Outside or inside, close to home or at your go-to weekend trail destination, we aim to connect you with the volunteer opportunity that is right for you. Tell us how you'd like to be involved!
Grab your work gloves and spend a few hours or a whole day with a crew helping to make a difference in our parks. Or, we can match your group to the right project.
We teach stewardship skills to outdoor-loving people. Our classes range from intro level in basic trail maintenance and invasive species identification to advanced training in trail layout and design, rock work, and more.
This event is currently tentative. After careful consideration, we are announcing that until further notice, all Trail Conference-sponsored “in-person” gatherings and meetings will be cancelled, postponed or converted into conference calls.
We recognize that this event is more than two weeks away so we will continue to monitor the constantly evolving situation, and if necessary will send official notice of cancellation. If you have any questions please email [email protected] or leave a message at 201-512-9348 x822 and we will call you back when we receive your message. Thank you for your understanding.
Do you manage a natural area? Do you need to have a documented plan for addressing invasive species? Take this workshop to help you get started on your plan.
Are you interested in becoming a trail maintainer? Attend this webinar to learn how to care for your trail!
Interested in identifying the fascinating flora around you, but don’t know where to start? Or perhaps you would like to pick up some tips and tricks for removing some pesky weeds?
Love maps and history? Join Trail Conference Cartographer Jeremy Apgar for a talk about how our maps are made!
Are you interested in becoming a trail maintainer? Attend this webinar to learn how to care for your trail!
This event is currently tentative. After careful consideration, we are announcing that until further notice, all Trail Conference-sponsored “in-person” gatherings and meetings will be cancelled, postponed or converted into conference calls. We recognize that this event is more than two weeks away so we will continue to monitor the constantly evolving situation, and if necessary will send official notice of cancellation. If you have any questions please email [email protected] or leave a message at 201-512-9348 x822 and we will call you back when we receive your message. Thank you for your understanding.
Would you like to help protect our environment while you hike? Want to learn how to identify some common invasive plants? Take this workshop to find out how!
Would you like to help protect our environment while you hike? Want to learn how to identify some common invasive plants? Take this workshop to find out how!
Would you like to take your invasive plant identification skills to the next level? Do you want to help find the next problem invaders that our crew should be targeting? Take this workshop to learn how!
Would you like to help protect our environment while you hike? Want to learn how to identify some common invasive plants? Take this workshop to find out how!
Would you like to help protect our environment while you hike? Want to learn how to identify some common invasive plants? Take this workshop to find out how!
Would you like to help protect our environment while you hike? Want to learn how to identify some common invasive plants? Take this workshop to find out how!
Would you like to help protect our environment while you hike? Want to learn how to identify some common invasive plants? Take this workshop to find out how!
Would you like to take your invasive plant identification skills to the next level? Do you want to help find the next problem invaders that our crew should be targeting? Take this workshop to learn how!
The Trail Conference is supported by more than 1,700 volunteers who annually donate over 93,000 hours of time to keep trails open, safe, and enjoyable for the public.
Our volunteers are hard at work in the field...
... and off-trail
Outside or inside, close to home or at your go-to weekend trail destination, we aim to connect you with the volunteer opportunity that is right for you. Tell us how you'd like to be involved!
Yes! Adventure seekers who aren’t afraid to get dirty can share their love of trails by giving back either as an individual or a group. Our trail crews, Trail Love Days, and special trail projects are great for a group of friends or a corporate outing. Email [email protected] for details.
There is no minimum volunteer age to volunteer with the Trail Conference, however not all volunteer opportunities are appropriate for younger children. All volunteers under 18 must be accompanied by a signed parental permission slip or a parent. We obey the two-adult rule: adult leaders must have prior background checks and that no child is ever with only one adult. Because of this rule, some work trips may not be able to accommodate youth volunteers.
Nope. If you don’t want to volunteer outside, the Trail Conference has many important and meaningful opportunities that can be done from our headquarters at the Darlington Schoolhouse or even from your own home.
Our trail crews and event leaders will provide you with everything you need for a great day on the trails—from gloves, hardhats, and eye protection, to shovels and pick mattocks. For those who want to adopt a trail to protect it for others to enjoy, you will be responsible for purchasing a few small hand tools to get the job done right.
To ensure that you have an amazing volunteer experience, we offer both formal workshops that include classroom and field components, as well as “on the job training” opportunities. Our award-winning Trail University courses, taught by our awesome trail professionals and volunteers, will give you all the skills you need to help improve trails.
The Trail Conference encourages youth to participate on trail projects and we often work with Scout groups. It is the scout’s responsibility to identify and perform the preliminary planning for a project. To help offset some of the costs, the Elizabeth Levers Memorial Grant is available to support youth projects on trails maintained by the Trail Conference. The best way to start is to contact the Regional Program Coordinator for your area. See About Us for staff directory.
Trail Maintainers adopt one or more sections of a trail checking periodically, clearing debris, checking blazes, and generally ensuring that the sections are accessible.
