National Trails Day 2008 is almost here, to be celebrated June 7. I can hardly believe that this will be the 16th year running for the big nationwide event to celebrate trails. There certainly have been many trail miles walked, water bars cleaned, bog bridges built, blazes painted, signs erected, and fun and laughter had in those many years, that’s for sure.

There’s a lot going on in Maine again this year to mark the day – 27 events at last count. Hikes, bird walks, paddles, trail work, cleanups, biking, dedications and festivals are scheduled, all in the spirit of celebrating the trails we use and enjoy for recreation, exercise and escape.

Find about what’s going on for National Trails Day at the American Hiking Society’s Web site, www.americanhiking.org. Click on the National Trails Day icon to find event listings for Maine. You can also reach the society by phone at 800-972-8608.

Poking around the site I came across a powerful passage that stopped me right in my boot tracks:

“Trails do not just appear for our enjoyment; it takes many hours of planning, labor and negotiating to develop them. National Trails Day … brings awareness to trails and thanks many people and partners for their support and hard work, including volunteers, land agencies and outdoor businesses.”

TRAILS REQUIRE WORK

You know, it wasn’t until I got involved in trail maintenance – out there in the woods with tools, getting down and dirty in the muck – that I realized just what goes into the building and upkeep of trails. A lot. And I gained a whole new level of appreciation – a lasting one – for our trail clubs and volunteers.

That’s really what National Trails Day is all about. It doesn’t matter what kind of trail you’re talking about: hiking, biking, snowmobile, equestrian, whatever. There are many forms of recreation that use trails. And trails need people and time and energy.

That’s where we come in – you and me – on National Trails Day and throughout the year. We’re the help, the extra hands that make lighter work of all that must be done on the thousands of miles of trail throughout Maine.

So, if you haven’t already done it, mark National Trails Day on your calendar. Pick an event and go, join in with other like-minded, trail-loving people, pitch in and help out. Breathe some fresh air, get some sun on your face, laugh it up a little, witness some real progress on the ground.

You’ll walk away from the day dirty, smelly and bug-bitten, yes, but I can almost guarantee you’ll have a smile on your face and a feeling of satisfaction inside.

And you’ll have made a bunch of new friends, to boot.

That’s my plan. I hope it’ll be yours, too.

Here’s a sampler of the great events happening in Maine on June 7:

• Join the Friends of Unity Wetlands for a community trail work day.
• Hike through the Forest City with Portland Trails.
• Work on Hamilton Cove Trail with Maine Coast Heritage Trust.
• Hike along Barberry Creek with South Portland Land Trust.
• Maintain trails at the Basin Preserve with The Nature Conservancy in Maine.
• Assist the Conservation Trail Crew at Mount Agamenticus.
• Stroll along the Cathance River with the Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust.

HELP MAINTAIN TRAILS

Our friends at the Maine Chapter of the Appalachian Mountain Club (www.amcmaine.org) and the Maine Appalachian Trail Club (www.matc.org), two organizations that accomplish some heavy-duty trail work year after year, can also use your help.

The Maine AMC has a long list...