Ways To Get Involved
Volunteer With Us
A community of volunteers have been the driving force behind the Bruce Trail for over 60 years. Today, more than 1,400 volunteers donate their time and talents to the Bruce Trail Conservancy and its nine Bruce Trail Clubs. Without this remarkable year-round support, the Bruce Trail Conservancy and the Bruce Trail would not be what it is today. They strive to keep it going today, and they’re looking for you to join them as the next generation of volunteers.
Why Become a Volunteer with the Bruce Trail Conservancy and its Bruce Trail Clubs?
Volunteering with the Bruce Trail Conservancy and its Bruce Trail Clubs is a way to give back to the community helping to conserve and care for the Niagara Escarpment – home of the Bruce Trail. You’ll help secure the Bruce Trail, share and learn skills, be a part of a team, and develop lasting friendships.
There’s roles for people outdoors and inside, for people who love manual labor and those who are excellent organizers. Whether you’ve had years of experience or you’re brand new to volunteering, we look forward to helping you have the experience of a lifetime on the Trail of a lifetime.
Volunteer Spotlight
Alina Lin
I enjoy being able to hike or work with like-minded people. I get to connect with people from different cultures and backgrounds, learn new skills and knowledge, and share my experiences. I moved to Canada in 2009 and more than half of my friend circle and some best friends were made through volunteering! I also feel a sense of accomplishment seeing my volunteering efforts make a difference.
Volunteer Spotlight
Alina Lin
“I enjoy being able to hike or work with like-minded people. I get to connect with people from different cultures and backgrounds, learn new skills and knowledge, and share my experiences. I moved to Canada in 2009 and more than half of my friend circle and some best friends were made through volunteering! I also feel a sense of accomplishment seeing my volunteering efforts make a difference.“
Bruce Trail Clubs
Volunteer Roles and Descriptions
Bruce Trail Clubs
Bruce Trail Conservancy
Current Volunteer Opportunities
Volunteers are the heart and soul of the BruceTrail, and there are many opportunities for you to give back to the Trail you love so much. Thank you for your interest in giving back to the Bruce Trail Conservancy and the Bruce Trail through volunteering.
If you are interested in any of these positions
Volunteer Recognition
Volunteers are the soul of the Bruce Trail, and we appreciate all of their efforts! These extraordinary people put in thousands of hours of volunteer work every year to manage and promote the Bruce Trail in an effort to keep it open and in good repair.
Annual Meeting Hiking Awards:
To nominate a volunteer, follow the button to complete the form. We appreciate all submissions, but we cannot guarantee that all volunteers will be profiled.
Volunteer Resources
Whether you’re experienced or new to volunteering with the Bruce Trail Conservancy or one of its Bruce Trail Clubs, we have resources to inspire and inform you about your role.
Bruce Trail Conservancy Youth Council
Join a network of conservation-minded youth and be the voice of the next generation for the Bruce Trail Conservancy!
We are seeking passionate individuals, ages 18-25, who are interested in trails and conservation, to join our first Bruce Trail Conservancy Youth Council and share their skills and voice in support of preserving a ribbon of wilderness.
Why Join the Bruce Trail Conservancy Youth Council?
- Connect with other youth to discuss relevant environmental issues
- Provide advice to the Bruce Trail Conservancy on ways to further engage youth in meaningful ways
- Participate in online and in-person events centered around environmental education, hiking, and professional development
- Learn about and help develop opportunities for youth volunteering along the Bruce Trail
- Get relevant, timely volunteer experience in an environmental, non-profit setting
- Support the Bruce Trail Conservancy’s mission to preserve a ribbon of wilderness, for everyone, forever
Two Ways to be Involved
Join as a general member at any point to be involved in monthly Zoom meetings, attend virtual and in-person events, and share your voice. If you are interested in taking on more of a leadership role, applications to join the Executive Committee will open again in Fall 2022.
Under 18?
If you are under 18 years of age, please review our Minors Volunteering Policy with your parent or guardian.
For more information about the volunteer program
iNaturalist Bruce Trail Conservancy Volunteer Project
Collect important biodiversity data as you hike the Bruce Trail
We’re looking for volunteer citizen scientists to help us better understand the biodiversity along the Bruce Trail. Whether you are a trained botanist, mycologist or ornithologist, or just interested in learning more about the different species calling the Bruce Trail home, the Bruce Trail Conservancy can use your help. Using the free powerful online tool iNaturalist, you can collect much needed data while you are out hiking the Bruce Trail.
Corporate Volunteering
The Corporate Volunteering Program will be relaunching in 2022.
