At Trailheads and Festivals, WTA Volunteer Ambassadors Support the Hiking Community

“I had no idea that I could use WTA’s Hike Finder map to see where wildfires are!”

“Thank you for explaining opportunities to volunteer. I have thought about trail maintenance for a long time, but didn’t realize how easy it was to sign up.”

“Now I understand much more about which permits are required on which trails in this area.”

These are just a few examples of what WTA ambassadors are hearing while they engaging with the public at events and on trails. 

Ambassadors spreading the word about WTA’s resources and volunteer opportunities at REI in Seattle. Photo by Nicole Masih-Theberge

WTA’s reach and impact for the hiking community is broad, ranging from the physical work of building and maintaining trails, to providing a wealth of resources available for free, advocating to preserve the places we love, and programs that enrich the lives of young people and their families. All of this is underpinned by community building that happens on trail, online and in-person, wherever there are people who love the outdoors. In-person community building is regularly accomplished by WTA’s volunteer ambassadors. 

Ambassadors are outreach volunteers who serve as the face of WTA in their communities and across the state. Since the beginning of 2023, ambassadors have participated in more than 30 events, with more already planned as the year continues. These events have ranged from large festivals like the Washington State Fair and the Ski to Sea Festival, to engaging with hikers at trailheads, to supporting WTA in statewide efforts like Washington Trails Day. While events have varying goals, reaching a variety of people, the primary goal is always welcoming people to participate in the hiking community. 

Kathleen Lange is an ambassador as well as a trail work volunteer. She loves doing trail work and having the sense of accomplishment that comes from seeing the work tangibly laid out at the end of the day. \“To keep up this work,” she says, “we need to reach outside our usual outdoorsy cocoon to spread the work we do for trails and make the invitation to participate.” 

Making that invitation is key, and doing so in person lends itself well to lasting connections. Another longtime ambassador and trail maintenance volunteer, Pat Limberg says, “I often hear someone mention they are interested in volunteering for trail work, and it seems when these individuals interact with someone with personal experiences it might make them realize it really is something they can do.”

With the introduction of a pilot trailhead ambassador program with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), 16 volunteers have been out at trailheads all summer, welcoming people, answering questions and educating recreators in Central and Northern Washington. One consistent volunteer shared, “My favorite part of the program so far has been connecting with other recreators as well as natural resource and environmental science professionals.” Connecting with people when they are out enjoying public lands helps volunteers engage all kinds of people, some of whom may be new to outdoor recreation.  

At outreach tables run by ambassadors at REI this Spring, several people became WTA members on the spot, having not only been reminded of the benefits, but also engaging face-to-face with volunteers and staff. Perhaps it is not the first encounter someone has had with WTA, like the gentleman who came up to a table at an event and said, “Oh, I just became a member the other day because I saw you all at the Washington State Fair too.” 


At the City of Sammamish Earth Day Celebration, kids experiment with wearing hard hats. Photo by Sue Amorosi 

Whether it is about becoming a member, registering to volunteer, signing up to receive a WTA newsletter, getting a hiking questions answered, or simply receiving a warm welcome to a trail — such as about 200 people did on Washington Trails Day, nothing can replace in-person connections when inviting folks to join the hiking community and become stewards of the places they love. 

“It’s not just about the education we can provide through WTA, but the connection we share through experiences,” says Christina Maggio. Christina is relatively new to Washington, and acting as a WTA ambassador has led to meaningful connections not just for the folks she is working to engage in WTA’s work, but also for herself. 


Ambassador Hiking Basics Workshop leaders at Olympic College. Photo by Gale Dizon

Outreach efforts so far this year have meant engaging with over 2,000 people across the state. While this number is impressive, it is the smiling faces, friendships fostered, and immeasurable quality of connections made that show we are growing and deepening the WTA community. 

We’ll be looking for new ambassadors for 2024 starting this fall! Eager to find out more and get involved? Check out the ambassador webpage or email Nicole Masih-Theberge at nmasihtheberge@wta.org for more information.