Spring Things To Do With the Western MA Chapter

With temperatures rising into the 60s, the snow nearly melted, and my shoes caked in mud, there's no denying it – spring has arrived. It's that magical time of year when everything feels fresh, alive, and full of possibility. Spring is a season of renewal, adventure, and giving back to the places we love. Whether you're looking to challenge yourself on the Appalachian Trail (A.T.), celebrate Earth Day with meaningful action, or recognize the incredible volunteers who keep our trails and programs thriving, the Western MA Chapter has something for you! Join us for an unforgettable hiking series covering the entire 90 miles of the A.T. in Massachusetts – perfect for section hikers, aspiring thru-hikers, or anyone seeking an adventure. Celebrate Earth Day by learning how to protect our environment, testing your knowledge with our Earth Day quiz, or participating in hands-on conservation projects. And during National Volunteer Week, we recognize the dedicated individuals who keep our chapter running – entirely through volunteer efforts! Whether you want to hike, help maintain trails, or lend your skills to conservation work, there's a place for you in our community. Take that first step outside, connect with nature, and be part of something bigger this season! Kathy Martin, Western MA Chapter Chair

Come Section Hike the A.T. in Massachusetts with Us!

Maybe you wouldn't even consider hiking the entire A.T. – all 2,197.4 miles, 5 million steps, and 14 states of it – from Georgia to Maine but would love to do parts of it, or maybe that's a bucket list item. Wherever you stand, the Western MA Chapter is here to help you take that first step! Join us this summer for an exciting and challenging hiking series covering the entire 90 miles of the A.T. in Massachusetts. Whether you're testing the waters for a future thru-hike or just looking for an unforgettable adventure, this series is your gateway to the trail! There will be 14 hikes every weekend (Saturday or Sunday) from May 3 to August 4th. The hikes will range from 5.0 to 9.5 miles, averaging 7.2 miles. The series moves south to north, but leaders may adjust the direction of an individual hike section based on preference and parking. Each hike will be posted individually starting in early April. Use Keyword Search "AT Hiking Series" on the AMC Outdoors Connector to register for the individual hikes. Preference will be given to those committing to the full series. Click HERE for details. Happy trails!

How Will You Recognize Earth Day?

Earth Day has been a global celebration every April 22^nd since 1970. Earth Day was begun by a U.S. senator to raise national awareness of deteriorating environmental conditions across the country. The first Earth Day achieved a rare political alignment between Republicans and Democrats, rich and poor, urban dwellers and farmers, and business and labor leaders, and united individual activists in their fight against pollution. This led to the consolidation of environmental responsibilities under one federal government agency, the EPA, and decades of regulations to curb ecological damage. One of the AMC's primary goals is to protect the mountains, forests, waters, and trails of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions through hands-on stewardship, scientific research, and public policy advocacy. Here in western MA, we strive to support this mission through the work of volunteers in the Appalachian Trail Management Committee, the New England Trail Management Committee, and the Conservation Committee. Want to know what can you do to help?

• You can go to any one of those Committee pages to learn what the Chapter is doing to conserve, maintain and protect the trails, forests and waterways in western Massachusetts.
• You can join an online workshop coming up next week: Protect Our Predators: Your Role in Safeguarding Birds of Prey from Rodent Poison.
• You can test your knowledge by taking our Earth Day Quiz.
• And, finally, you can go to the Chapter Activities page to join specific activities such as wildlife transects, maintaining the trail corridor boundary, trail maintenance, bridge repair and other hands-on projects. We are always looking for new volunteers.

National Volunteer Week

Lend your skills and passion for the outdoors
National Volunteer Week is coming up next month – April 20-26 – and we would like to take this opportunity to recognize the hundreds of volunteers in the Western MA Chapter. Did you know that the Chapter is run entirely by volunteers? This includes the members of the Executive Committee, hundreds of trail maintainers on the A.T. and the NET, and countless activity leaders who guide hiking, bicycling, paddling, climbing, skiing, conservation, and trail work outings. We cannot thank them enough for their commitment and dedication to fulfilling AMC's mission to foster the protection, enjoyment and understanding of the outdoors!
We would love to have you lend your skills and passion for the outdoors with us. To meet some of our wonderful volunteers, and to find out ways to get involved in Chapter, go our Volunteer page and join the fun!