Our 4% donations helped support the Leave No Trace "Ridgerunners" Program through the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.
The primary role of a ridgerunner is to educate hikers about Leave No Trace principles, which are essential for protecting the Trail and the A.T. experience. Ridgerunners are trained experts in these principles and the management concerns for their section of the Trail.
Ridgerunners are an important part of the Cooperative Management System because of their ability to work with visitors face-to-face — while the ATC, Trail Clubs, and land managing agencies along the Trail provide tons of information about Leave No Trace and Trail stewardship, posting that information online or at kiosks will never be as effective for visitors as having a conversation with a helpful, knowledgeable human being. The ability of ridgerunners to mitigate resource damage at the high-use, sensitive areas they patrol cannot be overstated, and it is all done by making connections.
Learn more about the Appalachian Trail Conservancy here.
