Want to help restore long-neglected Californian hiking trails? Conservation officials are appealing for volunteers to help them rejuvenate a previously rich network of backcountry trails.
Based in Northwestern California, the Siskiyou Mountain Club looks after trails in the scenic area near the California / Oregon border. The group leads volunteers to various areas in need of rejuvenation, where they clear debris and manage shrubs with the aim of re-opening dilapidated hiking trails.
They often deal with trails that have been devastated by wildfire and are in desperate need of attention.
“Often, we are working on trails that have experienced years of neglect,” says the Siskiyou Mountain Club’s website.
“We go in and we do the work, and some trails make it into our promise.
“When we adopt a trail or trail section, it becomes part of our promise. That means we will maintain it no less than once every three years.”
The Siskiyou Mountain Club began in 2010 when a small group of volunteers set out to restore a single route through the Kalmiopsis Wilderness Area. Now, with the growing need for trail restoration and the group’s ever-expanding promise, they’re in desperate need of new volunteers.
By restoring trails, program manager Trevor Meyer hopes to bring people together in nature, creating wilderness spaces to be enjoyed by all.
“The work that we do is so much more than trails, it is about building community,” he told NBC.
“That’s where the volunteer program really comes in. There’s people who step into this organization and fulfil a ton of different roles for us. Whether it’s on the administrative side, whether it’s boots on the ground, at the end of the day, what we’re trying to do is build community.”
Want to get involved? You can visit the Siskiyou Mountain Club’s website here.
