Volunteers will be assisting the Zion National Park De-Vegetation Crew with removing invasive tamarisk trees. Volunteers will be hand sawing and lopping the tamarisk trees and removing them from the river. The NPS staff will then apply herbicide to the stumps to stop new growth. Tamarisk trees have notoriously long (15 ft) tap roots that can be nearly impossible to entirely remove from the ecosystem. 

All project supplies (saws, loppers, gloves, and eye protection) will be provided by the park. 

Volunteers will not be directly handling herbicide but may be exposed to herbicide. Getting to the site and completing the project work will involve some bushwhacking. Removing the tamarisk will involve getting into and out of the Virgin River. Volunteers should wear long pants, long-sleeves, and sturdy shoes that can get wet. Volunteers may bring personal gloves and eye protection if they prefer to use their own. 

Youth volunteers are welcome to participate. All youth under 18 years old require onsite parental or legal guardian supervision. This project will involve river crossings and potential water levels too high for small children. Therefore, this project is recommended for youth 13+ years old. 

Zion National Park will be collaborating with a local organized volunteer group, Conserve Southwest Utah, to complete this project. Interested volunteers can learn more about Conserve Southwest Utah and register to participate here: VOLUNTEER: National Public Lands Day at Zion NP | CSU.