Doug Lightbody

October 2023

Before becoming an Appalachian Trail volunteer Doug Lightbody would often enjoy hiking on sections of the Trail.  During one of his hikes, he came across a few members of the Batona Hiking Club. He noticed that the group was wearing a lot of orange clothing, so he asked where they were going to hunt or hike. To his surprise they explained that they were going to perform some trail maintenance and they invited him to join the Batona Hiking Club as an A.T. volunteer.

Since then, Lightbody has become a passionate trail maintainer who wastes no time caring for the Batona Hiking Club’s designated section of the Appalachian Trail, ensuring that it can be enjoyed by current and future visitors. A few essential maintenance tasks that Lightbody performs at least weekly while visiting the Trail include painting blazes, observing for potential hazards, trimming overgrown vegetation from the sides of the Trail, and ensuring that water drainage features along the Trail’s path continue to function properly in order to reduce erosion. Work may also include removing user created fire pits, keeping the Trail and parking lots free of trash, and educating visitors about Leave No Trace. Lightbody also makes new trail signs when needed, assists with projects to build new trail and is a certified chainsaw operator on the Appalachian Trail.

In addition, Lightbody also monitors and works with partners to keep invasive species under control, as well as to protect rare plant species that are growing near the Trail. He also monitors the boundary of the land parcels that surround the Trail in order to keep this federally protected land free of encroachments such as timber theft or illegal motorized vehicle use. “Because the A.T. is so dynamic there are many opportunities for a person to participate. A person can contribute to making the A.T. a more enjoyable experience by bringing whatever time, talent, and interests that they may have. Every visitor on the Trail benefits from the work of volunteers, including the thru-hiker whose success depends on the work of trail maintainers and the families who are out enjoying the Trail and exploring a little bit of nature” explains Lightbody.

“Though people come to the A.T. for many different reasons [volunteers] work to provide a positive experience for all visitors. I have found that making a positive difference for others can be very rewarding and good for the soul” Lightbody describes before sharing the following excerpt from a hiker’s journal, “Have you noticed how many people it takes to get a thru hiker to the end? This is not a solo sport. It takes a team made of many people you have not ever met.”