Volunteer Workdays
Sylvan Deep, HWA Treatment Workday
Wednesday, June 17, 2026 Postponed
Spencer Rd. Ray, OH 45672 (Map).
Join our Land Steward Ethan King, AmeriCorps member Emily, 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. Please note that there are no restroom facilities at this location. For registration, click (HERE).
Plum Run, Invasive Removal
Saturday, August 29, 2026
Mendenhall Rd. Peebles, OH 45660 (Map)
Adams County, Ohio, is known across the country and around the globe for its unique alkaline, cedar glade prairies, of which the Arc of Appalachia has saved several. Join the entire Arc Land Stewardship team and fellow volunteers as we work to preserve and expand this prairie at Plum Run Preserve. Volunteers will be dragging and piling up brush, carrying, loading, and stacking cedar logs for use throughout the year on new trail construction and maintenance. We will meet in the parking area off Mendenhall Road. Please wear work boots or sturdy shoes, bring work gloves (we will have some gloves for anyone who needs them), a personal water bottle, and a packed lunch. No experience is necessary; all are welcome.The workday is from 10 am - 2 pm. Please note that there are no restroom facilities on the preserve. For registration, click (HERE).
Sylvan Deep, Trail Work & Sign Installation
Wednesday, September 2, 16, & 30, 2026
Spencer Rd. Ray, OH 45672 (Map)
Join Land Steward Ethan King 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 will be a series of three workdays throughout the month of September. Come for one, two or all three. 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
Cave Road, Invasive Removal in Cave Canyon
Friday, September 18, 2026
7660 Cave Rd. Bainbridge, OH 45612 (Map)
Join Land Steward Tim Pohlar and other Arc Staff as we clear invasive ivy and euonymus vines off and away from the iconic Cave House area and across the bridge, down into Cave Canyon. You're invited to arrive at the Appalachian Forest Museum between 9 am and 9:45 am to meet your fellow volunteers and the Arc staff over coffee, tea, and dessert. Then at 10 am, we'll spread out in small groups to work on our assigned tasks for the day. The Highlands Nature Sanctuary is the birthplace and headquarters of the Arc of Appalachia, and arguably the Arc's most beautiful preserve. New volunteers will be trained in invasive plant identification. Sturdy shoes, work gloves, and a daypack to carry a water bottle, a light-packed lunch, and/or snacks are recommended. The workday is from 10 am - 2 pm. As a gesture of our sincere appreciation, you are cordially invited to join us at the Appalachian Forest Museum following the workday for a light lunch on the AFM deck, fellowship, and a brief reflection of the day’s accomplishments. For registration, click (HERE).
Resilience, Invasive Removal
Wednesday, October 14 2026
30784 Township Hwy 292, Logan, OH 43138 (Map)
Join Land Steward Ethan King and fellow Forest Keepers as we cut and treat the invasive Autumn Olive in the main field area. Our work will focus on field edges and within the meadows—habitats of critical importance. Resilience’s meadows are home to one of the largest colonies of Henslow’s sparrows in the state, as well as box turtles and woodland salamanders. Removing invasive species is essential to protecting these sensitive species and ensuring the health and biodiversity of this unique landscape. 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. Please note that there are no restroom facilities at this location. For registration, click (HERE).
Ridgeview Restoration Farm, Invasive Removal
Saturday, October 17, 2026
6636 St. Rt. 753, Hillsboro, OH 45133 (Map)
Join Arc Director Nancy Stranahan, Brent Charette, Marilyn Welker, and the amazing Ridgeview Farm Biodiversity Brigade as they continue their quest to re-wild this rich and biodiverse farm. Non-native invasive plants like bush honeysuckle, autumn olive, and multiflora rose constantly challenge wildland preservationists. Spring and fall, year in and year out, staff and volunteers descend on the farm to remove these plants from the landscape. Using hand tools and the targeted application of herbicide solutions, volunteers will continue to turn the tide in favor of the native plants and animals that call Ridgeview Farm home. A hearty lunch awaits our volunteers at the end of the day. No experience is needed; all are welcome. Please bring work gloves, a personal water bottle, a packed lunch, and/or snacks. For registration, click (HERE).
Simon Farm, Noel Hollow Trail Construction
Wednesday, Oct. 21, & Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026
8721 Carey’s Run Pond Creek Rd. Portsmouth, OH 45663 (Map)
Join Land Stewards Ethan King, Tim Pohlar, Mike Cooper, David Galusha, Brent Charette, 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).
Elder’s Landing, Invasive Removal
Friday, October 23, 2026
7240 Cave Road, Bainbridge, OH 45612 (Map)
Join Land Steward Tim Pohlar and fellow volunteers as we continue to battle the persistent multiflora rose, bush honeysuckle, and autumn olive. We will continue to work downstream to clear these invasive species that threaten native species in this incredibly biodiverse region. This gentle section of the river, known as Elders' Landing, is an ideal spot for nature enthusiasts who wish to explore the creek, offering access for canoes and kayaks. No experience is necessary; all are welcome. Volunteers will be trained on invasive plant identification and the safe treatment methods used to remove the non-native, invasive plants. Sturdy shoes or boots, a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, leather work gloves, a water bottle, snacks, and a packed lunch are recommended. The workday is from 10 am - 2 pm. Please note that there is no restroom at this location. For registration, click (HERE)
Photo by tim pohlar
Barrett's Rim, Invasive Removal
Friday, November 20, 2026
7240 Cave Road, Bainbridge, OH 45612 (Map)
Join Land Steward Tim Pohlar and fellow volunteers as we continue to battle the ever-persistent multiflora rose, bush honeysuckle, and autumn olive. These invasive species threaten native species in this incredibly biodiverse region. Volunteers will work along the stream and field edges, working toward the trail region. Barrett's Rim trail is often referred to as the "Jewel of the Rocky Fork Gorge" due to the copious amount of spring wildflowers that grow on its vertical cliffs and breathtaking rock features. No experience is necessary; all are welcome. Volunteers will be trained on invasive plant identification and the safe treatment methods used to remove the non-native, invasive plants. Sturdy shoes or boots, a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, leather work gloves, a water bottle, snacks, and a packed lunch are recommended. The workday is from 10 am - 2 pm. Please note that there is no restroom at this location. For registration, click (HERE).
Sad Song Creek, Invasive Removal
Friday, December 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).