Friends Group of the Year!

In 2026, GSEP was awarded the Friends Group of the Year Award to recognize its ongoing work with restoration and stewardship in light of political turmoil and staff turnover in 2025. In the new year, GSEPs remaining staff were able to reinstate the programs and develop a new Native Plant program for the organization. The award recognized GSEP partnerships with Tribes such as the basketry workshop and development of the Grand Staircase-Escalante InterTribal Coalition. The award further acknowledged other partnerships and projects developed to support the Monument such as the partnership with Utah’s Great Basin Research Center and Seed Warehouse, taking the lead on the Utah Native Seed Network, and GSEP’s project to replace worn trailhead signage on the Monument. Support GSEP in 2027 as we keep working on these projects and more!