
@bloomgardens1
@starnurserylv
@utahwaterways
@southernutah_hba
@gaiasgardencafe
@cachevalleynativeplants

Parade of Gardens - Day One 🌼

What a gorgeous first day in the gardens! We love to see the rain clouds 🌧️

There are still TWO MORE DAYS to explore the gardens so get your tickets now!!

www.paradeofgardenssouthernutah.com

PGSU is organized by @conservesouthwestutah in collaboration with @the_wcwcd

We are grateful for our sponsors:
@tetonwealthgroup
@stgeorgeutahrealty
@oasisgardens.stgeorge
@bloomgardens1
@starnurserylv
@utahwaterways
@southernutah_hba
@gaiasgardencafe
@cachevalleynativeplants

THIS WEEKEND (SEPT 19-21) THE PARADE OF GARDENS IS HAPPENING ACROSS WASHINGTON UTAH!

You don’t want to miss this self-guided tour of water-wise gardens. Get tickets at the link in our bio.

PGSU is organized by @conservesouthwestutah in collaboration with @the_wcwcd

We are grateful for our sponsors:
@tetonwealthgroup
@stgeorgeutahrealty
@oasisgardens.stgeorge
@bloomgardens1
@starnurserylv
@utahwaterways
@southernutah_hba
@gaiasgardencafe
@cachevalleynativeplants

Our next Strong Towns Conversation is next Tuesday. Are you coming?

September 16 @ 5PM | St George Library

RSVP at the events link in our bio!

We’re all working together to protect our water for generations to come. Thank you Doug Bennett @the_wcwcd for this encouraging message!

Our next Strong Towns Conversation is next Tuesday @ 5PM at the St George Library and we’re talking transit. RSVP at the events link in our bio!

TOMORROW! Join our Strong Towns Conversation with Doug Bennett of @the_wcwcd at the St George Library.

In Our Backyard episode 6, @i.quinnmassage beautifully describes the sense of belonging they feel in nature.

Check out the full episode on our YouTube!

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO CAME OUT FOR OUR NIGHT OF ACTION YESTERDAY! 🫶💪 We had an amazing turnout, with over 100 postcards written to Senator Mike Lee asking him to withdraw the PUBLIC LANDS SELL-OFF from the budget bill. If you want to help, please keep calling his office: 435-628-5514

🚨The Public Lands Sell-off Amendment is BACK. Senator Lee (R-UT) plans to introduce an amendment that would force the sale of ~2 million acres of public land across Utah, Idaho, Nevada & Alaska.
We’re teaming up with @protectwildutah (SUWA) to fight back — and we need YOU.

📣 Join us for a night of action: 🗓 Monday, June 16 🕠 5:30–7:30 PM 📍 River Rock Roasting Co (La Verkin, UT)

We’ll have: 🖊️ Postcards to fill out 📞 Call scripts to contact Lee’s office 💻 Links to SUWA’s action page

Bring your friends & fam — this is a welcoming, all-ages space. No experience needed. Just show up. 💪

Our last Strong Towns Conversation with Nick Gayer was fantastic. Join us next week for a fun and engaging meet up at the Electric Theater!

More info at the events link in our bio!

On our first hike with @prideofsouthernutah we passed around a disposable camera - here are the results 📸

Join our next hike THIS SUNDAY. Link in bio.

It’s official!! Tickets are now on sale for the second annual Parade of Gardens here in Southern Utah (September 19-21, 2025)!

Parade of Gardens Southern Utah showcase gorgeous water-wise gardens in our community.

You can buy tickets for this 3-day event at the link in our bio. Use code EARLYBIRD for 10% off until June 16th.

#waterwisegardening #desertlandscapes #waterwednesdays

We showed up for public lands yesterday! 🏜️ #keeppubliclandsinpublichands

“We all want different things that sometimes conflict—open space, low taxes, safe roads, walkable neighborhoods. The challenge is: how do we balance those things so we live in a place that stays lovely?“

Dannielle Larkin led a fantastic discussion at our last Strong Towns Conversation. Don’t miss the next one on May 20th!

Register at the events link in our bio!

#strongtowns

Looking for a good way to celebrate Earth day? How about taking a few minutes to fill out a survey that will shape the future of CSU?

Follow the link in our bio 🦎☀️

In episode four of “Our Backyard”, local jazz musicians, Shawn Owens and Christian Bohnenstengel share how our desert surroundings helped inspire an album.

This series spotlights individuals who work, play and create in Red Cliffs. Catch up on all of the full episodes on our YouTube (link in bio).

It was a busy weekend! Saturday, CSU volunteers helped remove invasive Sahara Mustard sprouts in Snow Canyon. Then Sunday we hosted a lovely hike with @prideofsouthernutah

You can find all of our upcoming events at the link in our bio!

Spring into action! We’ve got a full season of volunteer events lined up—and we’d love your help.

🌱 Tap the events link in our bio to get involved!

📍 These photos are from a recent CSU project with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, where volunteers removed hundreds of non-native salt-cedar seedlings along the Virgin River in Hurricane—helping protect habitat for sensitive species like the Southwestern willow flycatcher.

