Maggie Peikon of the American Hiking Society joins the AccuWeather Network to explain how National Trails Day got started in 1992 as an initiative to encourage people get to outdoors more often.
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00:00Tomorrow is National Trails Day. For 33 years, the first Saturday in June, is a chance to get
00:05outside and learn more about our hiking trails. Joining us is Maggie Picon, Manager of Communications
00:12at the American Historic Hiking Society. What is the National Trails Day here, Maggie, and how did
00:19it get started? Why is it so important? Yeah, so National Trails Day is a day of public events
00:25aimed at advocacy, trail service, and building community outdoors. The idea for National Trails
00:30Day started in 1991 as a way to advocate for increased trail use and volunteer stewardship,
00:36and by 1993, American Hiking launched its first National Trails Day, where hundreds of organizations
00:41across the country participated. And it's important for a lot of reasons, but especially to ensure that
00:47the outdoors are welcoming and accessible to all through the important trail stewardship work that
00:53takes place across the country each year to maintain and preserve trails.
00:57So how do people get involved if they're trying to get new into hiking or don't live necessarily
01:03near a lot of trails? How should they start up? Yeah, so National Trails Day is for everybody,
01:08whether it's your first hike or your hundredth, and there are so many guided hikes taking place
01:12that offer a really great point of entry to those new to the activity. Many of the trail maintenance
01:16projects that are happening for National Trails Day are also open to people who have never done trail
01:20work before, so it's a great day to learn. You can head to our website, americanhiking.org,
01:25to find an event near you using our event map. And if you don't live near a trail,
01:29one really great activation that we're seeing this year is animal rescues getting involved and
01:34honoring National Trails Day by getting volunteers to come out and take adoptable dogs for a walk,
01:39so that's also a great option if there's a rescue near you. And what safety tips should people know
01:44as they head out to try to take on a hike this weekend? Of course, be sure you have enough water,
01:50and snacks to stay fueled and hydrated all day long, and don't forget your sunscreen.
01:54These are all essentials from our 10 essential list, and for the sake of brevity, I won't list
01:58them all, but you can find them on our website. Of course, check the weather before you head out,
02:03be prepared for the heat. It's also tick season, so if you're in an area where they are prevalent,
02:08be vigilant in checking yourself and considering wearing lightweight and light-colored long sleeves
02:13and pants to protect yourself. Now, you've talked about preserving nature and maintaining the trails,
02:19so we want to know, how does taking part in this event help future trails?
02:24So National Trails Day is all about leaving the trails better than we found them, whether that's
02:28picking up trash on the trail, cleaning up after your pets, or helping with a bigger trail project.
02:33Every single effort, no matter how big or small, is going to have a positive impact in preserving
02:37and maintaining the trails now and for future generations. All right, Maggie Picon, Manager
02:43of Communications at the American Hiking Society. Thanks again for joining us here on AccuWeather Early.