Opportunities From: York County Parks Volunteer Portal

Our entrance raised beds at Rudy Park administrative office (stone house) need some love and care! While this garden is packed full of lovely native (and a few ornamental) perennials, there are also a lot of unwelcome plants showing up. If you want to help keep this pretty spot looking nice, please register for this opportunity. 

Supplies You Might Need:

Weeding Targets:

Weeding Logistics:

Can't adopt a trail, but still want to help maintain park trails? This opportunity is to register and view instructions for one-time trail clean-ups. 

While hiking a trail, help to keep it free from debris and litter, prune back plants that encroach on the trail, and reporting down trees or other obstructions that make the trail unsafe or unpassable. Click Here for Trail Map

Trail Monitor Guide - Habitat Action Team

Thank you for your interest in being a Trail Monitor at York County Parks. Below is a guide to help you understand the ways you can help improve our trails and support the efforts of the Habitat Action Team.

1) Suggested Tools: bag for trash; pruning shears; folding saw; garden hoe (for fixing uneven trail spots and cleaning out swales); garden gloves (many plants have thorns); trash pick-up tongs (if high litter area); scissors (for cutting fishing line)

2) Walk the trail every other week if possible and try to walk the trail after major storms. Most damage occurs after storms.

3) Clean up any hiker debris that you might find along the trails.

4) Use pruning shears to trim back briars and other plant life that grow out across the trail. A folding saw can be used for larger jobs. (Make sure all cut branches get moved off the trail.) Do not cut branches higher than an adult's head walking on the trail.  

5) Remove branches that have fallen and block the trail.

6) Clean out any water diverting swales that become clogged. A trails' biggest threat is water. We try to keep water from traveling long distances on the trail. As water picks up speed, the trail has a greater tendency to erode. A garden hoe is a great tool for cleaning out swales.

7) If applicable, check drainage pipes underneath the trail and clean out any that become clogged.

8) Contact the parks to inform:

SERVICE HOURS

If you require service hour paperwork for your school, please take photos completing your hours, and log your hours on the portal. Submit photos with an email request for signature to park staff at parks@yorkcountypa.gov.

Can't adopt a trail, but still want to help maintain park trails? This opportunity is to register and view instructions for one-time trail clean-ups. 

While hiking a trail, help to keep it free from debris and litter, prune back plants that encroach on the trail, and reporting down trees or other obstructions that make the trail unsafe or unpassable. Click Here for Trail Map

Trail Monitor Guide - Habitat Action Team

Thank you for your interest in being a Trail Monitor at York County Parks. Below is a guide to help you understand the ways you can help improve our trails and support the efforts of the Habitat Action Team.

1) Suggested Tools: bag for trash; pruning shears; folding saw; garden hoe (for fixing uneven trail spots and cleaning out swales); garden gloves (many plants have thorns); trash pick-up tongs (if high litter area); scissors (for cutting fishing line)

2) Walk the trail every other week if possible and try to walk the trail after major storms. Most damage occurs after storms.

3) Clean up any hiker debris that you might find along the trails.

4) Use pruning shears to trim back briars and other plant life that grow out across the trail. A folding saw can be used for larger jobs. (Make sure all cut branches get moved off the trail.) Do not cut branches higher than an adult's head walking on the trail.  

5) Remove branches that have fallen and block the trail.

6) Clean out any water diverting swales that become clogged. A trails' biggest threat is water. We try to keep water from traveling long distances on the trail. As water picks up speed, the trail has a greater tendency to erode. A garden hoe is a great tool for cleaning out swales.

7) If applicable, check drainage pipes underneath the trail and clean out any that become clogged.

8) Contact the parks to inform:

SERVICE HOURS

If you require service hour paperwork for your school, please take photos completing your hours, and log your hours on the portal. Submit photos with an email request for signature to park staff at parks@yorkcountypa.gov.

Can't adopt a trail, but still want to help maintain park trails? This opportunity is to register and view instructions for one-time trail clean-ups. 

While hiking a trail, help to keep it free from debris and litter, prune back plants that encroach on the trail, and reporting down trees or other obstructions that make the trail unsafe or unpassable. Click Here for Trail Map

Trail Monitor Guide - Habitat Action Team

Thank you for your interest in being a Trail Monitor at York County Parks. Below is a guide to help you understand the ways you can help improve our trails and support the efforts of the Habitat Action Team.

1) Suggested Tools: bag for trash; pruning shears; folding saw; garden hoe (for fixing uneven trail spots and cleaning out swales); garden gloves (many plants have thorns); trash pick-up tongs (if high litter area); scissors (for cutting fishing line)

2) Walk the trail every other week if possible and try to walk the trail after major storms. Most damage occurs after storms.

3) Clean up any hiker debris that you might find along the trails.

4) Use pruning shears to trim back briars and other plant life that grow out across the trail. A folding saw can be used for larger jobs. (Make sure all cut branches get moved off the trail.) Do not cut branches higher than an adult's head walking on the trail.  

5) Remove branches that have fallen and block the trail.

6) Clean out any water diverting swales that become clogged. A trails' biggest threat is water. We try to keep water from traveling long distances on the trail. As water picks up speed, the trail has a greater tendency to erode. A garden hoe is a great tool for cleaning out swales.

7) If applicable, check drainage pipes underneath the trail and clean out any that become clogged.

8) Contact the parks to inform:

SERVICE HOURS

If you require service hour paperwork for your school, please take photos completing your hours, and log your hours on the portal. Submit photos with an email request for signature to park staff at parks@yorkcountypa.gov.

Can't adopt a trail, but still want to help maintain park trails? This opportunity is to register and view instructions for one-time trail clean-ups. 

While hiking a trail, help to keep it free from debris and litter, prune back plants that encroach on the trail, and reporting down trees or other obstructions that make the trail unsafe or unpassable. Click Here for Trail Map

Trail Monitor Guide - Habitat Action Team

Thank you for your interest in being a Trail Monitor at York County Parks. Below is a guide to help you understand the ways you can help improve our trails and support the efforts of the Habitat Action Team.

1) Suggested Tools: bag for trash; pruning shears; folding saw; garden hoe (for fixing uneven trail spots and cleaning out swales); garden gloves (many plants have thorns); trash pick-up tongs (if high litter area); scissors (for cutting fishing line)

2) Walk the trail every other week if possible and try to walk the trail after major storms. Most damage occurs after storms.

3) Clean up any hiker debris that you might find along the trails.

4) Use pruning shears to trim back briars and other plant life that grow out across the trail. A folding saw can be used for larger jobs. (Make sure all cut branches get moved off the trail.) Do not cut branches higher than an adult's head walking on the trail.  

5) Remove branches that have fallen and block the trail.

6) Clean out any water diverting swales that become clogged. A trails' biggest threat is water. We try to keep water from traveling long distances on the trail. As water picks up speed, the trail has a greater tendency to erode. A garden hoe is a great tool for cleaning out swales.

7) If applicable, check drainage pipes underneath the trail and clean out any that become clogged.

8) Contact the parks to inform:

SERVICE HOURS

If you require service hour paperwork for your school, please take photos completing your hours, and log your hours on the portal. Submit photos with an email request for signature to park staff at parks@yorkcountypa.gov.

Can't adopt a trail, but still want to help maintain park trails? This opportunity is to register and view instructions for one-time trail clean-ups. 

