Work
Parties
What to expect
 Volunteers can make a significant contribution to maintenance
of the Juneau trail system by participating in work parties
throughout the hiking season. At scheduled work parties,
we welcome anyone who can lift, carry, push, clip, dig,
rake, etc. Even kids can help, as long as those under
14 years of age are accompanied by an adult and those
under 18 have a consent form [link
to consent form] signed
by a parent. Individuals will be required to sign a liability
waiver
in order
to participate.
Volunteers should:
-
layer clothing
- wear hiking or work boots, not sandals
or running shoes
- bring work gloves
- provide protection from sun, rain,
and bugs
- bring lots of drinking water and high-energy
snacks
 Please do not bring pets! Pets can be a distraction and
even a safety hazard in some situations.
Please do not bring tools. We cannot permit anyone to
bring or use a tool that is not covered in the safety training.
A leader for the work party specifies a meeting point
and brings tools, hard hats, waiver forms, and a first
aid kit. Before taking off to the work site, volunteers
will sign waiver forms, receive safety training for any
tools to be used, understand where the trail work will
be done in relation to the trailhead, and have the day’s
tasks described.
Work parties generally last 3-4 hours, although individuals
may leave at any time if they feel comfortable returning
to the trailhead unaccompanied and they notify the crew
leader before departing. So, donate whatever time and energy
you can!
We work in good and bad weather, so you can expect the
work party leader to show up at the scheduled trailhead
meeting place regardless of the weather conditions. If
bad weather closes in during the work party, a democratic
process determines when it’s time to quit.
Safety
The local, state, and federal agencies responsible for
a trail’s maintenance determine the tasks to be
performed during a work party, the tools to be used,
and the level of safety training required. Some equipment
requires special certification in order to be in use
on agency lands (e.g. chainsaws), and Trail Mix cannot
be responsible for verifying certification. So, please
do not bring any tools with you, other than perhaps a
pocket knife.
The work party leader or an agency representative will
provide training for the use and transport of tools. In
most instances, hard hats will be required and provided.
|
