Giving back, and getting out on the trail

[Paul Wagner]

Most of you know that I spend a few days, or sometimes weeks, doing volunteer work in the National Forests. I’ve done this in the Mokelumne Wilderness, the Sierra National Forest, and Desolation Wilderness, and I’ve never had a bad day.

But enough about me. This is about you. Are you interested in joining a crew of really great people who take the time to pay back some of the pleasure they find in the Sierra? I hope so. The Mokelumne Wilderness is look for more volunteers.

What, you might ask, does that actually entail?

Volunteers do all sorts of things that assist rangers in managing the wilderness. Those activities include:

Conducting wilderness patrol
Issuing wilderness permits
Educating visitors on wilderness ethics, regulations & Leave No Trace Principles
Informing visitors of trail conditions and hazards
Performing trail maintenance and construction with hand tools
Assisting in wilderness training & education events
Conducting wilderness impact monitoring surveys, and
Restoring impacted sites

And you don’t have to do it all. Volunteers are encouraged to choose the activities that best suit their interests and abilities. I love to do trail work, and to interact with other hikers. But some folks prefer to issue permits, or assist in education events.

It all needs to get done. Please drop me a note to let me know that you’re interested, and I’ll get you connected to the people who can make it happen. Heck, we’ll even teach you how to pronounce Mokelumne.

And you get to tell people on the trail that you’re doing more than just hiking. You’re making it better for everyone. Here’s a link to get you started: https://www.backpackthesierra.com/contact

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