Sky Island Alliance is made up of volunteers just like you.
Since SIA’s inception, volunteers have played a pivotal role in our work toward conservation and education in the Madrean Sky Islands, both in the U.S. and Mexico. Hundreds of people from diverse backgrounds, differing experience levels, and all physical capabilities volunteer with us every year. Together they contribute thousands of volunteer hours checking wildlife cameras, surveying natural springs, pulling invasive plants, building erosion-control structures, installing wildlife friendly fencing, and more.
Already volunteering with us? Scroll down to fill out your waiver or enter your hours!
We keep track of your volunteer hours so we can thank you for your service and because your contributions help us gain and leverage public grant funding. We offer patches to volunteers who have reached milestones, including 50, 250, 500, and 1,000 hours volunteered with SIA.
For more info, feel free to reach out to our Habitat Conservation Manager Sarah Truebe.
Sign Up for One of Our Upcoming Events
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Volunteer Opportunities
Spring Seeker
Do you love hiking and exploring the Sky Islands? Use our simple form on your smartphone and help survey natural springs. With over 1,000 springs located and monitored so far, we’d love to recommend a spring for you to check out based on its status and your location! Learn more.
Sky Island FotoFauna
Interested in setting up a field camera and observing wildlife? Join a growing network of wildlife cameras and help observe species in the Sky Islands. Once set up, simply submit a monthly online list of the species you observed. Learn more.
Border Wildlife Study
Looking to go out into the field and check wildlife cameras with someone from our team? Interesting in a bigger commitment? We are also looking for people who can adopt a block of 8-10 cameras and check them every 6-8 weeks. Find out if there’s a camera block near you! Learn more.
Road Rewilding
We need your help rewilding 160+ miles of old roads in southern Arizona that were decommissioned by the Coronado National Forest in 2019 but which remain in illegal use. The first phase of the project involves surveying as many segments as possible to identify priorities, and in coming months we’ll be transitioning to on-the-ground restoration work. Learn more.
‘Spring Cleaning’ Weed Removal at Tucson Springs
Join our campaign to remove invasive species at nine priority springs in the Tucson area. Together, we can restore these crucial wildlife oases. We’ll meet every Tuesday morning and be working mostly in the Sabino Canyon area on the northeast side of town and near Vail and Davidson Canyon on the southeast side. Stay as long as you like, and leave for work if you need to. This is a great way to create an impact, get in a workout, and meet other volunteers. Learn more.
Help Study Tucson’s Fossil Fuel Emissions
Did you know that we can identify fossil fuel emissions in the air by sampling annual plants and counting cars? Knowing where greenhouse gases are and at what concentrations can help policymakers fight climate change. All major cities in Arizona have developed action plans to reduce greenhouse gases, but they still lack quality data regarding carbon dioxide sources and the ability to monitor how well actions work. You can help! Learn more.
Help Process Wildlife Photos
Interested in analyzing photos collected from our wildlife cameras at our office or remotely? We ask that anyone interested be able to come into our Tucson office (M-F business hours) for a few training sessions. You’ll learn how to use the software and identify photographed species. Learn more.
Fill Out Your Volunteer Waiver
Is this your first time volunteering with SIA? To volunteer with us, you’ll need to first complete our Volunteer Agreement and Waiver. Then you’ll be all set for future events.
Enter Your Volunteer Time
Please help us track volunteer data by submitting your hours and trip report after you’ve returned from an outing.