Lead Steward - Trailhead Steward Program

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In order to apply for this position you MUST bring your own RV or travel trailer and be able to commit 24 hours a week from mid-May through mid-October. Couples encouraged to apply.

Accommodations

Lead stewards will live at the volunteer village, which is an administrative loop off of the beautiful Russell Pond Campground in Woodstock, NH. This small loop is separate from the public campground and dedicated solely to accommodate volunteers. The loop has approximately 8 RV pads with full hook ups, 2 of those reserved for lead stewards. The rest of the pads are occupied by other WMNF volunteers. The loop is quiet and forested and there is a sense of community at the volunteer village - volunteers often get together for potlucks and evening campfires. Lead stewards are given a RV pad for the season in exchange for 24 hours of work per week and a mid-May through mid-October commitment. Leads will also have access to FS vehicles typically Fri-Sun for the performance of their duties. The volunteer village is about a 15 minute drive to downtown Lincoln which has the full set of amenities including post office, shopping and restaurants. The White Mountain National Forest is home to over 1200 miles of world class hiking trails and the volunteer village is within easy reach of numerous trailheads.

Duties

Lead stewards help coordinate and manage the Trailhead Steward Program - a long standing, highly successful program where volunteers give information to hikers on weekends at 5 busy trailheads before they begin their hike. The program starts in mid-May and ends in mid-October and is considered a Preventative Search and Rescue Program (PSAR).

The Trailhead Steward Program has a large workforce of trained volunteers who sign up for a shift at a trailhead of their choosing on any given weekend using signup.com. These volunteers drive to the trailhead, set up the informational display (pop up canopy, table, display materials), interact with hikers for approximately 4 hours, breakdown the display and return home. Afterwards, they report their hours and any concerns through an online reporting system.

The duties of a lead steward are unique and diverse but generally leads are responsible to ensure the program is running smoothly from week to week. Leads must possess good communication skills (both oral and written), be able to work well with others and have strong computer skills. Leads must be able to attend to problems as they arise and work towards solutions independently. Leads need to be good listeners as they will serve the volunteers mentioned previously and help new volunteers get comfortable with all aspects of the program. Leads will also conduct informal small group training sessions, training new volunteers who missed the annual spring program training.

Here's what a typical week looks like for a lead steward.

Wednesday (admin day) ~ 1- 2 hours, can be done remotely

• Check staffing on signup.com for the upcoming weekend
• Check program email account for any inquiries which may have come in from volunteers
• Send an email to the volunteer roster announcing any updates for the week and where staffing gaps may exist at the 5 trailheads
• Check volunteer reporting for hours and comments - may need to remind volunteers who may not have reported their hours from the previous weekend

Thursday (admin day) ~ 6 hours

• Drive down to the Forest Service office in Campton, NH from the volunteer village to meet with program manager and other lead steward where any program concerns or updates are shared
• Send final email only to those signed up for the weekend thanking them and sharing any weather concerns
• Secure a FS vehicle for the weekend to drive to various trailheads and run errands
• Prepare / repair any equipment needed at the trailheads for the weekend- this may involve driving to the trailhead and putting equipment in the trailhead lock box or making minor repairs to existing equipment

Saturday ~ 8 hours

• Rove and/or staff
• If trailheads are fully staffed, lead will rove from trailhead to trailhead to visit with volunteers - addressing any concerns, just saying hello and observing trailhead operations
• If trailheads are not fully staffed, lead will staff a trailhead and provide information to hikers

Sunday ~ 8 hours

• Rove and/or staff - same as Saturday
• Return FS vehicle and drive back to volunteer village
• Report your hours from the week

A Lead Steward of the Trailhead Steward Program is not your typical volunteer position. This position is a mix of liaison, coordinator, problem solver and do-er. There is room for discretion, autonomy and opportunity. If you're looking for a volunteer position where you will be given a very specific schedule and told exactly what to do, this is NOT the one for you. If you're looking for a position where you will have some flexibility and autonomy, have a positive influence on other volunteers and be given the opportunity to keep the hiking public safe, this may be your jam. All the lead stewards that have worked on the White Mountain National Forest typically leave with these 5 words, "this is a great program".

Start Date - 2025-05-12

End Date - 2025-10-19