On November 8th at the Capitol Center for the Arts in Concord, NH the 2011 Spirit of New Hampshire Awards were held. Over 100 volunteers from many different organizations and areas of the state were recognized for their commitment to service and the New Hampshire tradition of volunteerism.
This annual recognition program is administered by Volunteer NH in collaboration with the Office of the Governor. Spirit of New Hampshire awards honor outstanding contributions to volunteerism throughout the state of New Hampshire. They augment the many local recognition events that show appreciation for the work of community volunteers and volunteer programs.
The AMC's North Country Trails Volunteer Programs were awarded the Spirit of NH Champion Award. The Champion Award recognizes a volunteer organization that provides outstanding opportunities to volunteers.
The North Country Trails Volunteer Programs, of Gorham, is a project of the Appalachian Mountain Club and includes over 800 volunteers. The program, supervised by Alex DeLucia, works in New Hampshire’s forests maintaining 400 miles of trails through cleaning out brush, drainage structures, repair or build scree walls and cairns above the tree line. Preserving the trails for future use, protecting their environment and providing a quality experience for all trail users, the program is integral for the long term sustainability of New Hampshire Appalachian mountain trails. The program logs over 19,000 hours of volunteer service annually to fulfill these efforts.
(In the photo, far left, Susan Arnold: AMC Vice President for Conservation. Second from left, Andrew Norkin: AMC Director of Trails & Recreation Management. Fifth from the left in the front row, Alex DeLucia: AMC North Country Trails Volunteer Programs Supervisor)
Photo by: Volunteer NH