While hiking a trail, help to keep it free from debris and litter, prune back plants that encroach on the trail, and reporting down trees or other obstructions that make the trail unsafe or unpassable. Click Here for Trail Map

Trail Monitor Guide - Habitat Action Team

Thank you for your interest in being a Trail Monitor at York County Parks. Below is a guide to help you understand the ways you can help improve our trails and support the efforts of the Habitat Action Team.

1) Suggested Tools: bag for trash; pruning shears; folding saw; garden hoe (for fixing uneven trail spots and cleaning out swales); garden gloves (many plants have thorns); trash pick-up tongs (if high litter area); scissors (for cutting fishing line)

2) Walk the trail every other week if possible and try to walk the trail after major storms. Most damage occurs after storms.

3) Clean up any hiker debris that you might find along the trails.

4) Use pruning shears to trim back briars and other plant life that grow out across the trail. A folding saw can be used for larger jobs. (Make sure all cut branches get moved off the trail.) Do not cut branches higher than an adult's head walking on the trail.  

5) Remove branches that have fallen and block the trail.

6) Clean out any water diverting swales that become clogged. A trails' biggest threat is water. We try to keep water from traveling long distances on the trail. As water picks up speed, the trail has a greater tendency to erode. A garden hoe is a great tool for cleaning out swales.

7) If applicable, check drainage pipes underneath the trail and clean out any that become clogged.

8) Contact the parks to inform:

SERVICE HOURS

If you require service hour paperwork for your school, please take photos completing your hours, and log your hours on the portal. Submit photos with an email request for signature to park staff at parks@yorkcountypa.gov.

Can't adopt a trail, but still want to help maintain park trails? This opportunity is to register and view instructions for one-time trail clean-ups. 

While hiking a trail, help to keep it free from debris and litter, prune back plants that encroach on the trail, and reporting down trees or other obstructions that make the trail unsafe or unpassable. Click Here for Trail Map

Trail Monitor Guide - Habitat Action Team

Thank you for your interest in being a Trail Monitor at York County Parks. Below is a guide to help you understand the ways you can help improve our trails and support the efforts of the Habitat Action Team.

1) Suggested Tools: bag for trash; pruning shears; folding saw; garden hoe (for fixing uneven trail spots and cleaning out swales); garden gloves (many plants have thorns); trash pick-up tongs (if high litter area); scissors (for cutting fishing line)

2) Walk the trail every other week if possible and try to walk the trail after major storms. Most damage occurs after storms.

3) Clean up any hiker debris that you might find along the trails.

4) Use pruning shears to trim back briars and other plant life that grow out across the trail. A folding saw can be used for larger jobs. (Make sure all cut branches get moved off the trail.) Do not cut branches higher than an adult's head walking on the trail.  

5) Remove branches that have fallen and block the trail.

6) Clean out any water diverting swales that become clogged. A trails' biggest threat is water. We try to keep water from traveling long distances on the trail. As water picks up speed, the trail has a greater tendency to erode. A garden hoe is a great tool for cleaning out swales.

7) If applicable, check drainage pipes underneath the trail and clean out any that become clogged.

8) Contact the parks to inform:

SERVICE HOURS

If you require service hour paperwork for your school, please take photos completing your hours, and log your hours on the portal. Submit photos with an email request for signature to park staff at parks@yorkcountypa.gov.

Can't adopt a trail, but still want to help maintain park trails? This opportunity is to register and view instructions for one-time trail clean-ups. 

While hiking a trail, help to keep it free from debris and litter, prune back plants that encroach on the trail, and reporting down trees or other obstructions that make the trail unsafe or unpassable. Click Here for Trail Map

Trail Monitor Guide - Habitat Action Team

Thank you for your interest in being a Trail Monitor at York County Parks. Below is a guide to help you understand the ways you can help improve our trails and support the efforts of the Habitat Action Team.

1) Suggested Tools: bag for trash; pruning shears; folding saw; garden hoe (for fixing uneven trail spots and cleaning out swales); garden gloves (many plants have thorns); trash pick-up tongs (if high litter area); scissors (for cutting fishing line)

2) Walk the trail every other week if possible and try to walk the trail after major storms. Most damage occurs after storms.

3) Clean up any hiker debris that you might find along the trails.

4) Use pruning shears to trim back briars and other plant life that grow out across the trail. A folding saw can be used for larger jobs. (Make sure all cut branches get moved off the trail.) Do not cut branches higher than an adult's head walking on the trail.  

5) Remove branches that have fallen and block the trail.

6) Clean out any water diverting swales that become clogged. A trails' biggest threat is water. We try to keep water from traveling long distances on the trail. As water picks up speed, the trail has a greater tendency to erode. A garden hoe is a great tool for cleaning out swales.

7) If applicable, check drainage pipes underneath the trail and clean out any that become clogged.

8) Contact the parks to inform:

SERVICE HOURS

If you require service hour paperwork for your school, please take photos completing your hours, and log your hours on the portal. Submit photos with an email request for signature to park staff at parks@yorkcountypa.gov.

Restoration plantings often have tree tubes or cages around young saplings to prevent damage from white-tailed deer, groundhogs, and rabbits as much as possible to give young plants a good start without being pruned by wildlife. These young trees need to be checked on several times per year. This opportunity is great for earning service hours and/or completing with a team, club or family. It's flexible to work at your own pace on your own schedule. This opportunity is for caring for the trees and shrubs beside the deer fence. Some trees/shrubs are caged. Some are tubed. And some are labeled with flags or stakes. You can adopt one or several trees, or check on all the trees in this area.

- Check if the sapling is still alive.

- Check if the tube or cage is still standing and sturdy.

- Hammer in or replace wobbly or rotten stakes.

- Replace tubes with cages when saplings are ready for more space. Contact park staff when you need new supplies such as stakes or cages and we will put them out for you. 

- Remove cages when trunks are thick enough to survive wildlife damage or are growing too much through the cage. You may need wire-cutters to break the branches free without harming them. 

- Cut vines off of the cage, tube, or sapling. Pull up vines from the roots whenever possible. You can use a grocery or trash bag if you have a lot of weeds and vines, and put the bag into the dumpster. 

- Pull out weeds growing inside the tube or cage with the sapling to reduce competition. Use caution not to remove beneficial native wildflowers or sedges. Use Seek, iNaturalist, or send a photo to park staff for help identifying plants. 

Training and orientation can be provided for new volunteers. Please contact park staff to set-up a walk-through/training of your trees as needed. 

Restoration plantings often have tree tubes or cages around young saplings to prevent damage from white-tailed deer, groundhogs, and rabbits as much as possible to give young plants a good start without being pruned by wildlife. These young trees need to be checked on several times per year. This opportunity is great for earning service hours and/or completing with a team, club or family. It's flexible to work at your own pace on your own schedule. In this area, use extreme caution inside the deer fence. We planted a lot of perennials, grasses, and wildflower seeds that are not marked. Use caution when stepping into the fence! 

- Check if the sapling in still alive.

- Check if the tube or cage is still standing and sturdy.

- Hammer in or replace wobbly or rotten stakes.

- Replace tubes with cages when saplings are ready for more space. Contact park staff when you need new supplies such as stakes or cages and we will put them out for you. 

- Remove cages when trunks are thick enough to survive wildlife damage or are growing too much through the cage. You may need wire-cutters to break the branches free without harming them. 

