We are offering two trail volunteer sessions:
- Wednesday October 22nd 9:00 am to 11:00 am
- Friday October 24th 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm
If you would like to add the Friday volunteer session to your existing conference registration, send a quick note to info@recycle.ab.ca
About the Friends of Jasper National Park
We are a charitable non-profit organization that strive to connect people with Jasper National Park. We accomplish this through meaningful volunteer opportunities, restoration projects and guided educational and recreational programs. We encourage stewardship and inspire care for the ecological and cultural history of Jasper, to protect and share this special place for future generations. We are an independent organization that collaborates with many community organizations and Parks Canada.
About Sightline and Deadfall Clearing
What: Sightline clearing is the process of clearing the trail corridor of bushes, branches, small trees (less than 4 inches in diameter), shrubs and deadfall that could impede the progress of trail users or visibly obstruct the forward and rear view seen from a given point along the trail.
Why: Trails need ongoing maintenance. The goal of sightline clearing is to increase user safety and enjoyment while on the trails. Sightline clearing can accentuate turns, prevent trails from widening, aid in drying up wet spots, control speed, and allow users to see each other and wildlife. It also ensures that when sight of the trails disappear after snow, our volunteers can still safely flat-pack our trail network for year-round trail use.
How: Volunteers are permitted to use loppers, pruners and various folding hand saws to perform brush and sightline clearing. Power tools are not permitted. Clearing is ONLY permissible on the official trail network, including wildland trails.
For sightline clearing, we recommend bringing:
- Work gloves (if you do not own a pair, one will be provided)
- Eye protection (e.g. safety glasses, sunglasses, glasses)
- Sturdy shoes
- Water
We will provide:
- Work gloves if needed
- Volunteer identifiers (high vis vest)
- Loppers
- Folding hand saws
- Guidance
We will be working on the trail network adjacent to the townsite! Exact location will be identified closer to the date. We will be working on our primary winter trails for our flat-packing winter trails project. This ensures volunteer safety and improved year-round trail user experience. 😊
Here is a link to a video that the Friends of Jasper National Park made for our individuals who are certified as level 1 trail volunteers with us. In other words our volunteers who are certified to do this work on their own. It goes into detail about our scope of work and how we accomplish sightline clearing!