General Information
Blue Blaze Academy is a series of workshops designed to train and educate the Buckeye Trail Association and North Country Trail Association's volunteers about a variety of topics related to sustainable trail building and maintenance, conservation, and volunteer leadership. While membership to the BTA and/or NCTA is not required, we do recommend it!
If you are not a member of the Buckeye Trail Association, click here.
If you are not a member of the North Country Trail Association, click here.
There are two programs of workshops available to attendees this year: the Introduction to Trail Building program, and the Trail Crew Specialist program. It is recommended that you complete the Introduction to Trail Building program before advancing to the Trail Crew Specialist program, as it utilizes and builds upon the skills and concepts of the previous program. You can learn more about each program below. Participants will receive a certificate of completion for their programs at the end of the weekend, and participating in Blue Blaze Academy qualifies all attendees to receive their BTA 5-hour volunteer patches and NCTA Volunteer Hour Recognition!
Core Curriculum
Volunteer safety is central to the BTA's values. All Blue Blaze Academy attendees will participate in a Trail Safety & Risk Management workshop before breaking out into their individual programs. During the workshop, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) will be provided to attendees for their use throughout the weekend.
Introduction to Trail Building
The Introduction to Trail Building program is designed to teach volunteers of any experience level the core fundamentals of how trails are designed, built, and maintained. Participants will be introduced to common trail-building tools and learn about work crew best practices and leadership.
Trail Crew Specialist
The Trail Crew Specialist program is designed to provide training for experienced volunteers who are interested in learning advanced trail-bulding and maintenance skills beyond the scope of activities performed by casual hikers and trail adopters. Participants will be introduced to a variety of subjects, such as; leading trail crews, trail design, creating trail structures, and more.
Welcome Documents will be sent closer to the start date of the event!