- Cut vines off of the cage, tube, or sapling. Pull up vines from the roots whenever possible. You can use a grocery or trash bag if you have a lot of weeds and vines, and put the bag into the dumpster. 

- Pull out weeds growing inside the tube or cage with the sapling to reduce competition. Use caution not to remove beneficial native wildflowers or sedges. Use Seek, iNaturalist, or send a photo to park staff for help identifying plants. 

Training and orientation can be provided for new volunteers. Please contact park staff to set-up a walk-through/training of your trees as needed. 

Restoration plantings often have tree tubes or cages around young saplings to prevent damage from white-tailed deer, groundhogs, and rabbits as much as possible to give young plants a good start without being pruned by wildlife. These young trees need to be checked on several times per year. This opportunity is great for earning service hours and/or completing with a team, club or family. It's flexible to work at your own pace on your own schedule. 

- Check if the sapling in still alive.

- Check if the tube or cage is still standing and sturdy.

- Hammer in or replace wobbly or rotten stakes.

- Replace tubes with cages when saplings are ready for more space. Contact park staff when you need new supplies such as stakes or cages and we will put them out for you. 

- Remove cages when trunks are thick enough to survive wildlife damage or are growing too much through the cage. You may need wire-cutters to break the branches free without harming them. 

- Cut vines off of the cage, tube, or sapling. Pull up vines from the roots whenever possible. You can use a grocery or trash bag if you have a lot of weeds and vines, and put the bag into the dumpster. 

- Pull out weeds growing inside the tube or cage with the sapling to reduce competition. Use caution not to remove beneficial native wildflowers or sedges. Use Seek, iNaturalist, or send a photo to park staff for help identifying plants. 

Training and orientation can be provided for new volunteers. Please contact park staff to set-up a walk-through/training of your trees as needed. 

Adopt a trail or portion of a trail and be responsible for keeping it free from debris, pruning back plants that encroach on the trail, and reporting down trees or other obstructions that make the trail unsafe or unpassable. 

Preference for trail adoptions goes to the person who was assigned the previous year, but trails become available each year as monitors retire from their trail roles. 

Click Here for Trail Map

Trail Monitor Guide - Habitat Action Team

Thank you for your interest in being a Trail Monitor at York County Parks. Below is a guide to help you understand the ways you can help improve our trails and support the efforts of the Habitat Action Team.

1) Suggested Tools: bag for trash; pruning shears; folding saw; garden hoe (for fixing uneven trail spots and cleaning out swales); garden gloves (many plants have thorns); trash pick-up tongs (if high litter area); scissors (for cutting fishing line)

2) Walk the trail every other week if possible and try to walk the trail after major storms. Most damage occurs after storms.

3) Clean up any hiker debris that you might find along the trails.

4) Use pruning shears to trim back briars and other plant life that grow out across the trail. A folding saw can be used for larger jobs. (Make sure all cut branches get moved off the trail.) Do not cut branches higher than an adult's head walking on the trail.  

5) Remove branches that have fallen and block the trail.

6) Clean out any water diverting swales that become clogged. A trails' biggest threat is water. We try to keep water from traveling long distances on the trail. As water picks up speed, the trail has a greater tendency to erode. A garden hoe is a great tool for cleaning out swales.

7) If applicable, check drainage pipes underneath the trail and clean out any that become clogged.

8) Contact the parks to inform:

Adopt a trail or portion of a trail and be responsible for keeping it free from debris, pruning back plants that encroach on the trail, and reporting down trees or other obstructions that make the trail unsafe or unpassable. 

Preference for trail adoptions goes to the person who was assigned the previous year, but trails become available each year as monitors retire from their trail roles. 

Click Here for Trail Map

Trail Monitor Guide - Habitat Action Team

Thank you for your interest in being a Trail Monitor at York County Parks. Below is a guide to help you understand the ways you can help improve our trails and support the efforts of the Habitat Action Team.

1) Suggested Tools: bag for trash; pruning shears; folding saw; garden hoe (for fixing uneven trail spots and cleaning out swales); garden gloves (many plants have thorns); trash pick-up tongs (if high litter area); scissors (for cutting fishing line)

2) Walk the trail every other week if possible and try to walk the trail after major storms. Most damage occurs after storms.

3) Clean up any hiker debris that you might find along the trails.

4) Use pruning shears to trim back briars and other plant life that grow out across the trail. A folding saw can be used for larger jobs. (Make sure all cut branches get moved off the trail.) Do not cut branches higher than an adult's head walking on the trail.  

5) Remove branches that have fallen and block the trail.

6) Clean out any water diverting swales that become clogged. A trails' biggest threat is water. We try to keep water from traveling long distances on the trail. As water picks up speed, the trail has a greater tendency to erode. A garden hoe is a great tool for cleaning out swales.

7) If applicable, check drainage pipes underneath the trail and clean out any that become clogged.

8) Contact the parks to inform:

Adopt a trail or portion of a trail and be responsible for keeping it free from debris, pruning back plants that encroach on the trail, and reporting down trees or other obstructions that make the trail unsafe or unpassable. 

Preference for trail adoptions goes to the person who was assigned the previous year, but trails become available each year as monitors retire from their trail roles. 

Click Here for Trail Map

Trail Monitor Guide - Habitat Action Team

Thank you for your interest in being a Trail Monitor at York County Parks. Below is a guide to help you understand the ways you can help improve our trails and support the efforts of the Habitat Action Team.

1) Suggested Tools: bag for trash; pruning shears; folding saw; garden hoe (for fixing uneven trail spots and cleaning out swales); garden gloves (many plants have thorns); trash pick-up tongs (if high litter area); scissors (for cutting fishing line)

2) Walk the trail every other week if possible and try to walk the trail after major storms. Most damage occurs after storms.

3) Clean up any hiker debris that you might find along the trails.

4) Use pruning shears to trim back briars and other plant life that grow out across the trail. A folding saw can be used for larger jobs. (Make sure all cut branches get moved off the trail.) Do not cut branches higher than an adult's head walking on the trail.  

5) Remove branches that have fallen and block the trail.

6) Clean out any water diverting swales that become clogged. A trails' biggest threat is water. We try to keep water from traveling long distances on the trail. As water picks up speed, the trail has a greater tendency to erode. A garden hoe is a great tool for cleaning out swales.

7) If applicable, check drainage pipes underneath the trail and clean out any that become clogged.

8) Contact the parks to inform:

Adopt a trail or portion of a trail and be responsible for keeping it free from debris, pruning back plants that encroach on the trail, and reporting down trees or other obstructions that make the trail unsafe or unpassable. 

Preference for trail adoptions goes to the person who was assigned the previous year, but trails become available each year as monitors retire from their trail roles. 

Click Here for Trail Map

Trail Monitor Guide - Habitat Action Team

Thank you for your interest in being a Trail Monitor at York County Parks. Below is a guide to help you understand the ways you can help improve our trails and support the efforts of the Habitat Action Team.

1) Suggested Tools: bag for trash; pruning shears; folding saw; garden hoe (for fixing uneven trail spots and cleaning out swales); garden gloves (many plants have thorns); trash pick-up tongs (if high litter area); scissors (for cutting fishing line)

2) Walk the trail every other week if possible and try to walk the trail after major storms. Most damage occurs after storms.

3) Clean up any hiker debris that you might find along the trails.

