Help protect Arizona's irreplaceable cultural resources by becoming a Steward of the past. If you are interested in becoming a Site Steward view the information below and watch the videos near the bottom of the page. If this is something you would like to do please click here (www.azsitesteward.org) to register and complete an application.
Note: You will be asked to select a region (up to two) where you prefer to do your volunteer work. There are 24 regions to choose from. Please view the Site Steward Regional Map to make your selections.
The Arizona Site Steward program was developed by Governor Bruce Babbitt and his Archaeological Advisory Commission in an attempt to support the protection of cultural sites on public lands. Starting with three regions and four partners, the program has grown to encompass the entire state and 32 local, state, federal and non-profit partners. Currently administered by Arizona State Parks, the program is supported by the Arizona State Parks Foundation – a 501(c)3.
Site Stewards are volunteers dedicated to protecting and preserving cultural resources and the heritage of Arizona.
The Arizona Site Stewards Program is an organization of volunteers, sponsored by the public land managers of Arizona, whose members are selected, trained and certified by the State Historic Preservation Office and the Governor's Archaeology Advisory Commission. The chief objective of the Stewards Program is to report to the land managers destruction or vandalism of prehistoric and historic archaeological and paleontological sites in Arizona through site monitoring. Stewards are also active in public education and outreach activities. All questions concerning the Site Steward program, training, application, and recognition should be directed to Sean Hammond, Site Steward program coordinator, at (602) 542-7130.
Arizona Site Steward Program Foundation
The Foundation is incorporated as an Arizona nonprofit. An application for federal tax deductible status under 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code is pending. Our purposes are:
1. To promote the monitoring and preservation of cultural resources;
2. To support the administration of the Arizona Site Steward Program; and
3. To solicit funds to advance the purposes of the Arizona Site Steward Program.
The Board of Directors will be comprised of no less than five, no more than 19, voting directors, and honorary non-voting members as the Board may elect. There will be two land manager representatives, two regional coordinator representatives, four site steward representatives, and one tribal representative.
For more information about the Foundation and how you can help support the Arizona Site Steward Program, contact Nicole Armstrong-Best at asspfoundation@gmail.com. Also, check out their newly built website!
Spring 2018 Summer 2018 Spring 2019 Fall 2019 Spring 2020
The Watch is a quarterly newsletter for the Arizona Site Steward Program. The quarterly digital publication features articles written by site stewards, regional updates, and a message from the State Historic Preservation Office. To subscribe to The Watch, please contact: shammond@azstateparks.gov
A Site Steward’s primary role is to monitor archaeological, historical, and paleontological sites and report any looting/vandalism to the land manager. Site Stewards make an important contribution to preserving our cultural heritage by working closely with Federal, State, Tribal, County, and municipal agency staff and archaeologists. The Site Steward Program is designed to meet the interests and skills of the volunteers.
Volunteer training involves at least 10 hours of classroom instruction and field training. The training sessions include antiquity laws, crime scene management, artifact, site and feature identification, and map & GPS reading. The program seeks volunteers with strong interests in cultural resource conservation who enjoy the outdoors.
Take a look at what it takes to be a Site Steward and the various challenges that face them as they try to protect Arizona's archaeologic treasures. Also, read about these Site Stewards in Action!
