The Green Mountain Club hires seasonal staff every summer to live and work on the Long Trail System in Vermont. The GMC established the Backcountry Caretaker program in the 1960s to address the adverse impacts of the rising popularity of hiking and backpacking upon the trail environment. Caretakers employ hiker education and backcountry stewardship in order to minimize and counteract the effects of trail overuse. During the months of greatest hiking activity, caretakers are stationed at overnight campsites associated with vulnerable natural areas. Caretakers utilize a low-key, one-to-one educational approach to educate visitors on how to minimize their impacts.