4) Use pruning shears to trim back briars and other plant life that grow out across the trail. A folding saw can be used for larger jobs. (Make sure all cut branches get moved off the trail.) Do not cut branches higher than an adult's head walking on the trail.  

5) Remove branches that have fallen and block the trail.

6) Clean out any water diverting swales that become clogged. A trails' biggest threat is water. We try to keep water from traveling long distances on the trail. As water picks up speed, the trail has a greater tendency to erode. A garden hoe is a great tool for cleaning out swales.

7) If applicable, check drainage pipes underneath the trail and clean out any that become clogged.

8) Contact the parks to inform:

Adopt a trail or portion of a trail and be responsible for keeping it free from debris, pruning back plants that encroach on the trail, and reporting down trees or other obstructions that make the trail unsafe or unpassable. 

Preference for trail adoptions goes to the person who was assigned the previous year, but trails become available each year as monitors retire from their trail roles. 

Click Here for Trail Map

Trail Monitor Guide - Habitat Action Team

Thank you for your interest in being a Trail Monitor at York County Parks. Below is a guide to help you understand the ways you can help improve our trails and support the efforts of the Habitat Action Team.

1) Suggested Tools: bag for trash; pruning shears; folding saw; garden hoe (for fixing uneven trail spots and cleaning out swales); garden gloves (many plants have thorns); trash pick-up tongs (if high litter area); scissors (for cutting fishing line)

2) Walk the trail every other week if possible and try to walk the trail after major storms. Most damage occurs after storms.

3) Clean up any hiker debris that you might find along the trails.

4) Use pruning shears to trim back briars and other plant life that grow out across the trail. A folding saw can be used for larger jobs. (Make sure all cut branches get moved off the trail.) Do not cut branches higher than an adult's head walking on the trail.  

5) Remove branches that have fallen and block the trail.

6) Clean out any water diverting swales that become clogged. A trails' biggest threat is water. We try to keep water from traveling long distances on the trail. As water picks up speed, the trail has a greater tendency to erode. A garden hoe is a great tool for cleaning out swales.

7) If applicable, check drainage pipes underneath the trail and clean out any that become clogged.

8) Contact the parks to inform:

Adopt a trail or portion of a trail and be responsible for keeping it free from debris, pruning back plants that encroach on the trail, and reporting down trees or other obstructions that make the trail unsafe or unpassable. 

Preference for trail adoptions goes to the person who was assigned the previous year, but trails become available each year as monitors retire from their trail roles. 

Click Here for Trail Map

Trail Monitor Guide - Habitat Action Team

Thank you for your interest in being a Trail Monitor at York County Parks. Below is a guide to help you understand the ways you can help improve our trails and support the efforts of the Habitat Action Team.

1) Suggested Tools: bag for trash; pruning shears; folding saw; garden hoe (for fixing uneven trail spots and cleaning out swales); garden gloves (many plants have thorns); trash pick-up tongs (if high litter area); scissors (for cutting fishing line)

2) Walk the trail every other week if possible and try to walk the trail after major storms. Most damage occurs after storms.

3) Clean up any hiker debris that you might find along the trails.

4) Use pruning shears to trim back briars and other plant life that grow out across the trail. A folding saw can be used for larger jobs. (Make sure all cut branches get moved off the trail.) Do not cut branches higher than an adult's head walking on the trail.  

5) Remove branches that have fallen and block the trail.

6) Clean out any water diverting swales that become clogged. A trails' biggest threat is water. We try to keep water from traveling long distances on the trail. As water picks up speed, the trail has a greater tendency to erode. A garden hoe is a great tool for cleaning out swales.

7) If applicable, check drainage pipes underneath the trail and clean out any that become clogged.

8) Contact the parks to inform:

Adopt a trail or portion of a trail and be responsible for keeping it free from debris, pruning back plants that encroach on the trail, and reporting down trees or other obstructions that make the trail unsafe or unpassable. 

Preference for trail adoptions goes to the person who was assigned the previous year, but trails become available each year as monitors retire from their trail roles. 

Click Here for Trail Map

Trail Monitor Guide - Habitat Action Team

Thank you for your interest in being a Trail Monitor at York County Parks. Below is a guide to help you understand the ways you can help improve our trails and support the efforts of the Habitat Action Team.

1) Suggested Tools: bag for trash; pruning shears; folding saw; garden hoe (for fixing uneven trail spots and cleaning out swales); garden gloves (many plants have thorns); trash pick-up tongs (if high litter area); scissors (for cutting fishing line)

2) Walk the trail every other week if possible and try to walk the trail after major storms. Most damage occurs after storms.

3) Clean up any hiker debris that you might find along the trails.

4) Use pruning shears to trim back briars and other plant life that grow out across the trail. A folding saw can be used for larger jobs. (Make sure all cut branches get moved off the trail.) Do not cut branches higher than an adult's head walking on the trail.  

5) Remove branches that have fallen and block the trail.

6) Clean out any water diverting swales that become clogged. A trails' biggest threat is water. We try to keep water from traveling long distances on the trail. As water picks up speed, the trail has a greater tendency to erode. A garden hoe is a great tool for cleaning out swales.

7) If applicable, check drainage pipes underneath the trail and clean out any that become clogged.

8) Contact the parks to inform:

Adopt a trail or portion of a trail and be responsible for keeping it free from debris, pruning back plants that encroach on the trail, and reporting down trees or other obstructions that make the trail unsafe or unpassable. 

Preference for trail adoptions goes to the person who was assigned the previous year, but trails become available each year as monitors retire from their trail roles. 

Click Here for Trail Map

Trail Monitor Guide - Habitat Action Team

Thank you for your interest in being a Trail Monitor at York County Parks. Below is a guide to help you understand the ways you can help improve our trails and support the efforts of the Habitat Action Team.

1) Suggested Tools: bag for trash; pruning shears; folding saw; garden hoe (for fixing uneven trail spots and cleaning out swales); garden gloves (many plants have thorns); trash pick-up tongs (if high litter area); scissors (for cutting fishing line)

2) Walk the trail every other week if possible and try to walk the trail after major storms. Most damage occurs after storms.

3) Clean up any hiker debris that you might find along the trails.

4) Use pruning shears to trim back briars and other plant life that grow out across the trail. A folding saw can be used for larger jobs. (Make sure all cut branches get moved off the trail.) Do not cut branches higher than an adult's head walking on the trail.  

5) Remove branches that have fallen and block the trail.

6) Clean out any water diverting swales that become clogged. A trails' biggest threat is water. We try to keep water from traveling long distances on the trail. As water picks up speed, the trail has a greater tendency to erode. A garden hoe is a great tool for cleaning out swales.

7) If applicable, check drainage pipes underneath the trail and clean out any that become clogged.

8) Contact the parks to inform:

Click Here for Trail Map

Adopt a trail or portion of a trail and be responsible for keeping it free from debris, pruning back plants that encroach on the trail, and reporting down trees or other obstructions that make the trail unsafe or unpassable. 

Preference for trail adoptions goes to the person who was assigned the previous year, but trails become available each year as monitors retire from their trail roles. 

Trail Monitor Guide - Habitat Action Team

Thank you for your interest in being a Trail Monitor at York County Parks. Below is a guide to help you understand the ways you can help improve our trails and support the efforts of the Habitat Action Team.

