Volunteer Workdays
Tobacco Barn Hollow, New Trail Construction
Friday, Nov. 13, 2026
Pike Lake Rd. 45612 (39°09'56.2"N 83°13'13.0"W) (MAP)
Join the Land Stewardship Team and fellow volunteers as we begin construction on the new ‘Forest Rising Trail’ located next to Pike Lake State Park. The trail has been trimmed out and is ready for bench work. Our focus for the day will be excavating and shaping the trail into a flat, more easily navigable hike. Removing obstacles like stones, roots, and vegetation to create a stable, flat walking surface that is well-drained is our goal for the day. Once completed, this trail will guide visitors on a 2-mile uphill journey through beautiful forest, with intriguing rock outcrops along the way that leave you wondering what natural wonder awaits ahead. No experience is needed; all are welcome. Sturdy shoes or boots are recommended. Please bring work gloves, a personal water bottle, a packed lunch, and/or snacks. The workday is from 10 am - 2 pm. Please note that there are no restroom facilities at this location. For registration and additional directions, click (HERE)
Simon Farm, Noel Hollow Trail Construction
Tuesday, Nov. 17; Wednesday, Dec. 2 & 16, 2026
8721 Carey’s Run Pond Creek Rd. Portsmouth, OH 45663 (Map)
Join Arc Land Stewards and fellow volunteers as we continue our trail construction into the remote hill country of John Simon’s ancestral 5th-generation French Farmstead, established in 1864. This future spur trail will continue through majestic oak forests and lead hikers to a ridgetop with spectacular views in late fall and winter. Volunteers will help create this new and exciting trail by building steps, learning how to flatten a slope, building water bars, removing tripping hazards, and more. Come for one or both workdays. There is a job for everyone. No experience is needed; all are welcome. Please bring work gloves, a personal water bottle, a packed lunch, and/or snacks. Sturdy shoes or boots are recommended. The workday is from 10 am - 2 pm. Please note that there are no restroom facilities at this location. For registration, click (HERE).
Sylvan Deep, Trail Work & Sign Installation
Thursday, Nov. 19 & Friday, Dec. 18, 2026
Spencer Rd. Ray, OH 45672 (Map)
Join Land Steward Ethan King, Land Steward David Galusha, and fellow volunteers as they put the finishing touches on this new trail in this 106-acre, picturesque woodland in Jackson County. This property boasts immense sandstone rock features, rock shelters, ancient hemlocks, towering oaks, and deep ravines blanketed with a variety of ferns. Volunteers will help with building steps, stairs, and installing signs. This is our last big push to finish this exciting new trail. There is a job for everyone. No experience is needed; all are welcome. Sturdy shoes or boots are recommended. Please bring work gloves, a personal water bottle, a packed lunch, and/or snacks. The workday is from 10 am - 2 pm. Please note that there are no restroom facilities at this location. For registration, click (HERE).
PHOTO BY TIM POHALR
Honeycomb Rocks, HWA Treatment Workday
Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2026
Buena Vista Rd, Hocking County, OH (Map).
Join our Land Steward Ethan King and fellow volunteers as we work to preserve the hemlock forests in this gorgeous nature preserve. We surveyed our woodlands for Hemlock Woolly Adelgid and are now ready to treat. Armed with our survey maps and location points, we’ll identify trees needing treatment. Some of the many jobs that need to be done during the workday include soil trenching around the trees, measuring each tree to determine the dosage, carrying in the necessary equipment and insecticide, documentation, marking the treated trees with spray paint, and carrying in food and water for the day. There will be a job for all! No experience is needed; all are welcome. Please bring work gloves, a personal water bottle, a packed lunch, and/or snacks. The workday is from 10 am - 2 pm. Please note that there are no restroom facilities at this location. For registration, click (HERE).
Sylvan Deep, HWA Treatment Workday
Wednesday, Dec. 9 & Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2026
Spencer Rd. Ray, OH 45672 (Map).
Join our Land Steward Ethan King and fellow volunteers as we work to preserve the hemlock forests in this gorgeous nature preserve. We surveyed our woodlands for Hemlock Woolly Adelgid over winter and are now ready to treat. Armed with our survey maps and location points, we’ll identify trees needing treatment. Some of the many jobs that need to be done during the workday include soil trenching around the trees, measuring each tree to determine the dosage, carrying in the necessary equipment and insecticide, documentation, marking the treated trees with spray paint, and carrying in food and water for the day. There will be a job for all! No experience is needed; all are welcome. Please bring work gloves, a personal water bottle, a packed lunch, and/or snacks. The workday is from 10 am - 2 pm. Please note that there are no restroom facilities at this location. For registration, click (HERE).
Sad Song Creek, Invasive Removal
Friday, Dec. 11, 2026
7240 Cave Road, Bainbridge, OH 45612 (Map)
Join Land Steward Tim Pohlar and our dedicated Biodiversity Brigade volunteers as we begin removing invasive species from this remarkably diverse and beautiful preserve. This special landscape is rich with life—lush carpets of mosses and liverworts, along with bulblet ferns, walking ferns, and stonecrop clinging to nearly every rock. Vibrant wildflower displays atop the ridge to the blooms along the canyon floor will enchant future hikers. Limestone boulders scattered along Sad Song Creek form a dramatic, natural jumble—creating a small gorge all their own. With plans underway to establish a new trail next year, this workday marks the first step in shaping what will become a meaningful addition to our preserve system. Volunteers will focus their efforts in a regenerating field transitioning back to forest, where we will cut and treat invasive species, including autumn olive, multiflora rose, and bush honeysuckle. Your work will directly support the health and future of this young successional forest—while also helping lay the groundwork for a new trail that others will enjoy for years to come. Sturdy shoes or boots, a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, leather work gloves, a water bottle, snacks, and a packed lunch are recommended. We will meet at the Whispering Springs Complex to load tools and supplies for the day and travel together to the worksite. The workday is from 10 am - 2 pm. Please note that there is no restroom at this location. For registration, click (HERE).