At PNTA, we love to build great trail,
but we also love to build great youth.
Last November, Pacific Northwest Trail supporters came together to make our fundraiser for the PNT, the Thunderbird Campaign, a huge success. Thanks to you, PNTA purchased 500 new trail markers, bearing the iconic Thunderbird logo. Your donations also helped to fund an additional trail crew – meaning more work was performed on the Pacific Northwest Trail and more youth were able to spend a summer outdoors.
This year, we’re asking for your help to build on our past success. On Giving Tuesday, we kicked off our Youth Crew Heroes year-end fundraising campaign. Thanks to donors like you, we surpassed our one-day goal and raised over $10,000 for our youth service programs. The Pacific Northwest Trail gives us all so much. Will you help us reach our year-end goal so that we can grow our seasonal youth crew program for a second year in a row?
Make a Difference
You can make a difference on the Pacific Northwest Trail and in all the lives that it benefits. Every gift to our Youth Crew Heroes campaign will help us empower youth from gateway communities to protect trails. Each year, 80% of the work that the PNTA performs on the Pacific Northwest Trail is done by our youth crew members.
We all need nature time – a gift back to the PNT helps us take #YouthCrewHeroes out on the PNT to develop trail and outdoor leadership skills and life-long connections to our scenic lands. Their work keeps the trail open for everyone to enjoy.
Learn more about the Youth Crew Heroes campaign, here.
Great Incentives
You give because you believe in the Pacific Northwest Trail and the experiences it provides, and because you believe in the value of getting youth outdoors… but that doesn’t mean there isn’t something a little extra in it for you! Visit our Youth Crew Heroes campaign to learn more about the exclusive incentives that we’ve worked to put together for you, including the limited opportunity to join our growing list of Project Thunderbird supporters.
About our Youth Service Programs
For over 25 years, the Association has trained and supervised youth crews that service the Pacific Northwest Trail. These trail stewardship programs were created to engage youth from gateway communities along the PNT in service to our scenic lands. Today, PNTA operates four trail stewardship programs.
The Quilcene Ranger Corps
QRC members are middle-school age youth based in Quilcene, Washington. Crews spend 2-4 days per week performing light trail maintenance on the Olympic National Forest. Learn more about the QRC, here.
Performance Trail Crews
Our Performance Trail Crew members are high-school age youth from gateway communities along the PNT. Crews spend up to ten days working on the trail, operating from remote backcountry camps. Learn more about our Performance Crews, here.
Performance Log-out Crew
Our Performance Log-out Crew spends up to two weeks out in the backcountry, on the move, removing hundreds of down trees from the remote trails on the rugged Colville National Forest. Learn more about the crew, here.
PNTA – Job Corps Crew
Our Job Corps trail crews are staffed by US Job Corps students, ages 16 – 24. These young adults are provided with a unique work experience, learning and applying construction trade skills to build bridges, puncheon walkways, trailhead kiosks, campground facilities, trails and other outdoor recreation infrastructure. Learn more about the crew, here.