1) Suggested Tools: bag for trash; pruning shears; folding saw; garden hoe (for fixing uneven trail spots and cleaning out swales); garden gloves (many plants have thorns); trash pick-up tongs (if high litter area); scissors (for cutting fishing line)

2) Walk the trail every other week if possible and try to walk the trail after major storms. Most damage occurs after storms.

3) Clean up any hiker debris that you might find along the trails.

4) Use pruning shears to trim back briars and other plant life that grow out across the trail. A folding saw can be used for larger jobs. (Make sure all cut branches get moved off the trail.) Do not cut branches higher than an adult's head walking on the trail.  

5) Remove branches that have fallen and block the trail.

6) Clean out any water diverting swales that become clogged. A trails' biggest threat is water. We try to keep water from traveling long distances on the trail. As water picks up speed, the trail has a greater tendency to erode. A garden hoe is a great tool for cleaning out swales.

7) If applicable, check drainage pipes underneath the trail and clean out any that become clogged.

8) Contact the parks to inform:

Click Here for Trail Map

Adopt a trail or portion of a trail and be responsible for keeping it free from debris, pruning back plants that encroach on the trail, and reporting down trees or other obstructions that make the trail unsafe or unpassable. 

Preference for trail adoptions goes to the person who was assigned the previous year, but trails become available each year as monitors retire from their trail roles. 

Trail Monitor Guide - Habitat Action Team

Thank you for your interest in being a Trail Monitor at York County Parks. Below is a guide to help you understand the ways you can help improve our trails and support the efforts of the Habitat Action Team.

1) Suggested Tools: bag for trash; pruning shears; folding saw; garden hoe (for fixing uneven trail spots and cleaning out swales); garden gloves (many plants have thorns); trash pick-up tongs (if high litter area); scissors (for cutting fishing line)

2) Walk the trail every other week if possible and try to walk the trail after major storms. Most damage occurs after storms.

3) Clean up any hiker debris that you might find along the trails.

4) Use pruning shears to trim back briars and other plant life that grow out across the trail. A folding saw can be used for larger jobs. (Make sure all cut branches get moved off the trail.) Do not cut branches higher than an adult's head walking on the trail.  

5) Remove branches that have fallen and block the trail.

6) Clean out any water diverting swales that become clogged. A trails' biggest threat is water. We try to keep water from traveling long distances on the trail. As water picks up speed, the trail has a greater tendency to erode. A garden hoe is a great tool for cleaning out swales.

7) If applicable, check drainage pipes underneath the trail and clean out any that become clogged.

8) Contact the parks to inform:

Click Here for Trail Map

Adopt a trail or portion of a trail and be responsible for keeping it free from debris, pruning back plants that encroach on the trail, and reporting down trees or other obstructions that make the trail unsafe or unpassable. 

Preference for trail adoptions goes to the person who was assigned the previous year, but trails become available each year as monitors retire from their trail roles. 

Trail Monitor Guide - Habitat Action Team

Thank you for your interest in being a Trail Monitor at York County Parks. Below is a guide to help you understand the ways you can help improve our trails and support the efforts of the Habitat Action Team.

1) Suggested Tools: bag for trash; pruning shears; folding saw; garden hoe (for fixing uneven trail spots and cleaning out swales); garden gloves (many plants have thorns); trash pick-up tongs (if high litter area); scissors (for cutting fishing line)

2) Walk the trail every other week if possible and try to walk the trail after major storms. Most damage occurs after storms.

3) Clean up any hiker debris that you might find along the trails.

4) Use pruning shears to trim back briars and other plant life that grow out across the trail. A folding saw can be used for larger jobs. (Make sure all cut branches get moved off the trail.) Do not cut branches higher than an adult's head walking on the trail.  

5) Remove branches that have fallen and block the trail.

6) Clean out any water diverting swales that become clogged. A trails' biggest threat is water. We try to keep water from traveling long distances on the trail. As water picks up speed, the trail has a greater tendency to erode. A garden hoe is a great tool for cleaning out swales.

7) If applicable, check drainage pipes underneath the trail and clean out any that become clogged.

8) Contact the parks to inform:

Click Here for Trail Map

Adopt a trail or portion of a trail and be responsible for keeping it free from debris, pruning back plants that encroach on the trail, and reporting down trees or other obstructions that make the trail unsafe or unpassable. 

Preference for trail adoptions goes to the person who was assigned the previous year, but trails become available each year as monitors retire from their trail roles. 

Trail Monitor Guide - Habitat Action Team

Thank you for your interest in being a Trail Monitor at York County Parks. Below is a guide to help you understand the ways you can help improve our trails and support the efforts of the Habitat Action Team.

1) Suggested Tools: bag for trash; pruning shears; folding saw; garden hoe (for fixing uneven trail spots and cleaning out swales); garden gloves (many plants have thorns); trash pick-up tongs (if high litter area); scissors (for cutting fishing line)

2) Walk the trail every other week if possible and try to walk the trail after major storms. Most damage occurs after storms.

3) Clean up any hiker debris that you might find along the trails.

4) Use pruning shears to trim back briars and other plant life that grow out across the trail. A folding saw can be used for larger jobs. (Make sure all cut branches get moved off the trail.) Do not cut branches higher than an adult's head walking on the trail.  

5) Remove branches that have fallen and block the trail.

6) Clean out any water diverting swales that become clogged. A trails' biggest threat is water. We try to keep water from traveling long distances on the trail. As water picks up speed, the trail has a greater tendency to erode. A garden hoe is a great tool for cleaning out swales.

7) If applicable, check drainage pipes underneath the trail and clean out any that become clogged.

8) Contact the parks to inform:

Click Here for Trail Map

Adopt a trail or portion of a trail and be responsible for keeping it free from debris, pruning back plants that encroach on the trail, and reporting down trees or other obstructions that make the trail unsafe or unpassable. 

Preference for trail adoptions goes to the person who was assigned the previous year, but trails become available each year as monitors retire from their trail roles. 

Trail Monitor Guide - Habitat Action Team

Thank you for your interest in being a Trail Monitor at York County Parks. Below is a guide to help you understand the ways you can help improve our trails and support the efforts of the Habitat Action Team.

1) Suggested Tools: bag for trash; pruning shears; folding saw; garden hoe (for fixing uneven trail spots and cleaning out swales); garden gloves (many plants have thorns); trash pick-up tongs (if high litter area); scissors (for cutting fishing line)

2) Walk the trail every other week if possible and try to walk the trail after major storms. Most damage occurs after storms.

3) Clean up any hiker debris that you might find along the trails.

4) Use pruning shears to trim back briars and other plant life that grow out across the trail. A folding saw can be used for larger jobs. (Make sure all cut branches get moved off the trail.) Do not cut branches higher than an adult's head walking on the trail.  

5) Remove branches that have fallen and block the trail.

6) Clean out any water diverting swales that become clogged. A trails' biggest threat is water. We try to keep water from traveling long distances on the trail. As water picks up speed, the trail has a greater tendency to erode. A garden hoe is a great tool for cleaning out swales.

7) If applicable, check drainage pipes underneath the trail and clean out any that become clogged.

8) Contact the parks to inform:

Click Here for Trail Map

Adopt a trail or portion of a trail and be responsible for keeping it free from debris, pruning back plants that encroach on the trail, and reporting down trees or other obstructions that make the trail unsafe or unpassable. 

Preference for trail adoptions goes to the person who was assigned the previous year, but trails become available each year as monitors retire from their trail roles. 

