American Hiking Society's National Trails Day^® Celebrated on June 6, 2009
Events happening throughout the year!

National Trails Day^® inspires Girl Scouts and the public to enjoy their favorite trails and join forces with trail clubs, federal and local agencies, land trusts, businesses, and others to discover, learn about and celebrate trails. National Trails Day (NTD) enhances the Girl Scout Leadership Experience by offering opportunities for girls to:

• Discover – a strong sense of self, positive values and understanding of their important role in caring for wildlife, the environment and trails in their area.
• Connect – with one another while they care about nature, the outdoors and their local and global communities.
• Take Action – to identify community and environmental needs, organize trail maintenance projects, plan guided wildlife walks, and educate and inspire others about trails and how to use and protect them.

Get involved with National Trails Day 2009 on June 6th or ANY day of the year!

Girls can extend their leadership journey experience during a NTD event. For more information see Girl Scout leadership journeys.

Girls can work towards earning the Get with the Land Patch by taking part in NTD activities done in collaboration with a federal or state natural resource agency. Visit www.girlscouts.org and search for "Get with the Land" for more information.

Girls can also work on other Girl Scout environmental, outdoor and STEM awards. See the list of awards.

Host a Girl Scout NTD Event

• Register an already scheduled trail related event TODAY! If you can't plan a new event, register an event that your council, troop, or group already has in the works for spring, summer, or fall 2009. This could be an environmental education maintenance project, wildlife hike, team paddle trip, bike outing, camping trip or any leadership development experience celebrating trails and the outdoors. Your event is not required to take place on June 6th.
• Download tools and materials online like the Organizer's Handbook, Flyers, Posters, and Logos. Buy t-shirts (XS size for girls), patches, and temporary tattoos for your event on the AHS Web site.
• Use NTD as a membership tool. Invite the community to learn more about Girl Scouts at your NTD event. If your event is open to the public, it will be advertised on the AHS Web site and it will be seen by thousands of people in your area.
• Let your event count! AHS will report the number of Girl Scout events for NTD 2009 in their advocacy work! You may register more than one event.
• Let Girl Scouts know that they are taking part in a trails celebration that is occurring in all 50 states with over 1,200 events and 100,000 participants around the country.
• If your event is only open to Girl Scouts, and not the public, you may register your event as private. Private events will count towards the numbers Girl Scout events but will not be advertised to the public on our Web site.
• Girls 12 and under can enter the NTD coloring contest for a chance to win an REI gift pack.

Partner with a retailer or local organization

• Visit the NTD Web page to find events happening in your area. Call the host and ask how your group can help in planning or volunteering.

Search for an event in your area

• Take part in an event near you! Visit AHS Web site to view the map and events happening in your area.

Examples of Girl Scout National Trails Day Events

• Two Girl Scout Daisy troops extend their Daisy Flower Garden journey experience by exploring a real field of flowers, looking for ladybugs and worms, and learning why they're important during a short hike on their council's camp property.
• In California, 50 Girl Scout Brownies help plan their agenda for a two day "camporee" at Eureka State Park. In collaboration with park staff and volunteers, girls plant trees and native plants along an interpretive trail and report out that U.S. Historic and Scenic National Trails are important to protect.
• 150 Girl Scout Juniors through Ambassadors explore their own outdoor ethics; take part in age specific Leave No Trace, orienteering activities and programs about native species, soil erosion, and safety led by older girls and volunteers. Girls plan and implement a trail maintenance project with National Park Service staff—installing water bars on the Appalachian National Scenic Trail to reduce erosion. Girls enjoy stories from an Appalachian Trail expert and share their own.
• A Girl Scout Cadette and Senior leadership committee engages Girl Scout Juniors in hiking safety and wildlife exploration activities, then guides the group on a night hike. After the event, Juniors share their night hike discoveries with friends at school and with the help of older girls and adult volunteers, organize others to take care of the trail and protect the wildlife habitat.

To Learn More - Visit the National Trails Day Web site

Questions? Contact Heather Sable, Trail Programs Manager, at HSable@AmericanHiking.org or call 301-565-6704.