NATIONAL TRAILS TRAINING PARTNERSHIP


Advanced trail training classes like Sustainable Trail


Construction with Mechanized Equipment are for individuals looking for specific technical trail skills. Additional training topics will be added as the TRAILS program develops, and training programs can be created to meet the specific needs of land management agencies and trail organizations. The first basic trail skills multiple-day class was offered


in mid-October. Only a handful of participants were from the local area with others traveling from as far as 200 miles away. Students from Virginia also attended. Local hotels provided special rates for class participants and students gathered at a restaurant one evening after class for food, fellowship, and networking. Due to the overwhelming interest and response to the class, another section of the same session is scheduled in early December. This new program will provide valuable and important


training in the fields of outdoor recreation and sustainable trail planning, construction, maintenance, and management. It will develop outdoor leaders with the technical skills need- ed to be successful, and it will also help further expand the recreational opportunities enjoyed by local residents and visi- tors to the region.


Learn more about the TRAILS at Rockingham Community College program at www.rockinghamcc.edu/trails.


Arizona Trail Skills Institute plans training programs for 2018


the classroom, to create a curriculum that provides skills for effective stewards and trail volunteers. Each training will take place entirely outdoors, with a


T


focus on experiential learning. While there will be talks and demonstrations, the instructors have found that class- room time is never as valuable as time on the trail and a PowerPoint is no replacement for a pick mattock. Each training session is designed to benefit veteran trail dogs and first-timers alike. This is accomplished through vari- ous modules presented within the trainings:


Module 1: Seeing the Trail


• See the trail in the context of the surrounding landscape. • Study the terrain to identify where the water is coming from, what it does once it reaches the trail, and the potential impacts to the trail and landscape.


• How to identify and mitigate potential erosion problems.


his collaboration between the Arizona Trail Association and American Conservation Experience will draw on thousands of hours on the trail and in


• How to assess and document trail issues for future work.


• Overview of desert and arid lands hydrology and soils for trail work.


Trail Worker Module 2: Trail Corridor and Maintenance


• Trail corridor theory: why trail work matters. • Standard brushing limits and proper techniques for heavy brushing and long-term plant health.


• Earthen drainage features, when to use each one and how they act on the trail.


• The nuances of trail closures and rehabilitating user-created trails, and the psychology of keeping people on the trail.


Module 3: Stone Maintenance Structures


• Why stone structures become necessary. • Dry stone masonry principles and how they relate to trail work.


• Rock check dam construction. • Building backed water bars and armored drain pans.


Module 4: Re-route Design and Trail Layout


• Principals of trail design and deciding between switch- backs and climbing turns.


• Regulations and environmental laws behind construct- ing new trail.


• Why a trail needs to be realigned, and how to do it with minimal impact.


• GPS route planning, corridor, and tight flagging to learn how to design a trail that any crew can see as you do.


Other important elements integrated into the trainings include event planning; tool maintenance; leadership, inspiration, and motivation; using wilderness tools; and “The User Experience: How trail workers can add or detract from the experience.” Registration for one-day training is $50 per person,


and the two-day training is $125 and includes professional instruction, a Trail Assessment Handbook, and four meals. • March 17 - Modules 1 & 2 - Near Superior, AZ • April 7-8 - Module 3 - Flagstaff, AZ • June 23 - Modules 1 & 2 - Flagstaff, AZ • October 27-28 - Module 4 - Near Patagonia, AZ


Learn more about the Arizona Trail Skills Institute sessions at www.aztrail.org/volunteers/training.html.


31


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40