Join the Trail Team

Volunteer Opportunities & Support

People

  • Who is a Trail Volunteer?

    A community member who helps maintain trails leveraging best practices defined by THOR and IMBA.

  • Who is a Trail Champion?

    A community member who creates alignment among community members, stakeholders, and potentially funders for trails or a specific trail system in their neighborhood or town.

  • Who is a Trail Leader?

    The principal volunteer maintenance person for a community trail system.

Volunteer Opportunities

  • What is the Trail Adoption Program?

    The THOR Trail Adoption Program allows individuals or groups to assume responsibility for maintaining vegetation in the trail corridor for an entire trail or segment.

  • What is a Trail Day?

    This is a maintenance-focused trail work event organized by a Trail Leader and/or community members.

Programs

  • What is a THOR Trail Care Session?

    A Trail Care Session is a ½ day programming event taught by THOR’s Trail Education Team designed to connect the trail community, share sustainable trail techniques, and enhance the trail experience.

  • What is a THOR IMBA Trail Care School?

    This is a full-day or multi-day event taught by the IMBA Trail Education Team in coordination with THOR. Programs are tailored to meet the needs of trail volunteers, land managers, or land management staff. IMBA Trail Care School will teach the basics of sustainable trail design and trail maintenance principles.

Are You Interested in Serving as a Trail Leader?

Trail Leaders are trusted volunteers who are largely independent primary stewards of a community trail or trail system in the THOR region. Trail leaders support basic trail tread maintenance, rutting repairs, vegetation maintenance, and sustainability improvements such as nicks and rolling grade dips.

Trail Leader Benefits

THOR Trails Staff Support
THOR Trails Tool & Equipment Access
Expense Reimbursements (See details below.)
“Trail Leader” T-Shirt
“Trail Leader” Sticker
Iron-On Patch
THOR Trails Water Bottle

How does the THOR Trail Director Partner with Trail Leaders?

The Trail Director’s agreement is needed for areas that impact land manager agreements and relationships, budgets, additional inspections, mapping and routing updates, and changes to the overall user experience.

Trail Director’s Agreement

Trail Building & Maintenance items that require the Trail Director’s agreement:

Adding new trails or rerouting trails in a way that changes a route or trail maps

  • Adding significant features to a trail 

    • This could be defined broadly as jumps, berms, logs, bridges, or other items requiring maintenance to ensure a consistent experience, safety, and sustainability.

    • For example, a fun RGD added to a legacy trail doesn't require the Trail Director’s agreement, but a jump with a shaped lip is a feature that will be added to a regular inspection list.

  • Prior approval by the Trail Director is required for expenses over $100

Why do these items require agreement with the Trail Director when Trail Leaders and volunteers have sometimes acted more independently in the past?

THOR’s Land Manager agreements and relationships have evolved based on the requests of land managers and the evolution of THOR’s capabilities.

  • THOR is working to improve the trail user experience, particularly for newer riders and other new trail users. This requires mapping, signage, and trail features that match the user's expectations and help ensure a positive experience and that they return to the trails.

  • THOR’s financial responsibilities require budgeting and management. Trail projects that change maintenance and inspection requirements or require capital investment must be carefully considered from diverse perspectives.

  • THOR’s commitment to improving the trail user experience and creating sustainable trails benefits from thoughtful group planning and design. This is especially critical when a trail system has been professionally planned and designed.

THOR Trails Volunteer Expenses & Reimbursements

Trail Leaders and Trail Adoption Program Leaders

Trail Leaders may request reimbursement for tools, fuel, and other THOR-related expenses to support trail building, trail maintenance, and Trail Days.

  • The THOR Trail Director must approve any individual expense, event, or activity over $100 before the expenditure. The approval may be for an approximate amount. (For example, an approved Trail Day food budget of approximately $200.)

  • At the Trail Director's discretion, THOR may purchase the requested item(s) directly.

  • Approved expenses and documentation must be submitted to the Trail Director the same week the expense is incurred.

  • Mileage is only reimbursed with previous approval from the Trail Director.

Trail Day and Trail Adoption Program Volunteers

Volunteers are not eligible for expense reimbursement. All resources should be requested from a Trail Leader or the Trails Director.

Program & Advocacy Volunteers

Volunteers are not eligible for expense reimbursement. All resources should be requested from the Community Director.

Apply Today

—

Apply Today —

Trail Leaders and Champions have played key roles in helping to increase the demand for and opportunities for trails across Nebraska and Iowa over the past 26 years.

Our mission is to create and share the natural surface trail experience in Nebraska and Western Iowa through advocacy, education, and the building of sustainable and accessible trails.