Forest Society Celebrates Earth Day at Mt Major
ALTON, N.H. (April 7, 2023)— With more than 80,000 people visiting Mt. Major every year, this popular hiking spot sees its share of excessive trash, damage to vegetation, and trail erosion. To celebrate Earth Day and show Mt. Major a little love, take the Forest Society Trail Trash Challenge by volunteering on Saturday, April 22 anytime from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Registration is not required, but more information can be found at http://forestsociety.org/events. Mt. Major is located on Route 11 in Alton.
The Earth Day cleanup will be a do-it-yourself-style cleanup, with visitors and locals invited to help pick up trash along the trails, woods, mountain top, and parking lot. Forest Society staff and volunteers will be on hand in the Mt. Major parking lot to hand out trash bags and gloves to anyone willing to pick up trash as they enjoy hiking the mountain. Trash bags will be collected at the bottom and disposed of properly.
The Forest Society is also looking to recruit and train Volunteer Trailhead Outreach Program (VTOP) volunteers to provide trailhead outreach at Mt. Major during the busy summer and fall seasons. Volunteers engage and share information with visitors at the Mt. Major trailhead parking area under our new pavilion. Training is provided and volunteers can choose their own schedules. Learn more at http://forestsociety.org/vtop.
“More than 80,000 people are estimated to hike Mount Major every year, and for many of those new to hiking, Mount Major is often their first ‘real mountain’ experience,” states Carrie Deegan, reservation stewardship and engagement director. “Trailhead volunteers have been really helpful in providing information about wayfinding and trail conditions, hiker safety, and sharing how visitors can recreate responsibly, minimizing their impact on the environment.”
This autumn, the Forest Society will be undertaking an important project to improve the sustainability of the Main Trail at Mount Major. A sustainably designed corridor of approximately 1/3 mile, with gentle grades and excellent drainage, will be constructed by professional trail builders. This will be a great improvement to the hiking experience at Mt. Major and will decrease erosion and silting into nearby Lake Winnipesaukee. Funds are being raised to support this work; to learn more or donate, please visit https://forestsociety.org/project/mount-major-stewardship.