Volunteer outdoors with the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District

Does volunteering outdoors appeal to you? The Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District Trails and Infrastructure Volunteer Program is a great option for anyone looking to help contribute and give back to the incredible trails that folks use to hike, run and bike everyday.

Participants get to work on a wide variety of tasks, from restoring trails and clearing debris to repairing fences, improving trails, and even applying new surface material to increase the accessibility of trails. Each project directly supports Midpen’s strategic resource management goals, helping to build more resilient ecosystems and ensure trails can handle whatever the weather brings.

The projects complement MidPen’s expert trail-building teams by taking on light maintenance tasks, allowing staff to dedicate resources to larger scale and complex projects involving heavy machinery.

Midpen staff will be increasing this volunteer program’s opportunities to about twice a week in September. The organization helps maintain a trail network of more than 250 miles of trail, across more than 70,000 acres of open space.

The projects are designed to be fun, educational, and impactful and are perfect for both seasoned volunteers and first-timers alike. This is especially attractive to frequent trail users who want to help give back by getting their hands dirty. It is also a great option for High School students needing to commit volunteer hours.

A sampling of upcoming opportunities to participate include:

• Sat. Sept. 13:  Thornewood – Rock of Ages Trail (a historic area)
• Fri. Sept. 19: El Corte de Madera Creek – Molder/connector trail treadwork
• Sat. Sept. 27 – Long Ridge – Achistaca Trail treadwork

A list of volunteer opportunities is available at here.

Photos courtesy of Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District