If you enjoy hiking or backcountry camping at Great Smoky Mountains National Park, here's a chance to help make a difference for everyone who takes advantage of those opportunities. The park is recruiting for volunteers for its Adopt-a-Trail (AAT) and Adopt-a-Campsite (AAC) programs, and training is coming up soon.

According to a park spokesman, "The purpose of both programs is to help the park staff maintain the resources in the backcountry for a better visitor experience and to reduce potential human/animal conflicts. The AAT and AAC programs are long-established activities in the national park and new recruits are always needed to cover the half-million acres within its boundaries."

AAT volunteers will assist with the Park’s 800-mile trail system, covering everything from picking up litter to removing treefalls and reporting trail problems to the Park. Specific trail assignments include collecting and removing litter; cleaning waterbars and drainage systems; performing brushing and removal of small windfalls or branches (hand tools only) and minor trail tread maintenance; removing illegal campsites and fire rings found along trail; and inspecting trail signs.

AAC volunteers will perform a variety of duties associated with the Park’s 100 backcountry campsites. These duties involve removal of litter and garbage in and around the campsites and dismantling illegal fire rings, as well as monitoring the condition of the food storage cables. Light rehabilitation of the site and removal of fallen debris are also part of the responsibilities.

While that litter removal may not sound very enticing to some, it's an important part of the park's efforts to reduce conflicts between humans and wildlife…and there's no question those efforts improve the quality of the park experience for all visitors.

Another important function for both programs will be to assist visitors with needed information and promote Leave No Trace outdoor ethics. AAT and AAC volunteers must be 18 years of age or older and in good physical condition. They are expected to hike/patrol their trail(s) and visit their campsite(s) at least eight times per program year, which run from March through October , and complete a written report to the Park after each site visit.

The training sessions will be conducted in locations on both the Tennessee and North Carolina sides of the park. AAT training (for trails) will be held Saturdays, April 9 (TN) and June 11 (NC). AAC training (for backcountry campsites) will be offered on Sundays, April 10 (TN) and June 12 (NC). All training is from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and information regarding the training location will be provided once you've registered.

In order to attend, participants must register with Christine Hoyer, Trails and Facilities Volunteer Coordinator at (828) 497-1949. For the April training, the registration deadline is March 25. For the June training, the registration deadline is May 27.

Incidentally, about that litter pickup...this is a good reminder for all of us who use the parks to do our part. As we're hiking a trail or just strolling across a parking lot, we can take a couple of seconds to pick up at least some of the stuff left behind by the careless or the clueless. We--and the parks--will be the better for a little old-fashioned American civic pride.