Sixteen-year-old David Trone is learning to use a specially designed ax and a two-sided rake to clear foliage in a dense woodland. Nearby, Mary Beers, age 79, is patting down soil that soon will be a path for hikers and backpackers. These two are among people who volunteered to help reroute a section of a trail in the Natchez Trace State Park and Forest in Tennessee.
They’re working with other folks of various ages who also offered to donate their time and toil for a project sponsored by the American Hiking Society. That organization works to preserve trails and the areas surrounding them. The nonprofit enterprise is one among many that employ volunteers to help them achieve their goals. Activities in which unpaid helpers can participate around the United States and throughout the world range from maintaining historic buildings and taking part in conservation efforts to assisting scientists in conducting research and helping at-risk children.
