In Harpers Ferry, Appalachian Trail Conservancy staff members and volunteers will greet visitors to Trails Day booths in the historical-park section of town along the Shenandoah River and host a presentation at the ATC visitors center at 799 Washington Street on a current project with the American Chestnut Foundation (TACF). At the same time, the ATC regional office in Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania, will join in the town’s annual Foundry Day along the shore of Childrens’ Lake, which is also part of the 2,176-mile Appalachian Trail.
The ceremony in Harpers Ferry at ATC’s national headquarters will start at 2:30 p.m. and showcase an ATC and TACF collaborative project to study American chestnut populations along the Appalachian Trail, as part of ATC’s multifaceted environmental-monitoring program dubbed the “A.T. MEGA-Transect”. Refreshments will be served after the ceremony, courtesy of Common Market in Frederick, Md. Two guided hikes that will include interpretation and education about American chestnuts are also planned—the first to start at 10 a.m. from ATC’s booth in the riverside part of town and the second to start at 4:30 p.m. from the ATC visitors center. The event also celebrates American Chestnut Foundation’s 25th anniversary, for which TACF is promoting a “Hike a Mile for the American Chestnut” on the Appalachian Trail. Visit TACF’s Web site at for more information on the anniversary.
In Boiling Springs, Foundry Day is a local celebration, attended last year by more than 10,000 people, that coincides with National Trails Day. The ATC booth at the event provides information about the Appalachian Trail and acts as the gathering location for an A.T. hike and is usually visited by Smokey Bear. ATC expects participation by the Mountain Club of Maryland, the Cumberland Valley A.T. Club, the American Chestnut Foundation, and Summit Search & Rescue and its bloodhounds.
The ATC works cooperatively with 30 affiliated local clubs of volunteers from Maine to Georgia who do the essential day-to-day work to keep the Trail open, safe, and in excellent condition, with ATC providing financial support, training, and coordination. With the clubs and a network of federal and state agencies, the ATC is responsible for the care of more than 250,000 acres of public land that provide a narrow buffer for the legendary footpath. Many of the clubs also are celebrating National Trails Day with volunteer work trips and hikes. Activities being hosted by A.T. clubs can be found at www.appalachiantrail.org/NTD2008 or www.americanhiking.org.
National Trails Day is an annual event organized since 1993 by the American Hiking Society to raise public awareness of trails and thank many people and partners for their support and hard work, including volunteers, land agencies, and outdoor-minded businesses.
The 83-year-old Appalachian Trail Conservancy is a volunteer-based nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation and management of the natural, scenic, historic, and cultural resources associated with the trail, in order to provide primitive outdoor recreation and educational opportunities for Trail visitors.
