DCR & REI Partner To Provide Volunteers At State Parks

From REI: Seeking to promote and improve trails within the state parks system, the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) and REI, Inc. have partnered to provide volunteer opportunities at six state parks in honor of National Trails Day. National Trails Day, which is set for Saturday, June 3, 2017, is a nationwide annual event coordinated by the American Hiking Society that aims to connect people with trails through volunteer efforts.

“The Department of Conservation and Recreation’s 4,000 miles of trails are the best part of the state parks system, and maintaining them with the help of volunteers creates a sense of shared stewardship with the residents who use them,” said DCR Commissioner Leo Roy. “The Baker-Polito Administration continues to welcome great partners, such as REI, to join our efforts to improve access and enjoyment of the Commonwealth’s exceptional natural, cultural, and historic resources.”

“We in Massachusetts are fortunate to have such an abundance of amazing outdoor spaces right in our own backyard. As a co-op with a long history of stewarding our public lands, REI is proud to partner with DCR in an effort to get more people outside, working and recreating on our local trails,” said Paul Gannon, Manager for REI Outdoor Programs and Outreach in New England.

The six state parks hosting National Trails Day events include:

• Blue Hills Reservation, Milton; volunteers will be reblazing the Skyline Trail.
• Wompatuck State Park, Hingham: volunteers will be building a boardwalk on Herron Pond Trail.
• Middlesex Fells Reservation, Stoneham: volunteers will be performing general trail maintenance and clean up.
• Great Brook Farm State Park, Carlisle: volunteers will be installing trail intersection directional signs in the park to help visitors with wayfinding at critical intersections.
• Blackstone Heritage State Park, Uxbridge: volunteers will be working on two projects:
  • River Bend Farm: clearing brush along a mile stretch to open and connect access from nature trail to tow path.
  • Goat Hill Trail: cutting back green briar and re-mark three mile stretch from trail head in Uxbridge to Northbridge trail.
• Mt. Greylock State Reservation, Lanesboro: volunteers will be performing spring trail maintenance along the Hopper Trail from the campground to the summit.

Volunteers interested in attending a National Trails Day event to improve trails within the state parks system can register at REI. To learn more about the state trails system, please visit DCR’s website.

Image Via Pixabay