Appalachian Trail Outreach Steward AmeriCorps Member

Appalachian Trail Outreach Steward

Position details

Start Date: 09/06/2024

End Date: 08/07/2025

Term Date: Note: Start and end dates flexible

Location: Southern Maine, ME

Focus Area: Age Friendly, Agriculture and Hunger, Community Outreach, Outdoor Education, Public Health, Youth

Join our team to foster health, community, and conservation along the iconic Appalachian Trail.

The purpose of the Maine Appalachian Trail Club is to construct, maintain and protect a section of the Appalachian Trail, in the State of Maine, extending from Katahdin to Grafton Notch, at Maine Highway 26. This includes a system of shelters and campsites at proper intervals, so as to render accessible for hiking the wild region of Maine through which the Trail passes.

The Maine Appalachian Trail Club (MATC) will host an AmeriCorps member, “The Appalachian Trail Outreach Steward”, focused on increasing health through trail work and recreational experiences on the Maine section of the Appalachian Trail. Outdoor experiences in Maine’s wilderness improves the public’s physical and mental health through exercise, as well as immersion in nature which reduces stress, isolation and creates a sense of wellbeing.

The AmeriCorps member will focus on Statewide efforts on the Appalachian Trail and collaborate with multiple partners to strengthen, develop, and expand outreach strategies. The Outreach Steward will recruit new underrepresented groups and support existing groups in completing trail and stewardship work. The trail work will naturally include healthful recreation – hiking, backpacking, and camping on the rugged Appalachian Trail. Each trip will average about two full days of hiking, camping, and trail work, as well as pre and post trip planning, training, and evaluation. MATC will work in close collaboration with individuals and other organizations doing this work (for example – high schools, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, Teens to Trails, and the Wabanaki Youth and Science). This will increase learning, sharing, reach, efficacy, and efficiency. The A.T. Outreach Steward will connect a diverse and growing number of Maine residents with MATC’s network of skilled staff, field volunteers and committees, including Trail Maintainers, Corridor Monitors, Campsite, Boundary workers.

The member will:

· Recruit, train, lead, and logistically support volunteer groups on the A.T.

· Conduct evaluations after each volunteer project.

· Connect youth with diverse outdoor experiences on trails.

· Lead trainings that cover topics like Leave No Trace practices, planning for different types of weather, fording streams, hanging bear bags, reading maps, and preparing the appropriate gear.

Already have a MyAmeriCorps account and want to apply for this specific role? You can find that listing on MyAmeriCorps here.