Steep Rock Association offers volunteer opportunities
WASHINGTON — Put your hands (and not just your boots) on the trails this hiking season by joining Steep Rock Association’s monthly trail work party. The work party meets at 10 a.m. the third Saturday of every month from April through October.
Have you ever wondered how trail workers build stone steps through remote forested hillsides or boardwalks that meander through swamps?
Participants in SRA’s monthly trail work party learn by doing, tackling new projects every month, ranging from backcountry trail construction to water and vegetation management.
The work party meets the third Saturday of every month from April through October from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tools and equipment are provided.
Wear/bring closed toed shoes, a mask, long pants, seasonally appropriate clothing and a reusable water bottle.
Some hiking to the varying worksites will be necessary. The monthly work party project will be posted on the SRA website two weeks prior to the event.
Families with teens and older children are welcome but an adult must accompany and participate with children under 16 years-old. Registration is required and limited to 15 participants.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention protocols regarding mask wearing and social distancing will be enforced.
To register or for more information about upcoming work party projects, and meeting locations, visit https://steeprockassoc.org/ events-programs/.
Trail managers help steward a designated trail over a one year period, regularly scouting the trail for environmental concerns and safety hazards as well as performing light trail maintenance duties.
To kick off the Trail Manager program for the season, SRA staff will hold the online training session for 1.5 hours through Zoom. During the training, volunteers will learn how to assess trail conditions, perform light trail maintenance techniques, use a GPS (Global Positioning System) mobile app to track their positions, and report their findings.
Register online at https:// steeprockassoc.org/ events-programs/or call the SRA office at 860-868-9131.