Jim Pelletier

February 2021

For the past two decades, Jim Pelletier has been sharing his knowledge and passion for the natural world – and for the A.T. –  as a volunteer with the Appalachian Mountain Club’s Massachusetts A.T. Management Committee. Pelletier has served on the Mass. A.T. Committee in a variety of roles including but not limited to: committee chair for ten years, corridor monitor, maintenance coordinator, and overnight site caretaker.  Pelletier now serves as the club’s Natural Heritage Coordinator where he works to perform wildlife transects, invasive species monitoring and management, open area maintenance, and special use permit coordination.  

In his current role and beyond, Pelletier has made substantial contributions to the training and recruitment of volunteers. His high level of knowledge in trail building and maintenance, and wildlife tracking to name a few – coupled with his ability to easily chat with and interpret inspirational ques from the natural world to those around him has made Pelletier a role model amongst his peers. In his efforts to gather and share information about the protected lands within the A.T. corridor in Massachusetts, Pelletier has expanded “the clubs interests well beyond the treadway” as it relates to the Trails natural resources and neighboring land owners. 

Pelletier has also played an instrumental part in the development of a comprehensive database for recording a roster of club volunteers and their hours. He is also a certified sawyer in both bucking and felling, and uses those skills frequently. His peers refer to him as: brilliant, organized, strong, skilled and a strong supporter of the Appalachian Trail. They also mention that “If [Pelletier] shows up on a work trip, success is guaranteed.”