Trail Monitor Guide - Habitat Action Team

Thank you for your interest in being a Trail Monitor at York County Parks. Below is a guide to help you understand the ways you can help improve our trails and support the efforts of the Habitat Action Team.

1) Suggested Tools: bag for trash; pruning shears; folding saw; garden hoe (for fixing uneven trail spots and cleaning out swales); garden gloves (many plants have thorns); trash pick-up tongs (if high litter area); scissors (for cutting fishing line)

2) Walk the trail every other week if possible and try to walk the trail after major storms. Most damage occurs after storms.

3) Clean up any hiker debris that you might find along the trails.

4) Use pruning shears to trim back briars and other plant life that grow out across the trail. A folding saw can be used for larger jobs. (Make sure all cut branches get moved off the trail.) Do not cut branches higher than an adult's head walking on the trail.  

5) Remove branches that have fallen and block the trail.

6) Clean out any water diverting swales that become clogged. A trails' biggest threat is water. We try to keep water from traveling long distances on the trail. As water picks up speed, the trail has a greater tendency to erode. A garden hoe is a great tool for cleaning out swales.

7) If applicable, check drainage pipes underneath the trail and clean out any that become clogged.

8) Contact the parks to inform:

Click Here for Trail Map

Adopt a trail or portion of a trail and be responsible for keeping it free from debris, pruning back plants that encroach on the trail, and reporting down trees or other obstructions that make the trail unsafe or unpassable. 

Preference for trail adoptions goes to the person who was assigned the previous year, but trails become available each year as monitors retire from their trail roles. 

Trail Monitor Guide - Habitat Action Team

Thank you for your interest in being a Trail Monitor at York County Parks. Below is a guide to help you understand the ways you can help improve our trails and support the efforts of the Habitat Action Team.

1) Suggested Tools: bag for trash; pruning shears; folding saw; garden hoe (for fixing uneven trail spots and cleaning out swales); garden gloves (many plants have thorns); trash pick-up tongs (if high litter area); scissors (for cutting fishing line)

2) Walk the trail every other week if possible and try to walk the trail after major storms. Most damage occurs after storms.

3) Clean up any hiker debris that you might find along the trails.

4) Use pruning shears to trim back briars and other plant life that grow out across the trail. A folding saw can be used for larger jobs. (Make sure all cut branches get moved off the trail.) Do not cut branches higher than an adult's head walking on the trail.  

5) Remove branches that have fallen and block the trail.

6) Clean out any water diverting swales that become clogged. A trails' biggest threat is water. We try to keep water from traveling long distances on the trail. As water picks up speed, the trail has a greater tendency to erode. A garden hoe is a great tool for cleaning out swales.

7) If applicable, check drainage pipes underneath the trail and clean out any that become clogged.

8) Contact the parks to inform:

Click Here for Trail Map

Adopt a trail or portion of a trail and be responsible for keeping it free from debris, pruning back plants that encroach on the trail, and reporting down trees or other obstructions that make the trail unsafe or unpassable. 

Preference for trail adoptions goes to the person who was assigned the previous year, but trails become available each year as monitors retire from their trail roles. 

Trail Monitor Guide - Habitat Action Team

Thank you for your interest in being a Trail Monitor at York County Parks. Below is a guide to help you understand the ways you can help improve our trails and support the efforts of the Habitat Action Team.

1) Suggested Tools: bag for trash; pruning shears; folding saw; garden hoe (for fixing uneven trail spots and cleaning out swales); garden gloves (many plants have thorns); trash pick-up tongs (if high litter area); scissors (for cutting fishing line)

2) Walk the trail every other week if possible and try to walk the trail after major storms. Most damage occurs after storms.

3) Clean up any hiker debris that you might find along the trails.

4) Use pruning shears to trim back briars and other plant life that grow out across the trail. A folding saw can be used for larger jobs. (Make sure all cut branches get moved off the trail.) Do not cut branches higher than an adult's head walking on the trail.  

5) Remove branches that have fallen and block the trail.

6) Clean out any water diverting swales that become clogged. A trails' biggest threat is water. We try to keep water from traveling long distances on the trail. As water picks up speed, the trail has a greater tendency to erode. A garden hoe is a great tool for cleaning out swales.

7) If applicable, check drainage pipes underneath the trail and clean out any that become clogged.

8) Contact the parks to inform:

Click Here for Trail Map

Adopt a trail or portion of a trail and be responsible for keeping it free from debris, pruning back plants that encroach on the trail, and reporting down trees or other obstructions that make the trail unsafe or unpassable. 

Preference for trail adoptions goes to the person who was assigned the previous year, but trails become available each year as monitors retire from their trail roles. 

Trail Monitor Guide - Habitat Action Team

Thank you for your interest in being a Trail Monitor at York County Parks. Below is a guide to help you understand the ways you can help improve our trails and support the efforts of the Habitat Action Team.

1) Suggested Tools: bag for trash; pruning shears; folding saw; garden hoe (for fixing uneven trail spots and cleaning out swales); garden gloves (many plants have thorns); trash pick-up tongs (if high litter area); scissors (for cutting fishing line)

2) Walk the trail every other week if possible and try to walk the trail after major storms. Most damage occurs after storms.

3) Clean up any hiker debris that you might find along the trails.

4) Use pruning shears to trim back briars and other plant life that grow out across the trail. A folding saw can be used for larger jobs. (Make sure all cut branches get moved off the trail.) Do not cut branches higher than an adult's head walking on the trail.  

5) Remove branches that have fallen and block the trail.

6) Clean out any water diverting swales that become clogged. A trails' biggest threat is water. We try to keep water from traveling long distances on the trail. As water picks up speed, the trail has a greater tendency to erode. A garden hoe is a great tool for cleaning out swales.

7) If applicable, check drainage pipes underneath the trail and clean out any that become clogged.

8) Contact the parks to inform:

Click Here for Trail Map

Adopt a trail or portion of a trail and be responsible for keeping it free from debris, pruning back plants that encroach on the trail, and reporting down trees or other obstructions that make the trail unsafe or unpassable. 

Preference for trail adoptions goes to the person who was assigned the previous year, but trails become available each year as monitors retire from their trail roles. 

Trail Monitor Guide - Habitat Action Team

Thank you for your interest in being a Trail Monitor at York County Parks. Below is a guide to help you understand the ways you can help improve our trails and support the efforts of the Habitat Action Team.

1) Suggested Tools: bag for trash; pruning shears; folding saw; garden hoe (for fixing uneven trail spots and cleaning out swales); garden gloves (many plants have thorns); trash pick-up tongs (if high litter area); scissors (for cutting fishing line)

2) Walk the trail every other week if possible and try to walk the trail after major storms. Most damage occurs after storms.

3) Clean up any hiker debris that you might find along the trails.

4) Use pruning shears to trim back briars and other plant life that grow out across the trail. A folding saw can be used for larger jobs. (Make sure all cut branches get moved off the trail.) Do not cut branches higher than an adult's head walking on the trail.  

5) Remove branches that have fallen and block the trail.

6) Clean out any water diverting swales that become clogged. A trails' biggest threat is water. We try to keep water from traveling long distances on the trail. As water picks up speed, the trail has a greater tendency to erode. A garden hoe is a great tool for cleaning out swales.

7) If applicable, check drainage pipes underneath the trail and clean out any that become clogged.

