filed under: maintenance best practices
This manual has been written to aid crew leaders working with trail work volunteers. It assumes the following priorities, in order of importance, for every volunteer trail work event: 1) Safety, 2) Enjoyment, 3) Quality product, 4) Productivity.
by Volunteers for Outdoor Arizona
Written and published by Volunteers for Outdoor Arizona (VOAz) with assistance from other trail building groups, this manual may be used by anyone leading volunteer work crews on non-motorized, multi-use trail events in the arid terrain that is characteristic of most of Arizona. An informal coalition of Arizona volunteer trail building groups is seeking to bring greater consistency and quality to the trail work done by volunteers in this state. A training package that may be used by trail building organizations is under development. Any organization that uses this manual will need to identify standards that may be unique to its program or go beyond those stated in this manual and covered in crew leader training based on this manual. Each trail building organization needs to define its own crew leader certification process. It is possible that a uniform crew leader certification program will be established in the future.
This manual is by no means a complete reference or guide to trail work. It incorporates the experience and perceived priorities of its authors as well as ideas found on the web and in other publications. A bibliography of other trail work publications is appended.
Published March 2003
Volunteer stewardship opportunities outdoors in Arizona. Build, repair, & maintain sustainable trails and restore wildlife habitat with other volunteers of all ages want to both enjoy and preserve Arizona's natural resources.
Celebrating Women Who Care for Trails
Cathy Corlett, American Trails Director of Strategic Communications, joined Trailkeepers of Oregon's women-only trail work party to find out more about the work being done and the women who opt to spend their Sunday working on the trail, even when the weather conditions are less than ideal.
Colorado Trail Foundation Crew Leader Handbook
As a crew leader you represent the CTF. One of your main jobs is to convey the CTF’s thanks to the volunteers for their commitment to making and preserving The Colorado Trail as a national treasure.
Appalachian Mountain Club 2022 Outdoor Leader Handbook
Outdoor leadership skills can be developed and improved over time through a combination of self-study, formal training and experience. Leadership trainings are offered frequently by volunteers and staff of the AMC. The trainings range from a single day to a weekend. If you are looking for additional training, the AMC offers several courses each season through the Guided Outdoors program.
