Volunteers are needed for ALL types of projects in Montgomery County 
Trail Volunteers
Building, inspecting and maintaining Montgomery Parks’ popular system of natural surface trails is a big job, and community effort helps us do it right!
If you live or work near us, love trails and would like to give something back, please consider joining our team, either as a long term volunteer or just come lend a hand on a weekend project now and then. We have positions and projects suitable for a wide range of ages, fitness and experience levels and time commitment – check the descriptions below for more details.
Trail volunteering questions and/or commentary contact:
Ben Sugar, Trail Volunteer Coordinator, Ben.Sugar@mncppc-mc.org
Upcoming Volunteer Events
*Trails are "Shared Use" by all users (Hikers, Bikers and Equestrians) unless otherwise noted above (BK = Bikes, EQ = Equestrians, HK = Hikers)
Volunteer Trail Rangers (VTR)
We are looking for trail users 18 and over who want to go the "extra mile" and help Montgomery Parks inspect and maintain our natural surface trails in various locations countywide! Park staff trains volunteers on what to look for and report to keep our trails safe and comfortable to use. As a bonus, they also learn some tips of the trade on light trail maintenance and receive some spiffy Parks swag! What do we ask in return, you ask? Just that Rangers commit for at least one year to inspecting and performing some maintenance on a section of trail every three months and after major storms. Check out the detailed description to decide if this stewardship opportunity is up your alley!
Weekend Trail Project Dates
Want to give your Blackberry the boot for a few hours? Volunteer work dates usually take place on Saturdays and last about 5 hours. It’s the perfect thing to get you up, productive and social on the weekend, without all the hassle of rigorous personal grooming!
Minimum age for weekend project dates is 14. We are Student Service Learning (SSL) approved. Volunteers under 18 must be signed-in by a parent or submit an application and a parental consent form beforehand. Contact the Trail Volunteer Coordinator with any questions.
Projects range from constructing or relocating sections of trail to constructing bridges and locations vary depending on need. Volunteers should dress and prepare themselves as they would for a day spent landscaping outside: plenty of water and a lunch, sturdy shoes (or boots) and clothes that can get dirty. For protection against biting pests and walking in brush, long sleeves and pants are recommended.
Group Projects
We often have trail work that is appropriate for group volunteers. Some projects may only need 5-10 extra hands while others can accommodate groups of up to 40. We look for mostly adults but older kids (well behaved and supervised) are welcome, too. If your group is interested in exploring the possibility of participating in a trail project, please call.
Eagle Scout Projects
Park trails are a natural place for scout projects, and we receive many requests from those seeking the rank of Eagle. While we occasionally have an appropriate project in the queue, the most successful candidates work to identify a problem area themselves and propose a solution to us. If you have a project idea, please contact us and we’ll help shepherd it through the approval process.
What else can I do?
We encourage you to consider becoming a Volunteer Trail Ranger with us. If that doesn't work for you, there are still some basic things you can do help out until weekend dates are posted:
- Report serious safety hazards, downed trees or trash dumping: Make note of the nature of the problem as well as the location in relation to major trail landmarks (nearest road or trail intersection, stream crossing, etc.)
- Send an email to the Montgomery Parks Service Center at service.center@mncppc-mc.org or call SmartParks 301-670-8080. Include the problem details and location in your message, and be sure to note if it’s a significant safety hazard to users.
- Pickup as you go. Users do a great service by merely clearing the corridor of downed branches or trash they encounter on their trail outings. This is especially true on heavily used trails or after windy days
There are many parks facilities and events currently looking for volunteers. To see if there’s a match for your time and talent please visit www.parksvolunteers.org.
Contact
Have a question or a comment?
Ben Sugar, Trail Volunteer Coordinator
301-650-4395
Ben.Sugar@mncppc-mc.org
Last update: May 8, 2008