8) Contact the parks to inform:

Click Here for Trail Map

Adopt a trail or portion of a trail and be responsible for keeping it free from debris, pruning back plants that encroach on the trail, and reporting down trees or other obstructions that make the trail unsafe or unpassable. 

Preference for trail adoptions goes to the person who was assigned the previous year, but trails become available each year as monitors retire from their trail roles. 

Trail Monitor Guide - Habitat Action Team

Thank you for your interest in being a Trail Monitor at York County Parks. Below is a guide to help you understand the ways you can help improve our trails and support the efforts of the Habitat Action Team.

1) Suggested Tools: bag for trash; pruning shears; folding saw; garden hoe (for fixing uneven trail spots and cleaning out swales); garden gloves (many plants have thorns); trash pick-up tongs (if high litter area); scissors (for cutting fishing line)

2) Walk the trail every other week if possible and try to walk the trail after major storms. Most damage occurs after storms.

3) Clean up any hiker debris that you might find along the trails.

4) Use pruning shears to trim back briars and other plant life that grow out across the trail. A folding saw can be used for larger jobs. (Make sure all cut branches get moved off the trail.) Do not cut branches higher than an adult's head walking on the trail.  

5) Remove branches that have fallen and block the trail.

6) Clean out any water diverting swales that become clogged. A trails' biggest threat is water. We try to keep water from traveling long distances on the trail. As water picks up speed, the trail has a greater tendency to erode. A garden hoe is a great tool for cleaning out swales.

7) If applicable, check drainage pipes underneath the trail and clean out any that become clogged.

8) Contact the parks to inform:

Adopt a trail or portion of a trail and be responsible for keeping it free from debris, pruning back plants that encroach on the trail, and reporting down trees or other obstructions that make the trail unsafe or unpassable. 

Preference for trail adoptions goes to the person who was assigned the previous year, but trails become available each year as monitors retire from their trail roles. 

Click Here for Trail Map

Trail Monitor Guide - Habitat Action Team

Thank you for your interest in being a Trail Monitor at York County Parks. Below is a guide to help you understand the ways you can help improve our trails and support the efforts of the Habitat Action Team.

1) Suggested Tools: bag for trash; pruning shears; folding saw; garden hoe (for fixing uneven trail spots and cleaning out swales); garden gloves (many plants have thorns); trash pick-up tongs (if high litter area); scissors (for cutting fishing line)

2) Walk the trail every other week if possible and try to walk the trail after major storms. Most damage occurs after storms.

3) Clean up any hiker debris that you might find along the trails.

4) Use pruning shears to trim back briars and other plant life that grow out across the trail. A folding saw can be used for larger jobs. (Make sure all cut branches get moved off the trail.) Do not cut branches higher than an adult's head walking on the trail.  

5) Remove branches that have fallen and block the trail.

6) Clean out any water diverting swales that become clogged. A trails' biggest threat is water. We try to keep water from traveling long distances on the trail. As water picks up speed, the trail has a greater tendency to erode. A garden hoe is a great tool for cleaning out swales.

7) If applicable, check drainage pipes underneath the trail and clean out any that become clogged.

8) Contact the parks to inform:

Adopt a trail or portion of a trail and be responsible for keeping it free from debris, pruning back plants that encroach on the trail, and reporting down trees or other obstructions that make the trail unsafe or unpassable. 

Preference for trail adoptions goes to the person who was assigned the previous year, but trails become available each year as monitors retire from their trail roles. 

Click Here for Trail Map

Trail Monitor Guide - Habitat Action Team

Thank you for your interest in being a Trail Monitor at York County Parks. Below is a guide to help you understand the ways you can help improve our trails and support the efforts of the Habitat Action Team.

1) Suggested Tools: bag for trash; pruning shears; folding saw; garden hoe (for fixing uneven trail spots and cleaning out swales); garden gloves (many plants have thorns); trash pick-up tongs (if high litter area); scissors (for cutting fishing line)

2) Walk the trail every other week if possible and try to walk the trail after major storms. Most damage occurs after storms.

3) Clean up any hiker debris that you might find along the trails.

4) Use pruning shears to trim back briars and other plant life that grow out across the trail. A folding saw can be used for larger jobs. (Make sure all cut branches get moved off the trail.) Do not cut branches higher than an adult's head walking on the trail.  

5) Remove branches that have fallen and block the trail.

6) Clean out any water diverting swales that become clogged. A trails' biggest threat is water. We try to keep water from traveling long distances on the trail. As water picks up speed, the trail has a greater tendency to erode. A garden hoe is a great tool for cleaning out swales.

7) If applicable, check drainage pipes underneath the trail and clean out any that become clogged.

8) Contact the parks to inform:

Adopt a trail or portion of a trail and be responsible for keeping it free from debris, pruning back plants that encroach on the trail, and reporting down trees or other obstructions that make the trail unsafe or unpassable. 

Preference for trail adoptions goes to the person who was assigned the previous year, but trails become available each year as monitors retire from their trail roles. 

Click Here for Trail Map

Trail Monitor Guide - Habitat Action Team

Thank you for your interest in being a Trail Monitor at York County Parks. Below is a guide to help you understand the ways you can help improve our trails and support the efforts of the Habitat Action Team.

1) Suggested Tools: bag for trash; pruning shears; folding saw; garden hoe (for fixing uneven trail spots and cleaning out swales); garden gloves (many plants have thorns); trash pick-up tongs (if high litter area); scissors (for cutting fishing line)

2) Walk the trail every other week if possible and try to walk the trail after major storms. Most damage occurs after storms.

3) Clean up any hiker debris that you might find along the trails.

4) Use pruning shears to trim back briars and other plant life that grow out across the trail. A folding saw can be used for larger jobs. (Make sure all cut branches get moved off the trail.) Do not cut branches higher than an adult's head walking on the trail.  

5) Remove branches that have fallen and block the trail.

6) Clean out any water diverting swales that become clogged. A trails' biggest threat is water. We try to keep water from traveling long distances on the trail. As water picks up speed, the trail has a greater tendency to erode. A garden hoe is a great tool for cleaning out swales.

7) If applicable, check drainage pipes underneath the trail and clean out any that become clogged.

8) Contact the parks to inform:

Adopt a trail or portion of a trail and be responsible for keeping it free from debris, pruning back plants that encroach on the trail, and reporting down trees or other obstructions that make the trail unsafe or unpassable. 

Preference for trail adoptions goes to the person who was assigned the previous year, but trails become available each year as monitors retire from their trail roles. 

Click Here for Trail Map

Trail Monitor Guide - Habitat Action Team

Thank you for your interest in being a Trail Monitor at York County Parks. Below is a guide to help you understand the ways you can help improve our trails and support the efforts of the Habitat Action Team.

1) Suggested Tools: bag for trash; pruning shears; folding saw; garden hoe (for fixing uneven trail spots and cleaning out swales); garden gloves (many plants have thorns); trash pick-up tongs (if high litter area); scissors (for cutting fishing line)

2) Walk the trail every other week if possible and try to walk the trail after major storms. Most damage occurs after storms.

3) Clean up any hiker debris that you might find along the trails.

4) Use pruning shears to trim back briars and other plant life that grow out across the trail. A folding saw can be used for larger jobs. (Make sure all cut branches get moved off the trail.) Do not cut branches higher than an adult's head walking on the trail.  

