Contribute to Community Science in the Canyon
Glen Canyon is home to 127 named side canyons. Help GCI identify which canyons need deeper study by collecting data about what we can find in each of the canyons.
Beaver Activity and Habitat
Beavers are making a comeback in Glen Canyon, helping to store water and support the lush vegetation found in riparian canyons previously submerged by Lake Powell. If you are already planning a trip to Glen Canyon, help GCI and the National Park Service monitor beaver activity and habitat while you explore.
iNaturalist and Merlin eBird Data
Before heading down to Glen Canyon, download iNaturalist to your mobile device so you can identify what you’re seeing in the field. In the app, you will be able to collect observations of any life you find, from lichens to bighorn sheep!
You can also take pictures on your phone and upload these to the Community Science project after your trip. If you prefer to collect data in other apps like Merlin eBird, you are able transfer these files to iNaturalist.
View the database here: Glen Canyon Restoring Ecosystems Project
If you are interested in collecting other data, please reach out to info@glencanyon.org. This can include beaver surveying, photo matching, and/or other projects that describe Glen Canyon’s ecological and geological restoration.
Volunteer Survey Trips
Join GCI for a bio-blitz to survey vegetation and wildlife in emerging restoration zones. Trips are 3-6 days.
On these field trips, we will be identifying key flora and fauna and other indicators of ecosystem health in emerging Glen Canyon. We will camp and conduct field work hiking through tributaries and side canyons of the Colorado Rivers. Seeking experts in birds, lichens, and desert ecology.
Our next trip will be in September 2026. Please fill out this form if you would like to be contacted.
GCI’s Community Beaver Survey
How to submit observations
1. Before you leave service, download the Survey123 app to your phone, and download GCI’s field survey.
Download the app Survey123 Mobile
Download GCI’s field survey: Glen Canyon Beaver Survey (https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/8ccf23c326214c10bdeca349221e94b8)
2. Choose a canyon to survey. You can travel up or down canyon as an out-and-back, or just one way. We are most interested in the areas below full-pool Lake Powell (elevation 3,700 ft). The goal is to define a survey area and identify all relevant data within that area.
3. Assign a group leader. This person is responsible for marking the ends of the survey. Data reviewers need to know the extent of the survey area, so please be sure to mark the start and finish points of the survey. If you complete the survey as an out-and-back, please be sure to mark the turn around point as your “finish.”
4. Make observations. When you find one of the elements that we are looking for, please mark your location, any pertinent details about the observation, and include a photo. Each observation should be an independent form.
5. Save the observation to your outbox. When you return to service, please be sure to send all your observations in from your outbox.
What to document
Critical elements (our highest priorities):
– The delta: where flowing water meets the reservoir
– Cottonwood saplings
– Recent beaver activity: dams, chews (shown left), lodges (shown right)
Stream flow:
– Document the stream in a few points in the canyon to show the amount of flowing water throughout the canyon
– At least at the beginning, end, and somewhere in the middle
– Where the stream dries up or disappears, if applicable
The delta (where flowing water meets the reservoir), if applicable
Beaver activity (recent and old):
– Beavers
– Dams
– Lodges
– Chews
– Ponds
– Slides
– Tracks
– Scat
Vegetation:
– Mature cottonwood galleries
– Willow forests
– Hanging gardens
– The lowest elevation cottonwood in a canyon (if you are hiking up from the reservoir, this is the first cottonwood that you see)
Geologic elements:
Arches, waterfalls, bridges, slot canyons, etc.
Non-native species:
– Russian olive
– Crayfish
– Ravenna grass