Is your company looking for a unique volunteer opportunity? Look no further than the Bruce Trail.
Corporate volunteering provides an opportunity to support your local community, do some team building, and boost morale amongst your staff. Come join us for some fresh air, hiking and some hard work giving back to the Bruce Trail Conservancy!
Sign up to be notified when we are ready to start booking by completing the form here.
A typical corporate volunteering event includes:
- A staff guide from the Bruce Trail Conservancy to lead the day and the activity
- An interpretive hike along the local section of Bruce Trail
- An opportunity to give back through a rehabilitation activity that may include a trail clean-up, invasive species removal, planting, or another activity as per the needs of the land
For more information or to get started planning your corporate event with the Bruce Trail Conservancy, please get in touch.
Badges
Celebrate your achievements with these fun badges!
Bruce Trail Club Badges
Each Bruce Trail Club offers badges for completing its section of the Trail and for other challenges. Visit the Club websites for the latest offerings:
To obtain a Bruce Trail Club’s End-to-End badge, submit your trail logs for that Club’s section directly to the Club. Contact details are included in the links above.
End-to-End Badges
Keep a hiking log and by the end of your journey, let us know so that we may officially recognize you as an End-to-Ender and present you with your badge!
We’ve issued over 4000 official End-to-End numbers in our 50+ year history. That is a wonderful record and we know that there are many more who have completed the Trail without letting us know.
Each year the names of those who have reported End-to-End completions in the previous 12 months are published in the spring issue of Bruce Trail Conservancy Magazine.
To be recognized as an official End-to-Ender with the Bruce Trail Conservancy, we ask you to:
- Send us your hiking logs*
- Provide us with the date you completed your End-to-End
- Be a BTC member at the time you complete your End-to-End
- Send us $15 to cover the costs of your badge, certificate, and processing your End-to-End.
*The hiking logs can be as simple as a list of the dates of your hikes and where you started and ended each day. It might be worth having a separate page for each club section (especially as these will help you request Club Badges from the individual Bruce Trail Clubs).
Payment and logs can be sent to our mailing address at P.O. Box 857, Hamilton, ON L8N 3N9
Or
The colourful version of the Bruce Trail End-to-End Badge is available for $5.00 those who have already received their official End-to-End number and badge above. Sometimes it’s nice to have options!
Please note:
We operate on the honour system.
We give equal recognition to all End-to-End hikers regardless of sequence, direction, speed, or whether the End-to-End was completed as a thru-hike or in sections. The BTC does not maintain records of End-to-End completion time or of End-to-Enders gender, age or other characteristics.
We issue and End-to-End badge, a certificate, and a unique official End-to-End number.
Badges Just For Kids!
Some of our Bruce Trail Clubs have designed special badges just for junior hikers. Visit the links below for more details on how your your nature enthusiast can earn them:
Young Trail Blazers and Young Nature Blazers Badges (from the Niagara Bruce Trail Club)
Junior Hiker Badges – one for each season (from the Iroquoia Bruce Trail Club)
Youth Badge (from the Toronto Bruce Trail Club)
Nature Hunter Badge (from the Caledon Hills Club)
Young Hiker Badge and Explorer’s and Adventurer’s Badges (from the Dufferin Hi-Land Club)
Bruce Trail Junior Birder (from the Peninsula Bruce Trail Club)
Other badges
Hike-a-thon Badge – given to particpants of the annual Hike-a-thon (since 2017)
Membership Badge – given to all new members
Volunteering Badge – given to all new volunteers
International Friendship Trail Badge Series
As a founding member of the World Trails Network, the Bruce Trail Conservancy is working with international trail organizations to raise awareness of and support for public footpaths through the creation of Friendship Trails. The Bruce Trail Conservancy currently has 9 Friendship Trails. In each case, a route on the Bruce Trail (main and side trails) and a corresponding route on the international trail have been designated as a Friendship Trail, displaying special signs to mark the partnership.
Earn your badge by hiking the Friendship Trail route on the Bruce Trail and on the corresponding twinned portion on the international trail.
From there you will be sent the main Friendship Trail badge and corresponding trail badge, at no cost.
Bruce Trail Conservancy Events
Hike It! Love It! Keep It Clean! Litter Project
Hike It! Love It! Keep It Clean! Litter Project In response to an increase in litter along the…
End-to-End and Challenge Hikes
End-to-End and Challenge Hikes A convenient, fun and safe way to challenge yourself and hike large sections of…
Annual Meeting 2022
Annual Meeting 2022 Online via Zoom October 15, 2022 from 10:00 AM until 12:00 PM The Bruce Trail Conservancy (BTC) Annual Meeting…