Onion Foundation Love for Maine Trails
Ash Holland, Onion Foundation Staff Writer
Each year, on the first Saturday in June, people from across the country gather to maintain the nature trails in their communities as part of National Trails Day. Together, participants advance the organization’s motto, “Any trail, anywhere — leave it better.”
Inspired by this community effort, the Maine Trails Coalition took trail stewardship to new heights in 2021 by creating a month-long, statewide initiative called Love Maine Trails Month. Since then, various organizations, businesses, watershed organizations, and nonprofits have hosted events throughout June through which community members — regardless of their stewardship experience — can give back to the trails that enrich the state.
Maine Trails Coalition is the perfect facilitator for this initiative, as the organization is a central hub for trail supporters that works tirelessly to connect Maine communities to the outdoors, to advocate for protective policies, and to sustain the trails that connect us all. As it embarks on its fourth annual Love Maine Trails Month, the coalition is encouraging Mainers from all regions to help keep their local trails thriving.
‘Dedicated Hands and Hearts’
Love Maine Trails Month was initially created through a coordinated effort of former Maine Trails Coalition employees: Carrie Kinne, now of Freeport Conservation Trust, Gabe Perkins of Inland Woods & Trails, and Silvia Cassano, a conservation-oriented writer.
Today, Jenny Ward, Maine Trails Coalition’s interim director and former volunteer, leads the project, which she says was originally a way of solving a critical issue: “Organizations and land managers were struggling to maintain and support their trails in a way that could provide everybody an amazing and safe experience. How do we take a pretty serious issue and make it fun?”
Love Maine Trails Month was designed to do just that: engage the community in fun events that simultaneously help maintain nature trails throughout the state. As Ward says, “It’s about raising awareness about the care and maintenance that goes into having an amazing trail experience and to spotlight the significant effect that volunteers have on trails. We wanted to sustain the state’s trail system and foster that culture of stewardship.”
Ward and her team collaborate with Maine Trail Finder to make specific events more accessible to Maine residents and visitors. Maine Trail Finder offers a free, interactive map of trails — complete with detailed descriptions of trail accessibility and specific Love Maine Trail Month events.
“It’s great because Maine Trail Finder is kind of an authority on where to go hiking and what to find when you get there,” says Ward. “It just made sense that we would partner with them because they would be able to provide the resources people need.”
Getting Creative and Getting Outdoors
In 2024, 37 organizations hosted 73 events for Love Maine Trails Month. That corresponded to 573 volunteers putting in more than 3,100 hours of work to improve around 58 miles of trails throughout the state.
2025 is set to be just as productive. Throughout the month, organizations are hosting projects such as:
Boardwalk construction
Hikes and walks
Trail-building initiatives
Estuary exploration
Clean-up expeditions
Demonstrations
Films and discussions
“Initially, our goal was that volunteers could engage in various activities like clearing brush, improving drainage, repairing trail structures, and, in some cases, constructing new trail segments,” says Ward. “But organizations have gotten even more creative about how they draw attention to trail stewardship.”
Indeed, last year’s roster of events offered various creative opportunities to get involved. The City of Ellsworth hosted an outdoor recreation fair, for example, through which participants took kayaking workshops, got outdoor gear repaired, and engaged with local businesses. The York Land Trust brought participants on a mile-long interpretive walk of Smelt Brook Preserve to discuss the importance of various forestry efforts.
This year, participants will work to expand trails throughout Grinnell Woods, restore McIntire Highlands Preserve, build a privy on Rainbow Stream, and so much more.
Maine Trail Finder’s calendar includes a description of the physicality of each event, giving participants — including trail enthusiasts, newcomers, and families — clear information to match their skill level. “The activities are designed to be accessible to all individuals with all levels of experience and rewarding for anyone in any stage of their life,” says Ward. “You don’t have to have chainsaw skills or anything like that to help out.”
The Power of Giving Back
Love Maine Trails Month affords Maine organizations an opportunity to promote their work under an overarching, community-driven campaign. It’s a great way to drive awareness and build excitement for trail stewardship.
According to Ward, participating in the month’s celebrations offers significant individual benefits, too: “Being outside on trails is incredible for your mental health. We’re looking at the entire state and visitors that are now experiencing better trails — what an impact on basic human health.”
At the same time, caring for Maine’s trail systems brings communities together, says Ward. “Something happens when you take a group outside and they give their time to a place. They form a real connection to the place when they can say, ‘I built this big bridge’ or ‘I planted this a couple years ago, and it’s starting to grow now.’ It’s incredibly powerful.”
In a very tangible way, Maine Trails Coalition and Love Maine Trails Month have contributed to a growing awareness of trail stewardship and environmental efforts. In 2024, for example, state legislators passed a bill to establish the Maine Trails Program, providing $30 million in funding for designing and developing trails. The overwhelming bipartisan support for the bill is evidence of the state’s commitment to trail maintenance and protection, driven by initiatives like Love Maine Trails Month.
As Ward works to grow Love Maine Trails Month and make it easier for organizations and volunteers to participate, she’s simultaneously looking back at its inspirational beginnings: “It’s always so rewarding to see how you can start with one idea and watch it morph into something bigger and greater and more impactful.”
