Everywhere a sign, here’s mine. I started volunteering with our local chapter of the Ice Age Trail Alliance in 2019. About 6 months before the nasty C word shut everything down. After many years of hiking and camping many different areas, it feels good to help preserve, protect and improve a trail system so many people enjoy.
It’s amazing how many volunteers work on keeping this and other trails open. I thank you all that have and continue to do so. I am happy that I can contribute.
Please understand that having a sign with my name on it isn’t something I am proud of. Instead, I prefer to be in the background helping, but I do believe that it’s important for people to know that volunteers take care of and improve these natural areas and that they can contribute in many different ways.
I never realized how much work goes into just keeping a trail open and clear. Besides erosion, some examples are, rerouting trail sections, mowing, trimming and cutting up trees and filling holes. After some storms there have been dozens of trees down, that needed to be removed from the trail.
If you have every thought of how you could help out a local group that helps protect trails, parks, etc. I encourage you to seek out that group and visit maybe volunteer a time or two and find out what the needs are. There are so many rolls that often need to be filled, not just trail work or physical work.
I also volunteer when time allows with the Friends of Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge in Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin.
Some examples that I have seen as needs in different groups that are always looking for more volunteers.
- Monthly newsletter.
- Communication with members.
- Public outreach such as social media.
- Leading guided hikes and talks.
- Sharing information/promotion at events.
- Helping with parade displays.
- Speaking/promoting with other groups.
Not everyone has to run a chainsaw or do heavy physical work. As the saying goes “many hands make light work”.
