Headline News
Appalachian Mountain Club Accepting Registrations for Volunteer Vacations
Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) is now accepting registrations for Adult Volunteer Vacations on the trail for summer 2008. You can join a crew in the Berkshire Mountains in western Massachusetts, the White Mountains in New Hampshire, or Baxter State Park and Acadia National Park, both in Maine.
In addition, new this year, AMC will have a Trail Work crew in Mount Rainier National Park, Washington. This is a joint program offered by AMC Major Excursions and AMC Volunteer Trails Programs and takes place in August 2008.
When you join an AMC Trail Crew you can expect to meet intriguing people, experience the beauty and wonders of nature, put in a hard day's work, experience great leadership, and "do something for the greater good."
How much time do you have to give? AMC offers a wide variety of trail crews in order to try and create a Volunteer Vacation opportunity to fit everyone's schedule and interests:
Volunteer Vacations (one to three weeks)
Volunteer Vacations provide a unique opportunity to meet other outdoor enthusiasts and build a sense of camaraderie. Crews generally pack in one to 4 miles, carry a pack of 40+ pounds, giving you the pleasure of living and working in the backcountry for one to three weeks.
AMC Volunteer Vacations are held in the Berkshires of Massachusetts, the White Mountains of New Hampshire and Maine, and Baxter State Park and Acadia National Park in Maine. AMC offers a wide variety of weeklong programs, including Base Camp, Classic, or Spike Style crews, and all of them practice Leave No Trace ethics.
• Base Camp crews spend each night at a base facility or drive-in campground, hiking each day to their project. Some Base Camp crews will have a variety of projects for the duration of the week.
• Classic crews spend the first two nights at a base facility or drive-in campground before packing into the backcountry. Their first day of work is a day trip, so that volunteers can learn a few basic skills before heading out for the rest of the week.
• Spike crews spend the entire week in the backcountry, leaving Monday morning with all gear and food, and returning Friday afternoon.
Each crew spends five days (per week) working closely with their AMC leaders while on specific projects selected for the crew. While no previous experience or training is necessary to volunteer, you may enjoy learning trail maintenance and building your skills before you join a crew this year. AMC's Trails Skills Series is specifically designed to meet the needs of volunteer trail maintainers and adopters, but they can also be useful for anyone looking to learn more about the nuts and bolts of trail work.
Work Parties (one to three days)
AMC's Work Parties allows you to dip your feet into the world of trails stewardship. You can find day and weekend projects throughout the Northeast on almost every weekend of the season. Each Work Party is unique, with topnotch leaders from around the region. Work Parties might focus on a specific trail, a specific technique (like bog bridges), or with a particular group of folks (families, young members, etc).
In addition, you can join an AMC Chapter crew for a day, spend National Trails Day in the Berkshires, head to the White Mountains for a special weekend getaway with your friends or family, or take a workshop in AMC's Trails Skills Series to build on your trail maintenance skills.
Get out, get dirty and give back! Each year the AMC depends on more than 2,500 trail volunteers who contribute their time, energy, and enthusiasm to the Trails Program. In a typical year, people volunteer approximately 18,000 hours building approximately 1,700 feet of bog bridging, completing about 1,000 feet of screewall, installing more than 300 feet of drainage, and building about 100 cairns. Local volunteers help maintain 1,500 miles of trails each year.
For more information on all AMC Volunteer Trails Crew opportunities and registration forms, visit www.outdoors.org/volunteer or call (800) 372-1758.
About the Appalachian Mountain Club
Founded in 1876, the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) is the oldest conservation and recreation organization in the nation. With 90,000 members in the Northeast and beyond, the nonprofit AMC promotes the protection, enjoyment, and wise use of the mountains, rivers and trails of the Appalachian region. The AMC supports natural resource conservation while encouraging responsible recreation, based on the philosophy that successful, long-term conservation depends upon first-hand enjoyment of the natural environment.