Purpose of award:the agreement provides trained individuals to hike the appalachian trail during peak seasons to assist with visitor education, safety, and light maintenance.summary of project…

Purpose of award:the agreement provides trained individuals to hike the appalachian trail during peak seasons to assist with visitor education, safety, and light maintenance.summary of project specific activities: this project supports backcountry and trail operations in shenandoah national park. Ridgerunners conduct hikes on the appalachian trail to provide general assistance to backcountry visitors, educate visitors in leave no trace minimum impact backcountry use ethics and techniques; and provide light maintenance along the trail.performance goals including milestones and expected outcomes: ridgerunners will be expected to perform duties which will consist of hiking on foot the appalachian trail in shenandoah NP in five-day/overnight shifts, camping at or near HUT locations which are frequented by overnight trail users. During these shifts, the ridgerunners will contact at thru-hikers and backcountry users to inform and educate; provide first aid to individual level of certification and comfort; report suspicious/illegal behavior and medical emergencies; perform light maintenance on backcountry trail; and record statistics of trail-users contacted and work performed and issue weekly reports.beneficiaries: the ridgerunners gain valuable job skills as they learn about the management of public lands which increases their understanding and appreciation for conservation efforts as well as developing leadership skills that can transfer to real world situations and future job opportunities. The general public will benefit from this internship by having a greater, more frequent presence along the appalachian trail to provide education, awareness and improved safety.