Volunteerism on the Trail

From this month's National Geographic (October 2008) ...

Ozark Highlands Trail: Path Minders

By Peter Gwin

National Geographic Staff

Photograph by Rebecca Hale

National Geographic Staff

Without volunteers, many of America’s trails would have disappeared long ago or never been built. In 2007 alone, trail lovers donated an estimated 676,960 hours of labor, worth about $13 million, to create and maintain national scenic and historic trails. Countless others have given time and money to build and sustain the thousand-odd national recreation trails. You don’t have to go far to dig in. Wherever you live in the U.S., chances are a trail winds its way not far from your door. The 40-year-old National Trails System comprises over 66,000 miles, eclipsing the Interstate Highway System’s 46,837 miles.

There's plenty of heavy lifting to do, and the American Hiking Society's Volunteer Vacations links people of all abilities with projects nationwide. You can help clear fallen trees in the Ozarks, build a rock turnpike over a bog in Idaho's White Cloud Mountains, or cut new paths in California's fire-damaged Cuyamaca Rancho State Park. But trail advocates encourage new volunteers to start locally. Even picking up litter along a stretch of a favorite trail nearby helps keep the trail movement strong.

Volunteer
• Check with hiking clubs or environmental groups about opportunities to work on trails.

Write Congress
• Funding is tight for the growing system of trails. Remind elected officials that trails promote health and in many places offer "green" alternative commuter routes.

Donate
• Trail advocates advise giving to nonprofit "friends of the trail" groups that have adopted a trail.

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Volunteer trail work is an amazing way to give back to the beautiful places that we enjoy and love.  While there is no shortage of work to be done to maintain the trails that we tread, remember Leave No Trace ethics and hopefully we can all spend less time repairing trails and more time exploring them!

What Does the Leave No Trace Logo Mean to You?

We’re frequently asked around the Center about the meaning of the Leave No Trace logo. It’s not uncommon to get a least 1 call a week with some reference to the logo. The following are a few of the terms we hear:

• swirly gig
• pinwheel
• hurricane
• whirlpool
• galaxy

With such creative terms for the logo, you can imagine that the explanations of the Leave No Trace emblem get quite original as well. I’ve heard folks incorporate everything from water to space in their meanings of the symbol we’re all so fond of (side note: we know of at least 3 people who have Leave No Trace tattoos!).

I thought it was time to share the Center’s “unofficial” definition of the Leave No Trace logo. Consider the circle in the middle to be a fond outdoor experience or your favorite place to play outside. The surrounding lines represent the ways we interact with that experience or in that space: with enjoyment, wonder, appreciation, and awareness we come into and out of the experience with as little impact as possible.

This is, of course, up for interpretation. Leave us a comment and let us know what the Leave No Trace logo means to you!

The 10 Best Undiscovered...

How many times have you seen this headline on a magazine or on the internet, "The 10 Best Undiscovered National Parks, Trails, Campsites, Rivers, Caves, etc."? I just recently ran across another such headline and find it frustrating. It's frustrating because those undiscovered or secret spots that we each know of and have a connection with aren't so secret after all. All it takes is one article in the latest outdoor magazine and on your next visit you can't find a place to park, much less a place to put your tent.

While I am in favor of sharing information about special places and areas of interest, I prefer a little more restraint so that these locations aren't immediately overrun with people. I also realize that new champions for parks, forest and open spaces are cultivated by bringing folks there to experience the area firsthand. However, I feel that it needs to be done in a sustainable way.

What happened to word of mouth 'advertising' for these places? We're in such an age of technology that everything is literally at your fingertips, including information about those hidden, out-of-the-way or off-the-beaten-path places that I thought only I knew about. Reversing this trend is a not a realistic option but educating folks about how to enjoy new areas responsibly is an option. Once again, this is where Leave No Trace comes in. Get out and enjoy but leave the place in such a way that the folks who come after you at least feel like they have discovered something new...