Lightly on the Land: The Sca Trail Building And Maintenance Manual

* Comprehensive text on building and maintaining trails
* The latest in effective management of work crews of all ages
* How to build "sustainable" trails to fit dwindling park maintenance budgets
* For weekend volunteers, youth group leaders, outing club members, and anyone involved in caring for the land

For half a century, the Student Conservation Association (SCA) has inspired people of all ages to take part in projects that enhance the environment. In settings from city parks to backcountry wilderness, the practical skills presented in its pioneering handbook have been tested in the field by volunteer and professional work crews throughout the nation. Their input enriches every chapter with fresh approaches, new ideas, and modern applications of traditional skills.

In addition to conservation crew leadership and risk management, Lightly on the Land presents the nuts and bolts of trail construction and maintenance; building with rock; felling and buckling; building with timber; bridge construction; and environmental restoration. It gets down and dirty with tools, knots, and rigging. Throughout, it teaches how to build pathways and reshape existing routes to require a minimum of attention over the years -- essential in this era of shrinking park budgets.

Writer ROBERT BIRKBY has served with the SCA as a crew leader and instructor for more than two decades. He is the author of the current editions of The Boy Scout Handbook and Fieldbook-Boy Scouts of America.

The SCA, founded in 1950, provides service opportunities, outdoor skills, and leadership training to thousands of young women and men each year.