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.

JOIN US: Cedar City Field Hearing

SHOW UP FOR PUBLIC LANDS MAY 12th

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

Mon, May 12
SHOW UP FOR PUBLIC LANDS (Cedar City Field Hearing)
Southern Utah University (details below)
RSVP
May 12, 2025, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Southern Utah University (details below), 351 W University Blvd, Cedar City, UT 84720, USA
The House Committee on Natural Resources will be holding a Field Hearing in Cedar City on Monday, May 12th at 2:00 pm to discuss geothermal energy development in Utah. We'll be using the hearing as a chance to hold Rep. Celeste Maloy (R-UT-2) accountable for her ongoing attacks on public lands.
Tue, May 13
VOLUNTEER: Snow Canyon Backcountry Sahara Mustard Removal
BlackRocks Climbing Area
RSVP
May 13, 2025, 7:00 AM – 11:00 AM
BlackRocks Climbing Area, BlackRocks Climbing Area, St. George, UT 84770, USA
Calling physically capable volunteers to help get ahead of a growing Sahara mustard problem in the Cougar Cliffs back-country. You must register to attend because we need to hike in as a group on an undesignated route.
Sat, May 17
VOLUNTEER: Beaver Dam Slope Wildlife Camera Servicing
Beaver Dam Slope - Two Carpool Locations
RSVP
May 17, 2025, 7:30 AM – 11:30 AM
Beaver Dam Slope - Two Carpool Locations
Join us to service wildlife monitoring cameras in the Beaver Dam Wash NCA.
Tue, May 20
Strong Towns Conversation with Nicholas Gayer, Dixie Municipal Planning Organization
St George Library (Community Room A)
RSVP
May 20, 2025, 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM
St George Library (Community Room A), 88 W 100 S, 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.
Sun, Jun 01
Get OUTside with Pride: Owen's Loop
Owens Loop (Meet @ Brooks Nature Park)
RSVP
Jun 01, 2025, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Owens Loop (Meet @ Brooks Nature Park), 452 N Main St, St. George, UT 84770, USA
Join Pride of Southern Utah and Conserve Southwest Utah for a scenic afternoon hike on Owen's Loop!

All Upcoming Events

THIS SATURDAY, CSU team members will be exploring the intersection of conservation and art at Art From The Void.

Tickets: @truenorthfloat

@mendedheartsclubmusic @protect.whats.precious @wewbird @oasisgardens.stgeorge

“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

Our next hike with @prideofsouthernutah is less that 2 weeks away! 🌵🌈 Don’t miss it! Follow the events link in our bio to learn more and register!

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!

It’s tortoise week! Head over to @redcliffsreserve to learn more about their events 🐢✨

We had a lovely time at Pride in the Park today 🐢🏳️‍🌈 Thank you @prideofsouthernutah for a great event! And thank you @_paige_doodles_ for creating the coolest stickers ever!!

Happy National Public Lands Day! We celebrated with a conservation project at @zionnps

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