5) Remove branches that have fallen and block the trail.

6) Clean out any water diverting swales that become clogged. A trails' biggest threat is water. We try to keep water from traveling long distances on the trail. As water picks up speed, the trail has a greater tendency to erode. A garden hoe is a great tool for cleaning out swales.

7) If applicable, check drainage pipes underneath the trail and clean out any that become clogged.

8) Contact the parks to inform:

Walk through the nature play space next to the traditional playground at the Hidden Laurel Parking Lot Pavilion cluster. Check for broken structures that need reported to park staff. Check for poison ivy or thorny plants that need to be removed (report to park staff). Pick-up litter. Collect lost and found items. Look for any hazards and report to park staff. Please check weekly whenever possible. 

Walk through the Exploration Forest at Nixon Park (off the nature center park lot). Check for broken structures that need reported to park staff. Check for poison ivy or thorny plants that need to be removed (report to park staff). Pick-up litter. Collect lost and found items. Look for any hazards and report to park staff. Please check weekly whenever possible. 

Restoration plantings often have tree tubes or cages around young saplings to prevent damage from white-tailed deer, groundhogs, and rabbits as much as possible to give young plants a good start without being pruned by wildlife. These young trees need to be checked on several times per year. This opportunity is great for earning service hours; completing with a team, club or family; and it's flexile to work at your own pace on your own schedule. 

- Check if the sapling in still alive

- Check if the tube or cage is still standing and sturdy

- Hammer in or replace wobbly or rotten stakes

- Replace tubes with cages when saplings are ready for more space

- Remove cages when trunks are thick enough to survive wildlife damage

- cut vines off of the cage, tube, or sapling

- Pull out weeds growing inside the tube or cage with the sapling to reduce competition

Training and orientation will be provided for new volunteers. 

Restoration plantings often have tree tubes or cages around young saplings to prevent damage from white-tailed deer, groundhogs, and rabbits as much as possible to give young plants a good start without being pruned by wildlife. These young trees need to be checked on several times per year. This opportunity is great for earning service hours; completing with a team, club or family; and it's flexile to work at your own pace on your own schedule. 

- Check if the sapling in still alive

- Check if the tube or cage is still standing and sturdy

- Hammer in or replace wobbly or rotten stakes

- Replace tubes with cages when saplings are ready for more space

- Remove cages when trunks are thick enough to survive wildlife damage

- cut vines off of the cage, tube, or sapling

- Pull out weeds growing inside the tube or cage with the sapling to reduce competition

Training and orientation will be provided for new volunteers. 

Restoration plantings often have tree tubes or cages around young saplings to prevent damage from white-tailed deer, groundhogs, and rabbits as much as possible to give young plants a good start without being pruned by wildlife. These young trees need to be checked on several times per year. This opportunity is great for earning service hours; completing with a team, club or family; and it's flexile to work at your own pace on your own schedule. 

- Check if the sapling in still alive

- Check if the tube or cage is still standing and sturdy

- Hammer in or replace wobbly or rotten stakes

- Replace tubes with cages when saplings are ready for more space

- Remove cages when trunks are thick enough to survive wildlife damage

- cut vines off of the cage, tube, or sapling

- Pull out weeds growing inside the tube or cage with the sapling to reduce competition

Training and orientation will be provided for new volunteers. 

Restoration plantings often have tree tubes or cages around young saplings to prevent damage from white-tailed deer, groundhogs, and rabbits as much as possible to give young plants a good start without being pruned by wildlife. These young trees need to be checked on several times per year. This opportunity is great for earning service hours; completing with a team, club or family; and it's flexile to work at your own pace on your own schedule. 

- Check if the sapling in still alive

- Check if the tube or cage is still standing and sturdy

- Hammer in or replace wobbly or rotten stakes

- Replace tubes with cages when saplings are ready for more space

- Remove cages when trunks are thick enough to survive wildlife damage

- cut vines off of the cage, tube, or sapling

- Pull out weeds growing inside the tube or cage with the sapling to reduce competition

Training and orientation will be provided for new volunteers. 

Restoration plantings often have tree tubes or cages around young saplings to prevent damage from white-tailed deer, groundhogs, and rabbits as much as possible to give young plants a good start without being pruned by wildlife. These young trees need to be checked on several times per year. This opportunity is great for earning service hours; completing with a team, club or family; and it's flexile to work at your own pace on your own schedule. 

- Check if the sapling in still alive

- Check if the tube or cage is still standing and sturdy

- Hammer in or replace wobbly or rotten stakes

- Replace tubes with cages when saplings are ready for more space

- Remove cages when trunks are thick enough to survive wildlife damage

- cut vines off of the cage, tube, or sapling

- Pull out weeds growing inside the tube or cage with the sapling to reduce competition

Training and orientation will be provided for new volunteers. 

Restoration plantings often have tree tubes or cages around young saplings to prevent damage from white-tailed deer, groundhogs, and rabbits as much as possible to give young plants a good start without being pruned by wildlife. These young trees need to be checked on several times per year. This opportunity is great for earning service hours; completing with a team, club or family; and it's flexile to work at your own pace on your own schedule. 

- Check if the sapling in still alive

- Check if the tube or cage is still standing and sturdy

- Hammer in or replace wobbly or rotten stakes

- Replace tubes with cages when saplings are ready for more space

- Remove cages when trunks are thick enough to survive wildlife damage

- cut vines off of the cage, tube, or sapling

- Pull out weeds growing inside the tube or cage with the sapling to reduce competition

Training and orientation will be provided for new volunteers. 

Restoration plantings often have tree tubes or cages around young saplings to prevent damage from white-tailed deer, groundhogs, and rabbits as much as possible to give young plants a good start without being pruned by wildlife. These young trees need to be checked on several times per year. This opportunity is great for earning service hours; completing with a team, club or family; and it's flexile to work at your own pace on your own schedule. 

- Check if the sapling in still alive

- Check if the tube or cage is still standing and sturdy

- Hammer in or replace wobbly or rotten stakes

- Replace tubes with cages when saplings are ready for more space

- Remove cages when trunks are thick enough to survive wildlife damage

- cut vines off of the cage, tube, or sapling

- Pull out weeds growing inside the tube or cage with the sapling to reduce competition

Training and orientation will be provided for new volunteers. 

Restoration plantings often have tree tubes or cages around young saplings to prevent damage from white-tailed deer, groundhogs, and rabbits as much as possible to give young plants a good start without being pruned by wildlife. These young trees need to be checked on several times per year. This opportunity is great for earning service hours; completing with a team, club or family; and it's flexile to work at your own pace on your own schedule. 

- Check if the sapling in still alive

- Check if the tube or cage is still standing and sturdy

- Hammer in or replace wobbly or rotten stakes

- Replace tubes with cages when saplings are ready for more space

- Remove cages when trunks are thick enough to survive wildlife damage

- cut vines off of the cage, tube, or sapling

- Pull out weeds growing inside the tube or cage with the sapling to reduce competition

Training and orientation will be provided for new volunteers. 

Adopt a section of native plant garden at the nature center. Work with park staff to come up with a plan, learn about native plants, and help keep the garden in check! This opportunity is flexible and on your own schedule, however, tools are only available to borrow during nature center open hours. 

Roles May Include:

Weeding

Mulching

Pruning

Cutting back excess growth from paths

Editing plantings as needed

Keeping staff informed of any needs