Last week, Outdoors Great Southern’s Trail Carers team undertook volunteer trail maintenance at the City of Albany’s Lake Seppings Reserve.
The Trail Carers program operates throughout the Great Southern Region of Western Australia, with the ability to dispatch volunteers to any trail requiring maintenance.
The success behind the Trail Carers program is twofold. First, having a passionate local group of residents who are excited to give back to their local environment and community is essential.
Second, having an organisation that is responsible for the management of the volunteers is crucial. Outdoors Great Southern play a critical role in ensuring that:
Recently, the Trail Carers were dispatched to Lake Seppings in Albany, Western Australia, for two days of scheduled volunteer maintenance with the City of Albany. Lake Seppings was significantly impacted by severe storms in the Winter of 2021, with major works required to repair the trails that meander through the reserve.
The two-day maintenance program at Lake Seppings was a huge success. Over two days, 11 volunteers assisted local government staff and the Outdoors Great Southern supervisor, Brett Pengelley, to undertake vital clearing work.
One of the highlights of the two days was the camaraderie and banter that developed between the volunteers. They discussed their favourite hikes and hiking stories, providing entertainment while the group cleared and mulched branches. The volunteers set up a little oasis close to the trail with camp chairs where they could kick back for a well-deserved break over lunch.
Trail Carers come from a range of different ages, abilities and backgrounds but unified over one thing – giving back to their local trail networks.
It is this development of a trails community that is instrumental to the sustainability and growth of local trails. A consistent and enthusiastic group of volunteers can give so much back to the community and trails. Arguably, this makes volunteers one of the greatest trail assets.