Show Your Team Spirit for National Trails Day!
We have activities for all ages and abilities.
By Lily Grinhauz, GVLT Big Sky Watershed Corps Member
Hello, Eager Readers! I’m Lily Grinhauz, GVLT’s very own Big Sky Watershed Corps member and avid Poop Fairy investigator. While that investigation trudges on, I will be reporting on a slightly different topic today: National Trails Day!
If you’re a Bozeman resident, you may have heard the annual buzz surrounding GVLT’s largest volunteer event of the year. That’s right, National Trails Day is back! This year’s event will take place on Saturday, May 30, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Gallatin Valley Regional Park.
I have been helping to coordinate National Trails Day since I joined the GVLT team in January, and I’m so excited to see all of the planning come to life! It will be a day packed with trail work, community, and, of course, a delicious BBQ generously hosted by Yellowstone Bank.
In my opinion, one of the best parts about National Trails Day is that there is a project for everyone. Whether you’re an experienced trail builder looking for a challenge, a family hoping to spend time outdoors together, or someone wanting to give back to the community in a meaningful way, there is a team for you.
If you’re looking to get your hands dirty and break a sweat, there are several trail improvement projects to choose from! The Maroon Team will be working on improvements to the new Wiggles Trail by digging backslope, installing fresh gravel, and dispersing dirt and grass to help shape and stabilize the trail. The Purple Team will focus on establishing a new trail by widening an existing social trail, while the Green Team will utilize heavy equipment to construct an entirely new gravel trail through the park.
If you or your family members love to bike, join the Emerald Team to make improvements to the park’s pump track. This project will be led by The Dirt Concern, which is not only helping lead a volunteer team, but is also a proud sponsor of National Trails Day!
If you’re a dog owner or someone who simply cares about keeping our public spaces beautiful and welcoming, the Magenta and Indigo Teams are for you! Volunteers on these teams will help with picking up litter and dog waste, brushing vegetation from existing trails, and removing weeds from the beach area.
As someone who participated in her summer camp’s Color Wars every year, I encourage volunteers to show off their team spirit by wearing the color associated with their group! It adds an extra layer of camaraderie to your day and will certainly make it easier to find your crew if you get separated. If you don’t have the exact shade in your closet, don’t fret! The only thing you’re required to bring is your enthusiasm (and closed-toed shoes).
Whether you join us for the trail building, the cleanup projects, or the pump track improvements, National Trails Day is a great way to connect with the community and help care for the outdoor spaces that make Bozeman so special. So sign up, bring your friends and family, and spend the day with us at Gallatin Valley Regional Park! I can’t wait to see you all out on the trails on May 30!