Goodwill PHA - MATC Appalachian Trail Outreach Steward

The purpose of the Maine Appalachian Trail Club (MATC) is to build, maintain and protect a section of the Appalachian Trail in Maine, extending from Katahdin to Grafton Notch, at Maine Highway 26. This includes a system of shelters and campsites at proper intervals, to render accessible for hiking the wild region of Maine through which the Trail passes. Hundreds of community members donate roughly 15,000-hours annually; they adopt sections and remove downed and hazard trees, maintain waterbars, paint blazes, build bog bridges, repair shelters, cleanout firepits, remove trash, build and maintain backcountry toilets, monitor corridor lands, publish a newsletter, maintain a website and database, design trail projects, and more. MATC¿s professional Trail Crew mitigates sedimentation and erosion by reconstructing degraded trail sections with stone stairs, step-stones, waterbars, and drainage ditches. Three seasonally employed Ridgerunners teach approximately 8,000 hikers/year low impact backpacking skills, how to protect native biodiversity and habitat, and to prevent forest fires. The MATC will host an AmeriCorps member, ¿The Appalachian Trail Outreach Steward¿, focused on increasing health through trail work and recreational experiences on the Maine section of the Appalachian Trail. Outdoor experiences in Maine¿s wilderness improves the public¿s physical and mental health through exercise, and immersion in nature reduces stress, isolation and creates a sense of wellbeing. Our A.T. Outreach Stewards provide outreach, education and logistical support to high school, college and other groups including underserved communities.