Volunteer Registration Information
Physical Ability – Please Be Honest
Newcomers are welcome! We love teaching people how to dig trail, pull a crosscut, and even pitch a tent if it is your first time camping. However, it is extremely important that you select a project that matches your ability level. To ensure your safety and the safety of the entire crew, you must be prepared for the level of difficulty of the project you select.
Here’s what you can expect from projects with these levels of difficulty:
- Moderate – Project requiring fewer than 5 miles of daily hiking. Work is physically demanding, but can be self-paced according to one’s comfort level. Camp is not far from the worksite and there is access to vehicles at camp.
- Strenuous – Project requiring some combination of long daily hikes, demanding work tasks, and/or a hike into a backcountry camp. Opportunities for self-paced tasks exist during the workday but may not always be available. We’ll be working far from camp and may be backcountry camping.
- Very Strenuous – Project requiring some combination of long daily hikes, a burly hike into a backcountry camp, especially demanding work tasks and the need to keep pace with the rest of the crew at all times. These are our most challenging projects.
If you have any concerns about your ability to participate, or just want a better idea of what you are getting into, contact Stewardship Coordinator Ande Alvarez at aalvarez@wildmontana.org.
Project Deposits
Wild Montana requires a $75 refundable deposit to hold your place on a Volunteer Trail Crew project. The integrity of our program requires committed volunteers. If you register for a project, we are counting on you to show up. If you either cancel (with less than one month’s notice) or do not show up, Wild Montana will accept your deposit as a donation to offset some of the cost we incurred.
Most deposits will not be refunded until the conclusion of the field season. Expect to receive your refunded deposit around November 1st. Deposits are refunded to the credit card used to process the transaction.
Cancellations
If you cancel less than one month before the project start date, your deposit will be considered a donation and will be used to offset the expense we will incur to find your replacement on the crew. We understand that sometimes life happens and plans need to change. If you cancel with at least one month’s notice, your deposit will be refunded. Thank you for your understanding.
Waitlists
Those projects listed as “FULL” are at capacity, although you can still register and be added to the waitlist. You’ll still need to provide a refundable project deposit. In the event of a cancellation, we will begin calling everyone on the waitlist. The first to respond and accept the position will be added to the confirmed list. Wild Montana will refund your project deposit if you aren’t added to the confirmed list. We will also gladly accept deposits as donations to the stewardship program.