| Date: | June 03, 2023 |
| Time: | 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM |
| Venue: | Pearis Cemetary / Appalachian Trailhead Parking |
| Organizations: | Outdoor Club at Virginia Tech |
| Description: |
The Outdoor Club at Virginia Tech is hosting Appalachian Trail Volunteer Trail Work for National Trails Day on Saturday, June 3, 2023 meeting at the Pearis Cemetery / Appalachian Trailhead Parking. The first Saturday of June each year is designated as National Trails Day, a day to celebrate our National Trails. We invite you to celebrate with us this year by helping to care for the Appalachian Trail, the first National Trail! There are a variety of volunteer opportunities available throughout the Trail. One fun way to volunteer is to help with trail maintenance. Essential trail maintenance helps protect natural resources and improves the hiking experience. Activities planned for the day include removing tress that have fallen across the Trail and are obstructing its path, cleaning out water bars and other trail tread structures of debris so that they can effectively divert water from the Trail and continue to help reduce erosion, as well as trimming back woody bushes that might be encroaching on the sides of the Trail. This work will be taking place on Hemlock Ridge, the stretch of Trail between the Celenese plant and Clendennin Road. There will be a shuttle planned to allow for a 3-mile hike through, performing work along the way. The Outdoor Club at Virginia Tech is an Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) trail maintaining club. We go out regularly to maintain the trail for hikers of all levels to enjoy. No previous experience required and all ages are welcome. We provide tools, training, and personal protective equipment. While it is free to volunteer, registration is required to ensure enough supplies will be available. To register, visit: https://volunteer.appalachiantrail.org/s/atc-project-details?c__recId=a0q8Z00000DTuex. Please be sure to wear long pants and sturdy boots. Bring plenty of water (at least 2 liters) and snacks for the day, lunch, sunscreen, bug spray, a rain jacket and personal work gloves. The Outdoor Club at Virginia Tech (OCVT) is a diverse group of outdoor enthusiasts comprised of undergraduate, and graduate students and members of the Blacksburg community. The goal of the club is to expose fellow Hokies and members of the community to the outdoors, develop knowledge of the local area, and teach safe and responsible outdoor practices. An important goal of the club is to maintain about 30 miles of the Appalachian Trail (AT) in Southwest Virginia. OCVT is one of only two University clubs in the country that are responsible for maintaining a portion of the AT. Links: • https://ocvt.club/ • https://www.facebook.com/OutdoorClubVT • https://www.instagram.com/outdoorclubvt/ The Pearis Cemetery / Appalachian Trailhead Parking is located at 2030 Narrows Road / Route 100 in Pearisburg, VA. For more information, visit: https://volunteer.appalachiantrail.org/s/atc-project-details?c__recId=a0q8Z00000DTuex. |