Thank you to all the park and trail staff and volunteers that have helped keep our parks, trails, preserves and publicly protected lands safe, clean and open for people to enjoy this year. With the outdoors offering a safe way to connect with our family and friends, it’s no wonder that a record 19.8 million visitors visited our parks and trails.
Through it all, staff and volunteers have worked diligently to ensure that trails are safe and clean for everyone to use. Visitors did their part, but the park staff were the true heroes in showing up to work, day in and day out to keep our trails open and protected.
All summer long, the often-invisible heroes of trail and park staff and volunteers have been maintaining trails, emptying trash bins, cleaning restrooms and patrolling our parks. These behind-the-scenes heroes often go unrecognized for the work they do in the heat, rain and humidity. They are founts of knowledge about the land they care for and take deep pride in keeping it safe for you to enjoy.
Just saying a simple “thank you” the next time you see a park or trail staff member can go a long way. They’re the ones ensuring that you can enjoy some of the most beautiful places in North Carolina.
Here are a few simple ways you can thank your park and trail staff and volunteers:
- Just say “Thanks” when you see them emptying trash bins or cleaning bathrooms
- Send a thank-you note to the park or land conservancy home office
- Send a tweet or post on Instagram thanking the staff and volunteers and tag your favorite park or land
- conservation organization
Many of these lands have been improved thanks to funding from North Carolina’s conservation trust funds. Our state’s conservation trust funds ensure that the Clean Water Management Trust Fund (CWMTF), Parks and Recreation Trust Fund (PARTF) and the Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund (ADFPTF) are fully funded to safeguard our beloved natural spaces. These funds enable conservation groups to continue working with our state partners to protect North Carolina’s valuable natural resources.