Saguaro National Park and partner organization Friends of Saguaro National Park (FSONP) were awarded the 2025 Excellence in Wilderness Stewardship Awards by the National Park Service (NPS).
The Excellence in Wilderness Stewardship Awards are the NPS's annual recognition of outstanding contributions to wilderness stewardship by a person, team and external partner.
Award recipients are nominated by NPS staff and selected by an interdisciplinary panel.
This year’s national Team Award was given to the Saguaro National Park Trails Program for their work in sustaining and improving trails in the park’s high elevation wilderness.
Mule teams supported wilderness operations by transporting materials and supplies. Crew members also removed more than 100 downed trees from wilderness trails. The teams used traditional techniques, like dry-stone masonry and crosscut saws. The trails program constructed and repaired trail structures along 30 miles of high-elevation trails.
In 2024, interns contributed 33,516 hours to park operations, including species research, invasive species control, fence removal, trail maintenance, education and visitor engagement, per Saguaro National Park's website.
FOSNP received the national External Partner Award for their support in funding projects such as wildlife and plant surveys, trail work, education and outreach and youth internship programs.
High-elevation surveys in the Rincon Mountains provided critical data on key species, including the threatened Mexican Spotted Owl, quaking aspen and American black bear.
The funding and collaboration provided by FOSNP support holistic wilderness stewardship for the park and help ensure the Saguaro Wilderness will be protected for future generations.
