It’s 8:42 a.m. and a dozen volunteers are gathered around a pile of tools, half-listening to the safety talk, half-sipping coffee from a local sponsor. It’s a familiar scene for grassroots trail organizations. Small but mighty groups fueled not by big budgets, but by willing hands and repeat enthusiasm.

But here’s the reality: without consistent volunteer support, even the most passionate trail orgs will struggle to maintain momentum. Recruiting volunteers is hard. Retaining them is harder. And when that one ultra-reliable digger stops showing up, it can feel like starting over.

So, how do you build something sustainable? How do you grow your crew list, avoid burnout, and keep volunteers coming back, season after season?

Let’s dig in.

Rumor has it that people are volunteering less now than 2-3 years ago. What's going on? How do trail building/stewardship organizations that depend on volunteers woo people to spend a Saturday off their bikes and with a shovel or rake in hand instead?