by Jessie Johnson, ATC Volunteer Engagement Specialist
2024 Volunteer Impact Report
In the 2024 federal fiscal year, over 5,000 individual volunteers contributed 176,504 hours to the Appalachian Trail!
Most of these hours can be attributed to the work done by volunteers with A.T.-Maintaining Clubs. Club volunteers not only perform ongoing essential maintenance to keep the treadway as safe and sustainable as possible, they also build and repair shelters, bridges and other structures, remove invasive species, and take inventory of natural resources. From October 1, 2023 through September 30, 2024, clubs completed numerous notable projects, including building privies, installing bear boxes and piloting a bear can loaning program to keep hikers and bears safe, and installing an informative kiosk to keep hikers up-to-date and on track with relevant Trail information. Read more about many of the A.T. clubs’ impressive accomplishments in the past year.