Champions of the Trail

View of of Mount Garfield from the A.T. – New Hampshire
Photo by Raymond Salani III

By Leanna Joyner

The Appalachian Trail fosters a sense of freedom. Freedom to roam and to wander, and to breathe deep in the open, fresh wind. It’s the counterbalance, where you feel small among the trees but fully embodied in the wild spaces held within the realm of the Appalachian Trail. Like so many other freedoms we enjoy in the United States, this one exists because of civic engagement. The Trail itself was born on the backs of visionaries who could first believe in and then build a Trail over great distance. Like all great movements, the work of the people must be continued in order to be effective.

In the realm of the A.T., your voice and your actions matter bold blue text

While this work happens through the essential tasks of routine maintenance, it also occurs through less tactile actions. Things like working with people who may share different perspectives on A.T. management (we call that partnership), or keeping big-picture goals at the top of our minds, allowing us to collectively realize the dream of this continuously protected footpath. From advocating for the full funding the Land and Water Conservation Fund, or working on legislation to address backlogged maintenance needs for National Parks and Forest Service lands, these large-scale priorities are stock in the future of the A.T.

CIVIC ACTION

Just like a steady friendship or a successful marriage, if taken for granted, the work of caring for the Trail — and keeping it protected forever, for all — is at stake. The passion for the Appalachian Trail runs deep, so it’s essential that there be an equal emphasis in action, which can take shape in a number of ways, for individuals or groups:

➊ Apply the energy felt for the Trail to give back in some way. Respond to an Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) action alert, sign your organization on to an ATC letter to a member of Congress, explore ways to make an impact to support the A.T., just like one would plan a hike.

➋ Teach someone — bring someone along. Share the Appalachian Trail. If you’re an experienced hiker or maintainer, invite someone new — maybe even someone you don’t already count as a friend — to join in this activity.

➌ Be intentional about having conversations with A.T. protection as the centerpiece. Whether it’s sharing information about the Trail and landscape and how to protect it, discussing the best ways to develop local economies, or actively responding to planning efforts of local, state, or federal decision makers, being willing to engage is central to supporting all that the A.T. stands for. It is these kinds of discussions, sometimes focused on a discrete goal, and sometimes held to foster understanding of perspectives and impacts felt throughout the A.T. network that are a hallmark of the Trail.

In the realm of the A.T., your voice matters. Like the democracy of this nation, your action is linked to something bigger. For many of us, the first time we cast our ballot was pivotal moment in actualizing our part of the fabric and function of local, state, and federal decisions. Similarly, we hope that anyone’s first introduction to the A.T. inspires that sense of belonging and purpose. Like a hike, advocacy isn’t always easy; there may be rain, mud, hunger, and exhaustion, which requires us to reset our sights on that which is onward and upward. Care is a commodity for the Trail, whether it’s your voice, your dollars, or your time. We hope you’ll join us — on the next summit — as we approach 100 years of this idea of the Appalachian Trail.

Make a plan to support the Trail at: volunteer.appalachiantrail.org

Leanna Joyner is the ATC’s program director of Volunteer Relations

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