The Trail Companion

     Volunteers were backbone of the Trail Center's activities when it was founded and continue to be today (especially now that we are an all-volunteer organization). Volunteerism has, however, changed dramatically since 1983. Some of the methods for recruiting volunteers haven't changed-public service announcements, fliers and newspaper stories still attract attention, but the majority of our new volunteers see us first on the Internet. We advertise with VolunteerMatch and the major search engines pick up our publicity. Currently we have listings for a dozen different volunteer opportunities ranging from trail builder to poet - and each one attracts numerous inquiries.
     In our early days, we and other organizations tended to attract many who would come back again and again. On our Stevens Creek Trail project in Stevens Creek County Park, the regular BBQs sponsored by REI, Inc. convince more than one volunteer to return as many events as possible. Now, many more of our volunteers are looking for a variety of one-day events, so they may build trail one weekend with us and work with Habitat for Humanity another. Or they may be interested in just a few hours of service. Many of these volunteers belong to organizations such as Community Impact, which specializes in wide range of short, effective projects, or they may volunteer through their company's service programs.
     High school and college service requirements have also changed the picture. We frequently receive calls from schools or classes requesting service projects for fifteen to thirty-five students. Finally, the Trail Center is now one of several organizations, including MROSD and Santa Clara County Parks offering their own volunteer opportunities in the parks.
     Thank you, to all who have volunteered with us. We are grateful for the impressive efforts our volunteers have made in the parks and for the Trail Center. We have a terrific record of service and look forward to upholding that tradition by offering many more opportunities in the years to come.

A Brief History of the Trail Center

The National Volunteer Project and National Outdoor Volunteer Network

The Changing Face of Public Lands

A Trail Center Index

A Catalog of Trail Projects, 1983-1999

     
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