Join us for a conversation with St. George Councilwoman Dannielle Larkin about how to foster a safe, vibrant, historic city center. Learn more and register at the events link in our bio!

It’s Red Cliffs’ Sweet Sixteen! Celebrate by posting a photo of your favorite view, trail or resident critter :)

For 25 years, National Conservation Lands have protected millions of acres of wilderness, cultural treasures, and iconic landscapes. To learn more visit @mypubliclands and @conservationlands

Meet Andrew Milner, Lead Paleontologist and Curator at the St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site. In this episode of “Our Backyard”, Andrew shows us remnants of the dinosaurs in Red Cliffs Desert Reserve.

Watch the Full Episode on YouTube (link in bio).

“Our Backyard” spotlights individuals who work, play and create in Red Cliffs Desert Reserve in Washington County, Utah. It is produced by Sinuous Media in collaboration with Conserve Southwest Utah.

Our next hike with Pride of Southern Utah on Tempi’po’op Trail is just two weeks away 🌵🏳️‍🌈 RSVP (events link in bio) for details & meeting spot!

It was a beautiful sunshiny day for our hike with @prideofsouthernutah this weekend! ☀️ Keep an eye out for details about our upcoming April hike 🌵🏳️‍🌈

🌵🏳️‍🌈 Hit the trail with us! Join Pride of Southern Utah and Conserve Southwest Utah for a scenic hike on Zen Trail. RSVP (link in bio) for details & meeting spot!

Join our Desert Livability Strong Towns Conversation this Thursday at the St George Library! More info in the events link in our bio!

This Thursday!! 🌵Our first Desert Livability Strong Towns Conversation of the year is one you won’t want to miss!☀️ Register at the events link in our bio, and we’ll see you there :)

Hope to see you at these February events! More info at the link in our bio!

Ever heard us say “the Northern Corridor Highway won’t solve traffic”? This is a great opportunity to learn why from one of the leading voices on sustainable urban design.

We hope you will join us next week in person or virtually!! Registration link in our bio!

The Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released an official record of decision today, DENYING the Northern Corridor Highway! This is a huge victory for Red Cliffs, made possible by YOU.

This is also an important moment to seek permanent protections for the Greater Moe’s Valley Area. Please take action by following the links in our bio.

What a great night celebrating a year of stewardship, conservation and advocacy. We are so grateful for our supportive and passionate community. Thank you for everything you do to help us protect the public lands, water and livability of this unique place we call home. Looking forward to seeing what we accomplish in 2025!

🐢 Last week’s adventure with 21 fourth graders from Miss Lambeth’s class at Mountain View Montessori was a blast! 🌟 These students earned their Desert Tortoise Defender badges after a fun-filled hike in the red rocks of Mill Creek Canyon, just outside the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area. Through games and hands-on learning, these students discovered how to protect the threatened desert tortoise and became champions for conservation 🌵✨

Happy #TrailCamTuesday 🐢 Tortoise Smackdown Edition! Our cameras caught two male tortoises battling it out for dominance, with one ending up on its head! Thankfully, it was perfectly okay, as later photos show the tortoise safely back on its feet. Male tortoises experience peak testosterone levels in October, and that’s when they engage in battles like these, all in the pursuit of finding mates.

Our dedicated CSU volunteers dedicated over 2,600 hours to this two-year sensitive species study for the BLM. A BLM biologist reported that CSU’s work is the most comprehensive documentation of wildlife on the Beaver Dam Slope in several decades, and it will help them make better-informed land management decisions. A huge thank you to everyone who contributed to this incredible effort!

The long-awaited SEIS has been published. We’ll be posting more updates in the coming days. Learn more about the SEIS at the link in our bio!

We wanted to offer some context about our 2021 lawsuit - which was settled in 2023 and is no longer active.

CSU advocates for smart growth, water conservation and the protection of open spaces like Red Cliffs and the Greater Moe’s Valley Area.

If you haven’t already, please consider signing the petition to protect Moe’s Valley, Zen Trail and more (link in bio) and ask your friends to do the same!

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us!

📸 Brady Iverson @the_swampmonster

The dwarf bearclaw poppy is possibly one of the most endangered plants because its habitat is constantly shrinking due to development and human impacts from recreational OHV use - as well as from loss of native pollinators. This species is found only in Washington County Utah and produces showy white blooms for a short period of time in late April to early May.

Last Saturday, CSU volunteers assisted the BLM to remove tumbleweeds and tires that had been discarded in this undisclosed area of rare habitat. We then hand-sowed some native plant seed in an attempt to reclaim part of an abandoned old road scar.

Thanks to everyone who has signed the petition so far! Keep spreading the word 🐢

You can sign our petition to permanently protect the Greater Moe’s Valley Area including Moe’s Valley, Green Valley Gap, Zen Trail, Bearclaw Poppy Trail & More!! (Link in bio)

📸 @emilee._.jensen and @fallonclimbs

Let’s permanently protect the Greater Moe’s Valley Area! Click the link our bio to sign the petition!

.pro-gallery-wix-wrapper {display: block !important;} .pro-gallery-wix-wrapper .gallery-item-container {opacity: 1 !important; display: block !important;}