Meagan Meyers
June 2024
It was an appreciation for nature that brought Meagan Meyers to search the internet for ways to volunteer to help the environment, which is how she came to find the Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s (ATC) Visitor Center volunteer opportunity in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia.
Meagan said while she’s not a thru-hiker or a section hiker, she grew up hiking with friends on the A.T. in Washington County, Maryland near her hometown of Frederick. Those early experiences left an impression on Meagan so much so that when she sought a volunteer opportunity that fit with her life as a working professional, she was thrilled to find a role that works with her schedule and her interest in the outdoors.
“I’ve been volunteering for a year; it will be two years in July. It all started because I just like the outdoors: hiking, camping, kayaking, and biking,” said Meagan who now gets to share her passions with others. “I greet guests, register hikers, and provide information on activities in the area, including hiking, history, and points of interest.”
She says that in addition to registering hikers, she gets to help people retrace memories, too. She reflected on a family that came in with two smaller kids. The father mentioned hiking the Trail in the early 2000s but he wasn’t aware of the online hiker archive. She helped find his picture and registration at the visitor center from his hike so that his kids to see it. The entire encounter encapsulates what she finds so rewarding about her volunteerism: the wholesomeness of it. This kind of work, when she is helping people from all different walks of life, inspires her to continue volunteering.
Truthfully, she confesses, it’s not just meeting people who come into the center as hikers, but also getting to know the other volunteers, too. She adds that the Trail makes it special.
“It’s the most volunteers I’ve seen in one space that care so much.”
While she was describing the people she works alongside at the Visitor Center, the same could be said about Meagan, who since beginning to volunteer has helped outside the walls of the center to clean-up the memorial garden, support the organization of the Flip-Flop Festival, join in the Emerging Leaders’ Summit, and share her thoughts on how ATC might reimagine the visitor center.
She said that as much as she loves to give, driven by a desire to show up, bring effort, and make the Appalachian Trail and the community that surrounds it better, she has also benefited from her experiences. Volunteering has deepened her appreciation for conservation, and it has enriched her experiences with her own family.
“Growing up, my family didn’t spend much time outdoors. But these activities volunteering have helped my family come to these experiences, too. I’m thankful for them being willing to engage in the things I find interest in, whether that’s hiking, whitewater rafting, or getting into facts about the Appalachian Trail.”
Meagan finds the rewards of volunteerism in the people she meets. She is fascinated by what draws people to the Appalachian Trail.
She offers this advice to people who feel drawn to volunteer, “You only need to be open to new experiences, be willing to listen, and to put yourself out there. With those first steps, you’ll be on your way to meeting really interesting people.”