WEEK 8: Bring back trails from wind & fire

 Every donation, you’ll receive an exclusive Trail Butter discount code to their online shop & a virtual ticket to a special REI + TKO movie night on 12/31

Donate $50+, you’ll be entered into a raffle to win a Patagonia + Trail Butter gift package, duffles stuffed with an assortment of nut butters for your next trail adventure

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Bring Oregon’s Trails Back from Fire & Wind

2020 saw record damage to trails from wildfire and wind storms across the state. From southern Oregon to the central coast to the Willamette National forest, this record-breaking year has left behind a lot of work to be done.

TKO has been here before. Here is where we see we can help:

  • Building a transformed leader to provide a safe, equitable and inclusive outdoor space – A TKO Crew Leader is a special volunteer type, learning how to provide safe and welcoming experiences requires training and support. TKO is building a leadership pipeline that is making stewardship safe and fun for all!
  • Foundational skills to catch the trail bug – Building and maintaining trails is fun and satisfying when you know how to solve the problems that you find. It takes some practice, and we have a learning laboratory for building those skills.
  • Technical skills for volunteer and professionals – Anyone can be a Trailkeeper. Knowing how to tackle technical trail problems like sawing a jackstrawed mess of windblown trees, battering a rock wall to stand the test of time or stringing logs for a timber bridge? Learn by doing with TKO.

The surge of community support and involvement after the Eagle Creek Fire in 2017 is where many of the current TKO Crew Leaders got their start. We have used what we learned from those experiences of bring trails back from the ashes to build a cohort of skilled volunteers across the state. We have been working tirelessly for the last three years to build a training program for trail steward volunteers to be ready to tackle any trail issues that arise, including fire impacts.

We are still waiting for the fire-affected areas to settle through the winter. Once these areas are deemed safe to begin work, we will be there to start the work and to enjoy the journey of being a part of the rebirth of these trails.

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TRAILKEEPERS UNIVERISTY

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Trailkeepers University

Imagine a place you could go to learn about trail design, get continuing education credits, learn how to build a bridge, become the leader you were always meant to be, learn new job skills, and meet trail-lovers like yourself along the way.

That’s the dream behind Trailkeepers University. By engaging with local communities across the state, we aim to build up local volunteerism through stewardship to ensure that every trail in Oregon someday gets the high quality of love and attention that we hang our hard hats on at the end of every day. Join us in making this dream a reality and be a part of Oregon’s growing trail legacy. We can’t do this without you!

Join the Legacy

Learning by Doing

We know from experience that the best way to teach someone a skill is to get a tool in their hands and let them experience the process for themselves. This happened to TKO as an organization as we embraced our role as a recovery partner after the Eagle Creek Fire. This philosophy is built into everything we do. As we develop TKU programming with the goal of empowering volunteers to help with recovery in fire affected areas, our Crew Leaders will be passing along the lessons learned over the years. This will happen by getting more tool in more volunteers hands on trails across the state. All of this takes resources to provide and where our amazing donors come in. Your gift makes an impact and brings you into the legacy we are building, together.

Join the Legacy

Latest News

You person with a hiking pack walks along a steep mountain trail with large white flowers along the hillside and scenic views.

ACTION ALERT: Forest Service cuts to seasonal staffing will hurt trails and recreational access

This post comes with big thanks to our friends at Washington Trails Association who invited us to borrow heavily from their similar action alert! We invite you to scan the similarities and differences between Oregon and Washington in WTA’s article with a carbon copy for Oregon that we created below. 

If you hike in Oregon, odds are excellent that you’ve enjoyed trails on U.S. Forest Service land. About 39% of Oregon (yes, that’s over 14 million acres of the state) is managed by the U.S. Forest Service. National forests contain some of the most iconic landscapes, popular campgrounds and beloved hiking trails in the state. Encircle Mt. Hood on the Timberline trail, hike along a National Scenic Trail like the Deschutes River trail, visit the Oregon Dunes along the coast, or backpack in the Eagle Cap Wilderness and you are enjoying some of the over 15,000 miles of national forest trails in Oregon.

You person with a hiking pack walks along a steep mountain trail with large white flowers along the hillside and scenic views.

Millions of visitors spread out in Oregon’s 14 million acres of Forest Service lands and 15,000 miles of trails. Photo by TKO volunteer leader Neil Cadsawan

A funding crisis is putting Forest Service trails, campgrounds and other types of outdoor recreation at risk. The U.S. Forest Service is currently making major cuts to its workforce that will reduce its ability to maintain trails, clean trailhead restrooms, collect trash and provide essential services. 

BUDGET CRISIS WILL CUT JOBS AND REDUCE SERVICES

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@ by Steve Kruger

Wildfire Resilience, Shellburg Falls Reopens in the Santiam State Forest

Among the many communities, natural landscapes, and hiking trails that were set ablaze in the historic 2020 Labor Day Wildfires, the Beachie Creek fire swept across Shellburg Falls Recreation Area in the Santiam State Forest southeast of Salem. Once the smoke cleared, TKO was called upon to help! […]

@ by Steve Kruger
A large group of TKO Trail Ambassadors stand in front of a waterfall. The image is overlaid by the TKO logo.

2024 Trail Ambassadors Foster a Welcoming and Accessible Outdoors

Trails have amazing potential to bring people of all backgrounds and abilities into the outdoors, yet gaps in information prevent many from doing so. That’s where TKO Trail Ambassadors come in! These volunteers help to create a welcoming environment on Oregon’s trails by offering a friendly presence to answer questions, providing maps and other information, and recommending local businesses and attractions. Looking back on the 2024 season, it’s easy to see the positive impact their passion and dedication had on Oregon’s trails and trail users.

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@ by Steve Kruger
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