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

Trail Ambassadors are getting ready to launch!

By Loren Payne

Spring is quickly approaching! That means before we know it, Trailkeepers of Oregon will be kicking off another Trail Ambassador season. Through partnerships with the U.S. Forest Service, Oregon State Parks, the Mt. Hood – Columbia River Gorge Tourism Alliance, The Nature Conservancy, and Friends of the Columbia River Gorge, Trail Ambassadors will take to trails beginning April 22nd to engage with trail users across the state. We are always looking to grow our team – if you’ve been looking to give back to the trails you love, we want you on board!

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Family Friendly Events are Back!

An adult holds a fern while a child uses lopper to cut it at the base.

Join TKO on the last Sunday of each month to learn all about trail stewardship!

By Natalie Ferraro

Trailkeepers is excited to once again be offering Family Friendly trail parties for 2023. These events are a chance for kids of all ages to learn some of the basics of trail stewardship, spend quality time with family and friends outdoors, and learn the value of taking care of a place they love. We think our Family Friendly trail parties are some of the best fun you can have on a Sunday, but you don’t have to take our world for it. We asked TKO volunteer Jon and his son Liam to share why they love volunteering with TKO. […]

Safety, Fun, Service – becoming a TKO Crew Leader

A close up of two faces. One person wears a blue jacket and a yellow hat, the other wears a yellow jacket and an orange hat. They both have dirt on their faces and are smiling.

Being a Crew Leader with TKO is rewarding work and comes with a fun and supportive community that can’t wait to welcome you!

by Elaine Keavney and Loren Payne

So you’ve earned your green hat, and are getting “hooked” on trail stewardship.  As you get to know your crew leaders, do you find yourself wondering whether leading a crew would be something you would enjoy? Read on for some information about leading crews, and what you need to do if you would like to become a TKO crew leader!

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