Get out and give back.

If you’re an avid hiker, there’s an opportunity for you to help out in Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area this summer. From Aug. 23-29,2009, eight volunteers will help the USDA Forest Service with basic corridor cleaning along Snowbank Trail and Disappointment Mountain Loop. Work level is described as “very strenuous” and the minimum age for participants is eighteen.

For thirty years, American Hiking Society’s Volunteer Vacations have offered participants affordable, fulfilling ways to explore natural areas. Volunteer Vacations are a series of trail building projects on America's public lands. Trips range from easy to strenuous and most require no prior experience. They do involve backpacking or day hiking, and accommodations vary from primitive campsites to bunkhouses or cabins. Tools and supervision are provided by the host organization.

Since American Hiking is a non-profit organization, a registration fee is charged to help offset costs. Meals are included, except when volunteers opt to eat out in a nearby town, and volunteers are exempt from paying park entrance fees, campground fees, and backcountry permit fees. The registration fee also includes a one-year membership to American Hiking and a crew t-shirt.

To learn more about American Hiking Society and its programs, including Volunteer Vacations, visit their website or call (301) 565-6704. And if you’ve had your own “volunteer vacation” experience, please register or log in and tell us about it.