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SavageLlama
06-01-2004, 09:43
I posted some other articles in the media forum but thought this one should go here.

These armies want you; The approach of National Trails Day turns the spotlight on volunteers who build, maintain and repair Maine's many miles of trails

BY DEIRDRE FLEMING
May 30, 2004
Portland Press Herald (javascript:NewWindow( 'FIISrcDetails','?from=article&ids=ptph');void(0);)
Helping build and repair trails has long been a philosophy in Maine. Some would even say National Trails Day isn't needed here.

Established in 1993, National Trails Day, which will be celebrated Saturday, has grown to approximately 3,000 events across the country.

Yet, well before there was a national day to commemorate trail stewardship, Mainers had been moving rocks, throwing wood chips and setting steps on woodland trails and urban footpaths.

From the 281 miles of the Appalachian Trail in Maine to the roughly 30 miles of urban tracks that Portland Trails protects, Maine is a model for preserving special paths.

To be sure, some groups here have better luck recruiting volunteers than others.

"As with most nonprofits, it's an ongoing effort to get people involved," said Tom Jewell, one of Portland Trails' founders.

But other groups find the desire to help preserve, protect and open up the environment is contagious up and down the Maine coast.

"Acadia touches such a deep chord with people," said Marla Major with the Friends of Acadia. "Essentially, what we really do is help them find the way to participate in the park's care. The will is there. People want to do it, and they want to find a way to do it."

The group that maintains Maine islands for boaters doesn't rely on National Trails Day for recruiting, either, said Karen Simpson, the executive director of Maine Island Trail Association.

"National Trails Day isn't something that is relevant to us, because every day is National Trails Day for us," Simpson said.

The island trail association has a stable of 200 volunteers, Simpson said, and as many as 100 have been with the association for a good decade.

It holds trail cleanup days in May and June but only advertises these by word-of-mouth.

"Usually, we have volunteers signed up a season ahead of time. We turn away as many people as we take," Simpson said.

The association has been cleaning islands since it was formed in 1987, but Simpson said even before it existed, there were willing volunteers doing the work.

The first few years the association had a lot of work to do cleaning up tires and plastic that had washed up on islands for 20 to 30 years. Then, the pattern of environmental abuse started to change, Simpson said. Now, she said, it's held in check with simple upkeep.

"When you educate the people who go there on how to treat it, it gets better," Simpson said. "And if you have a clean island, people are less inclined to leave stuff behind."

The nonprofit Friends of Acadia has worked to preserve and protect the natural beauty and cultural landscape of Acadia National Park since 1986.

There are 13 volunteer crew leaders who work with park rangers and lead volunteer groups throughout the summer. From June through October, volunteers meet from 8:30 a.m. to noon three days a week (every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday) to help maintain and repair Acadia's trails. There is never a shortage of volunteers, said Major, the Friends of Acadia stewardship director.

Anywhere from five to 35 show up, Major said.

"When visiting an area, people look for ways to find a connection to the community and to give back to the park. That mind-set is growing among the community," Major said.

Like the Maine Island Trail Association, the friends group does very little publicity beyond contacting high schools, YMCAs and youth groups, Major said.

While National Trails Day is a familiar designator of when the trail season begins, the group doesn't need it to recruit volunteers, Major said.

"One of our trail leaders said he has worked with people from Europe and Asia and the Midwest. You never know who is going to be there," she said.

While other trail groups certainly may struggle with recruiting, Major attributes the precious, wild landscape at Acadia with the group's success drawing eager volunteers.

Meanwhile, Jewell said, Portland Trails has anywhere from five to 10 volunteers who show up for trail-work days. He said the urban trail club is reviewing ways to increase participation to as many as 20.

In a city known for its green space, the nonprofit group that cares for many of its popular paths has not had consistent luck drawing volunteer crews.

Many of Portland Trail's woodland trails have been built by the Maine Conservation Corps, which the nonprofit pays, Jewell said. But attracting volunteer trail workers requires a new kind of effort, he said.

"Frankly, the trail-building is kind of gravy. That's the easy part," Jewell said. "Maintenance is beginning to become more of an issue."

Jewell said Portland Trails is considering an adopt-a-trail program in which companies or neighborhood groups could look after trails. Some groups have already started to do this in the Portland area, he said.

So on National Trails Day, Portland Trails will host a public awareness event with a 10-mile hike. Jewell will lead it for the fourth year.

It's a marathon hike through Portland's urban trails, but one that covers much of the ground Portland Trail volunteers have helped maintain.

Jewell said there is no better way to spread the message that Maine's trails need help.