Trail Steward Level 1 Trainings for Spring 2020 on the Schedule

​March 28, 2020 Update: Please note that the March 31st, April 6th and April 20th trainings have been canceled because of the coronavirus outbreak. We will reschedule and post to Meetup when trainings resume. Thank you.
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Interested in becoming a COTA Trail Steward? It's a great way to get involved and give some love back to the trails you enjoy.

Multiple Trail Stewardship Level 1 trainings are on the schedule, with 3 trainings in Bend and 1 in Sunriver. Level 2 & Level 3 trainings coming up soon.

Level 1: Intro into Basic Trail Maintenance and PowerPoint Presentation*
This is a 2 hour in classroom presentation geared towards folks who have some interest in trail work. We will cover the big 3: Log out, Brush out, and Water Management. Goals are to introduce attendees on what we do, why we do it and how we do it, and how to do it safely. This is Part 1 of a 3 part series towards becoming a COTA Trail Steward, and for some that wish to become a Trail Crew Leader. We encourage as many as possible to come out and learn the basics.

Monday, March 9th, 6:30pm-8:30pm at the Enviro Center in Bend Info/Signup Here
Tuesday, March 31st, 6:30pm-8:30pm at the Enviro Center in Bend Info/Signup Here
Monday, April 6th, 6:30pm-8:30pm at the Enviro Center in Bend Info/Signup Here
Monday, April 20th, 6:30pm-8:30pm at Sunriver Lodge in Sunriver Info/Signup Here

Level 2: Full day in the woods applying what we learned in the Level 1*
Dates TBD

Level 3: Advanced Trail Maintenance, Personal Protection and Crew Leader Training*
Dates TBD
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*Registration required; attendance is free. Trainings will be posted on Meetup in near future. Make sure you're a member of COTA's Meetup page here.

What's a Trail Steward? 
Stewards are trained volunteers whom sign up with COTA to perform basic trail maintenance needs for trails that COTA has a Volunteer Agreement with land managers (ex. USFS, BLM) to maintain. Trail maintenance needs include: logout (up to a log size that can be cut with hand saws (chainsaw use requires additional training and certification), brushing, water management needs (clean out current drains and creating new ones as needed), and basic trail tread maintenance.
- Prerequisites: 1+ year as a trail volunteer locally or other places
- Training Requirements: Minimum 4 hour training course for Level 1 Trail Steward and additional training requirements for Level 2-4. Trail work and experience from other locations will be considered for grandfathering in Trail Stewards after some brief training in COTA protocols.
- Expectations: Attend at least 2 work events, & log all volunteer hours; min 2 year commitment.

Level 1 - Learn how to look for trail issues, using the COTA App. Focuses on brush, treadwork, sight lines, safety, land management volunteer agreements.

Level 2 - At this intermediate level training, attendees will learn how to logout using folding saws; build/improve drains; build corners to withstand heavy use; and will also have a powerpoint component to delve into more detailed situational analysis of more advanced Trail Maintenance Techniques. This training is highly encouraged for anyone wishing to have a more complete skill set of trail maintenance techniques.

Level 3 - Group management, USFS Trail Design Parameters, land manager process/policies. Classroom setting. Levels 1 and 2 trainings are required for Level 3.