Do you want to get your hands dirty? Grab a shovel and volunteer for National Trails Day. Every year in the beginning of June, hundreds of community members join Gallatin Valley Land Trust (GVLT) for a morning of hard work to maintain or build our community trails. The 2017 event is set for Saturday, June 3rd.
Those interested will converge at Gallatin Regional Park, 1707 Vaquero Pkwy, at 8:30am. This event is free and open to the public. Join in for a fun day of improving and enhancing the popular park off Oak St. This community point of interest is in need of tree plantings, trail resurfacing, trash pick-up, weed removal and mulching. Participants will also be improving the area around the playground, climbing boulder, and pump track. Volunteers do not need to RSVP for this event. Please wear layers, closed-toed shoes, sunscreen, and gloves. GVLT will provide the tools, but extra wheel barrows, rakes, and shovels are helpful. Stick around after volunteering for a picnic lunch! Groups and businesses are welcome to join for this community volunteer day. And don’t forget — National Trails Day is the kick off to GVLT’s annual Summer Trails Challenge, running through June 23rd. Keep track of your miles and log them at www.gvlt.org.
Fill out a simple form and watch the mileage tracker go up and up! For every mile you hike, bike, or run in the Main Street to the Mountains trail system, $1 will be earned toward the Community Match Pool. This is a fund generously sponsored by local businesses. Last year our community rose to the challenge, logging over 26,000 miles in just two weeks. Exceeding the goal, recreationalists helped secure the full $20,000 from the Community Match Pool. Local businesses have pitched in $45,000 in 2017. That means our community needs to hit the trails for 45,000 miles in just three weeks. Can we do it? A celebratory finale party is set for Friday, June 23rd at 4:30pm. Stay tuned for details! Supporting GVLT is free and your miles will help GVLT continue to expand and enhance the Main Street to the Mountains trail system. •